Sprouting their own forest

For over 50 years, the Savenac Nursery served as the largest U.S. Forest Service tree nursery in the United States – producing over 12 million seedlings a year that were used to reforest national forests until it closed in 1969. 

On Thursday, sixth grade students from Superior Elementary eagerly hiked from the ten white buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s to the site of a new Christmas tree nursery. As part of the Children’s Forest Initiative, the students planted the first group of seedlings in an area fenced off by the Forest Service and the District Fire Department days before. 

“The sixth graders that were here last year for Outdoor School helped cut down some of the natural trees that were in there and started clearing the area for planting,” Carole Johnson of the Superior Forest District said to the students. “You are going to be the first class that will plant the Christmas trees and it’s going to be your forest.”

At the site of the nursery, the students split up into teams of two and were given a crash course in the planting process by Debra Regan, a forestry technician. 

“The main consideration for today with all of you is to be gentle and careful because they are a living thing,” Regan said. “Right now, those trees are coming out of dormancy – ever since last fall they have been asleep. When you guys go to sleep at night and you wake up in the morning do you like being jostled and disturbed? No, you kind of take it slow and what is the first thing you want when you wake up? Food. And that’s the same thing with these trees, when they start growing they need water and food.” 

Regan then showed the students the work they would be doing to plant the seedlings. First, one student dug a small hole and then the other carefully placed the seedling into the hole before filling it in with soil and compost. 

“You’re just making them warm, I’m making them a home,” Michael Perkins said to his partner Taylor Patterson while digging a hole for a seedling.

Forest Service employees like Allen Byrd worked with the teams of sixth graders, guiding and helping the students in the planting process. 

“Superior schools have used this for years and it’s exciting to see the planting beds being used again,” Byrd said. “It’s a good outdoor activity for them and it gets them learning about environment with a hands-on experience.” 

For sixth grade teacher Angie Hopwood, Outdoor School and the new Christmas tree farm are an essential tool in teaching her students about what science really is. Hopwood said that through exposure to scientists and participating in hands on activities with the scientists, her students change their attitudes about science and begin expressing an interest in various fields. 

“They are learning and they don’t even realize it,” Hopwood said. “We are making connections with local professionals who are scientists. They get pride also, I heard them naming their trees.” 

According to Johnson, the plan for the nursery is to continue having sixth graders come up to Savenac annually to plant a block of Christmas trees. Eventually, each class will plant a group of trees while another group is being harvested. 

“We are hoping the proceeds of the sales of the trees will continue to keep the project growing,” Johnson said. “As this crop of trees is harvested and sold, then that spring it can be replanted.”  

Johnson added that when the group of sixth graders planting on Thursday were seniors in high school, the seedlings they planted would be ready for harvest. 

As the teams of two emptied their bags of seedlings, they were quick to help other groups of students who still had planting to do. The students were all smiles walking down to the buildings for lunch and excitedly told their classmates who were working building small boats to be used at Outdoor School what to expect when the two groups switched jobs.  

In two weeks the Superior sixth graders will return to Savenac for their Outdoor School experience. According to Regan, there won’t be a noticeable difference in the seedlings – but as the sixth graders move on to junior high and later high school, the Christmas trees they planted will grow up with them.