Wilson Fifth-Graders Learn Natural and Historic Lessons

Wilson fifth-graders learn natural and historic lessons

Originally Posted Thursday, September 23, 2010 1:58 pm by ABC Newspapers
by Eric Hagen
Staff writer

If only trees could talk. They would have some amazing stories to tell. For about a week, students at Wilson Elementary in Anoka walked by and touched a dead stump of a red oak tree that had lived through two world wars, women’s suffrage when women got the right to vote, man landing on the moon, 9/11 and much more.

On a Thursday morning last week (Sept. 16), almost 100 fifth-graders witnessed the planting of a tree that is about as old as they are while they heard about the important role they play in the environment and how more people are needed to plant them.

Twenty years from now, the Sienna Glen Maple will be fully grown at 50 to 60 feet tall, said John Mickman, who co-founded Mickman Brothers in Ham Lake with his brother Chris.

Principal Diane Henning said whenever the kids come back to visit, they will feel like they were a part of something.

“It will help them to have ownership because they’ll be here when it’s happening,” Henning said. “It’s helping them understand that they’re part of the community.
Elementary students from all over the state of Minnesota took some ownership in the planet on the same day. Volunteers from 70 companies associated with the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association visited elementary schools to encourage the youth to plant trees.

This specific initiative is new and called Green for Life. It received the attention of the governor’s office. Gov. Tim Pawlenty drafted a proclamation specifically for this statewide effort.

Besides encouraging environmental friendliness, this was an effort to excite kids about the horticulture industry.

“We felt that at this age none of the kids have a clear idea what they want to be when they grow up,” said John Mickman, who mentioned that two kids came up to him after his presentation and said they wanted to work at Mickman Brothers when they grow up.

Students were not merely bystanders for the 45-minute planting and presentation. While the maple tree was planted, John Mickman talked about all the ways trees help people. They make the air easier to breathe because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and clean polluted air. The root systems help stabilize soils, which helps with erosion concerns. Trees also serve as a wind break and more appealing noise barrier for humans.

John Mickman has worked closely with over 90 students at Wilson Elementary for the past year ever since the now retired fourth grade teacher Janet Vratkovich contacted Mickman after reading the Mickman Brothers newsletter. The students have visited the Ham Lake businesses garden center and Mickman has taught the students a lot about the industry.

The students, who are now fifth-graders, did not forget John Mickman over summer vacation. When he came to the school last Thursday, they yelled out his name and happily greeted him.

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