Lakenheath teacher plants
thoughts
of planet's future in students' minds
Story
and photos by Ron Jensen, U.K. bureau
Ria Canilao, an eighth
grader at Lakenheath Middle School, England, plants a tiny oak tree. |
RAF LAKENHEATH, England — From tiny acorns grow mighty oaks.
And from
young pupils grow responsible stewards of the planet.
At least,
that’s the hope of Greg Klaes, eighth-grade science teacher at Lakenheath Middle
School. His pupils braved an English rain Wednesday to plant oak tree seedlings grown from
acorns gathered last fall by the class.
The trees
someday will shade a portion of the base behind the pond at Liberty Memorial Park.
"It’s
part of our curriculum that they should understand how plants grow," he said.
As the
acorns grew into seedlings, the pupils conducted experiments with light and temperature to
note how each affected the growing progress. When the seedlings reached 12 inches or so,
Klaes took his pupils to this isolated spot to complete the cycle.
"You
don’t plant oak trees for yourself," he said. "You plant them for your
children and your grandchildren. They should know they have to invest in the future of the
planet — longterm."
As a rain
squall fell, the pupils dug small holes, wrapped the seedlings in protective covers and
placed them gently into the earth.
Greg Klaes, kneeling, the
eighth grade science teacher at Lakenheath Middle School, England, distributes oak tree
seedlings to students for planting on RAF Lakenheath. |
"It’s
good growing conditions, actually," said Tim Grogan, who works with the civil
engineers on base and cautioned the pupils not to touch the roots of the fragile
seedlings.
The idea
was to honor Earth Day with an environmentally healthy endeavor. But Klaes said the trees
also will serve as a living memorial to Kavan Boyden, the school’s host-nation
teacher, who died last week after 22 years at the school.
Klaes, who
worked with Boyden for 11 years, said his late friend was not the kind of man to want a
plaque placed in his honor. The trees were a better way to remember his contributions,
Klaes said.
As she
placed a tree in the wet soil, Ria Canilao's thoughts were already in the future.
"We
can come back, like, 20 years later and see the trees we planted," she said.
"It’s good for nature and it’s in memory of Dr. Boyden."
Keith James
had a similar plan.
"We’re
bringing something to life," the eighth-grader said. "We can come back in a few
years and see how they're doing."
A handful
of airmen from the base volunteered to help. Together, the pupils and servicemembers
planted a few dozen trees Wednesday. That’s a good start, but Klaes’ pupils
could grow an entire forest.
Asked how
many he intended to plant, Klaes said, "As many as we can. I must have a thousand
back in the classroom. I gave extra credit for bringing the acorns in."
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