The Environmental Club at San Luis Obispo High School will host a tree-planting event on April 13, partnering with the non-profit national organization Tree-Plenish.
Tree-Plenish inspires the next generation to live sustainability by replenishing the environment with the resources they use each year. With Tree-Plenish, students host community tree-planting events based on how much energy their schools use. In 2023, Tree-Plenish helped plant over 22,000 trees in 143 different schools, according to their website.
President of the San Luis Obispo High Environmental Club Emma Jantos has put a lot of work into this event.
“As president, I have created the website, calculated how many trees we needed to plant, picked a variety of species that people could choose from and advertised the event,” Jantos said.
This is the first time SLO High has partnered with Tree-Plenish to put on this event, but Jantos hopes that this event will continue for years to come.
“I hope that those who are here next year will continue the event so that it becomes an annual tradition,” Jantos said.
With a goal of planting 532 trees, which equates to 638 tons of carbon replaced, the San Luis Obispo High Environmental Club offers different ways to get involved. People can volunteer to help plant trees around the community, sponsor the event, donate or order a tree sapling with an option of picking it up or planting it in their backyard.
According to their website, saplings will come as bare root saplings, meaning they are dormant until they are planted and typically bloom four to six weeks after being planted. Saplings are $5 each and will be ready for pick-up on the day of the event.
Architectural engineering junior Cali Carson currently serves as a Tree-Plenish Ambassador. In this role, Carson does public outreach to local high schools and encourages students to learn more about the Tree-Plenish mission. Carson is currently working alongside the SLO High Environmental Club to assist in the planning and execution of the event.
In 2021, Carson helped her community plant more than 250 fruit trees which is what inspired her to continue this work.
“I reached out at the end of last school year because I was remembering how gratifying it was to host the event and wanted to be involved again,” Carson said. “It was something I wanted to be continuously involved in and not just for one event.”
Environmental Club officer Georgia Keeling has high hopes for the event and has dedicated a lot of time to this project.
“We will also be able to connect with our community, inspire others to plant trees and be environmentally conscious and work towards fighting climate change by doing our small part,” Keeling said.
People interested in volunteering can find opportunities on their website.