2022 Carrington Arbor Day celebration

Foster County Soil Conservation District held its 17th annual First Grade Tree Planting on May 11.

This event is part of the City of Carrington's official Arbor Day celebration. Fifty-four first grade students planted a tree at both the city park and the courthouse.

First grade teachers Tressa VanRay, Morgan Klocke, and April Berntson brought their students to learn about planting trees and tree care. Those lessons were led by SCD Supervisors Curt Klein and Cody Montgomery and SCD Manager Dionn Schaaf. The City of Carrington was represented by Public Works Director Jason Wolsky. The planting at the courthouse was also attended by custodian Craig Wiesz.

The Carrington Tree Board provided two different trees for the first graders to plant. The students all pitched in to plant an "Ivory Silk" Japanese tree lilac on the grounds northeast of the courthouse and a "Snowdrift" flowering crabapple at the city park. Although it was a beautiful day for the event, the site at the courthouse had to be changed due to the originally planned location being flooded from recent rains.

The students were encouraged to return for a photo with their trees when they are seniors.

The kid-sized shovels used to plant the trees went home by random drawing. Winners were Benjamin Leadbetter, Kayden Boyer, Myla Wong, Benjamin Blahna, Jaylie Thomas and Regan Harildstad.

Foster County SCD provided each child with a spruce tree seedling to take home, and the students and their teachers all received Arbor Day T-shirts.

The SCD also provided tree seedlings and handouts to the first graders at Midkota and Kensal grade schools.