Lee — On a beautiful sunny morning, Lee Elementary School fifth graders were up to their elbows in dirt. No, the youngsters were not on the playground but assembled in a new classroom of sorts at the town’s Cornhill Farm Park, 300 Stockbridge Road.
The brainchild of Lee resident Norbert Johanssen, three classes from the local school participated in a novel program on June 4 that offered the opportunity to plant 10 trees and 65 seedlings on about a 700-square-foot parcel at the 100-acre venue while paying homage to the community’s future generation. A plaque at the front of the trail housing the new growth enumerates the names of local infants for whom the trees will be dedicated at a public on-site ceremony on June 6 at 10 a.m. The program also features the burying of a time capsule that will be opened around the time the babies graduate.
“It’s the class of 2033 dedicating to the class of 2043,” said Joni Thomas, Johanssen’s wife who is also involved in the venture.
Originally from Germany, Johanssen said he is familiar with the program Plan for the Planet, which supports projects addressing climate change like the one he designed. The cost of the project—about $800 to $900—was funded through a subsidy from the Arbor Day Foundation and private donations by local businesses Lee Audio ‘N Security Inc. and Acrisure New England, formerly Toole Insurance, with Meadow Farm Organics contributing mulch. Johanssen chose fast-growing American Sweet Gum trees for the space as the children planting them could witness their growth sooner rather than later. The seedlings are fir trees.
For student Ezekiel Chango, the exercise showcased his tree-planting skills. New gardener Carter “KJ” Smylie was delighted to learn the steps involved in beginning forestry, while Peyton Chisholm found the endeavor as essential to ensuring that the cycle of plants absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen continues.
“[Planting trees] is really important because it’s good for the environment,” said Keagen Van Zandt.
The project’s meaning was not lost on the participants, despite their young age. “There’s a lot of family members who come here, people whose children are born in Lee,” Olivia Nichols said.
Fifth grade teacher Michele Puleri said an address by Johanssen enlightened her class on the story behind the planting day but the acknowledgment of the heritage they would be contributing to the town did not hit until they arrived at the park. “They said, ‘We’re planting trees, and that’s our field trip?” she recalled. “Then when we talked about your leaving this legacy for kids to come; that changed their minds, and they saw the value in that.”
Dean of Students Lawrence Carrier commended the venture as providing the youth with “a sense of community.” “Coming out here, being immersed in the community, [offers] a sense of belonging as well,” he said. “They’re interacting with nature; they’re interacting with their community. They’re taking a lot out of it.”
Lee voters approved $46,000 to fund Cornhill Farm Park trails during last month’s Town Meeting, and the site, once eyed for a golf course and newly named, will house a connection to nearby Longcope Park, down to the Fairview Street area. According to Town Administrator Christopher Brittain, town officials purchased the property in the 1990s and maintained its meadow habitat by putting out a lease for hay to support local agriculture. The Cornhill parcel was connected to Longcope through Community Preservation Act funds a few years ago, with a total of more than 250 contiguous acres now connecting Stockbridge Road; the Fairview Street/Via Maria, Bondi, Franco streets; and Church Street, Brittain said.
“This was a great idea, and I love the fact that we’re doing both the planting with the school and the dedication,” he said.
Johanssen plans to continue the program annually, opening the eyes of other students to the significance of environmental preservation.
One student noted that his infant cousin’s name is emblazoned on the plaque, making the program even more of a special connection for the class. “He’s my baby cousin,” Weston Stanton said of the relative he recognized on the sign. “When he grows up, he can see that I planted a tree dedicated to him.”
Student Jennie Hogencamp took an active part in the day’s project, and Carolyn Hogencamp, her mother, said the 11-year-old helps with home gardening.
“I’m hoping planting here on town property, she’s going to be able to come back year after year and see what a difference these seedlings and these trees make and be able to really see the impact,” Carolyn Hogencamp said. “Our gardening, we see a season. This, she has the potential to see for years to come and what these can grow into so, hopefully, she can carry that into her adult life.”
