2003 Arbor Day in Okeechobee

In 2003, The Okeechobee County Extension Service helped the 4th and 5th grade students of North Elementary School celebrate Arbor Day on April 25th by planting a Live Oak tree on their campus.

Students were invited to write a story about "My tree friend". These stories have been assembled into a Neighborhood Tree Book which is kept in the school's library.

" The tree I'm talking about is the [Southern Wax] myrtle tree. The reason why I picked out the myrtle tree is because when I moved in and met my friend. I went over and sat under it until she came here. When she came home we had a picnic and for my birthday she and I had a camp-out and we shut the flashlights off and an owl was on top of the myrtle tree. The next day my friend and I did a dance and a play and it was about the palm tree if it ever decomposes. But that tree will always be special to me always even if it dies. I will never forget that magnificent MYRTLE TREE!"

"..the name of my favorite tree is a Mango tree because this tree is where I was with my grandpa and he fainted in my arms... This tree is in Texas. My grandpa was very sick. The next day I was at school. They wanted to talk to me and they said your grandpa dies. Then after that day we moved to a beautiful state and it was Florida. After that day on I called it my favorite mango tree..."

"My [palm] tree is very important to me because my grandpa helped me plant it before he died . Which on the next year that same tree died in a hurricane. I still think of that tree nowadays. "

"My tree is a live oak tree. It is very special because we had it for a long time and we still have it now. It's in our front yard. It has a tire swing on it, that makes it special too, because my dad put it up and my dad past away a long time ago. My mom loves our tree too. It holds a lot of memories."

"The tree I picked as my favorite is a pine tree and it is about 75 ft. tall. Me and my cousins have been using it for a base for hide-n-seek since my cousin were little and they're 25,26 years old. Also it is a very good climbing tree and I can almost climb 1/3 of the way up. Sometimes when I'm feeling sad I climb it and stay up there for a very long time and it cheers me up."

" I have lots of trees in my yard. But my favorite is the Sycamore. I have lot's of memories with that tree. My sister and I would climb and talk about lots of things. I tried to get my parents to put a rope on a branch but it's near the swimming pool so my parents said NO. Now my sister said she's too big to climb the tree so I climb it by myself and call it my tree. I also like to sit in the tree's shade and hold my guinea pig. This tree is very special to me and I hope it is to you".

" Do you have a special tree? Well I do, and we have a swing hanging from the tree. sometimes after school we go sit on the swing and play hide 'n go seek. The tree is base. I have a tree house in my special tree. It took a long time to build it. After that, we thought about running a cord up there and TV. The tree house has walls, carpet, and ropes that we use as an emergency exit. The rope has knots that are on the rope. that's why it's my favorite tree."

"I just want to thank you for showing me how to plant a tree. We have ten tree. it's just that we cut 4 down. It was about 200 years old. It was also about 90 feet high. We have all kinds of trees, we have three trees in the back of my house. 2 of the trees of the back of my house are oak trees. One more tree in my back yard is a palm tree. Except we have oak trees only for one palm tree. That one got the electricity wire pole on fire, so we had to cut half of that one down. "

Our final effort...

... one year later in 2004...

... and after two years (and 2 hurricanes!)

These students were presented with "Tree-mendous Tiger Awards" for their stories.

Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS /University of Florida. Larry A. Arrington, Interim Dean.