Arbor Day will be celebrated April 19, and more than 72 Fourth Graders in Mancos will roll up their sleeves and plant a tree. The kids will become members of Fourth Grade Foresters. The project's goal is to help revitalize a remarkable idea - observation of Arbor Day in America's schools. Fourth-graders at Mancos Elementary School will receive trees to take home and plant.

Lea Cody, District Manager of the Mancos Conservation District, who sponsored the trees said, "We have been sponsoring this project for several years now. We believe it is very important to keep conservation in the forefront for all children. Planting a tree each year on Arbor Day is simple and yet reminds us all how important trees are to our environment and conservation in general."

"This project is made possible because community business people like the Mancos Conservation District covered the cost of each of the individually packaged evergreen trees, so that there is no cost to the students, the teachers, the school or the taxpayer," Debra Ersch, co-founder of the Fourth Grade Forester Project said. "It's a wonderful way to show support for the community, education and the environment."

Fourth Grade Foresters USA was created to provide a simple and inexpensive way for any individual, business or organization to send the fourth-grade students at an elementary school home with a tree of their own to plant and care for. Each fourth-grader receives an individually packaged 12-inch - 18-inch evergreen tree seedling packaged by workers with disabilities.

Now tree planting is even more important than ever! Trees take carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere and clean the air we breathe. Planting trees is simple, inexpensive and an easy way to improve the community.