Alaska schools interested in planting trees on their campuses to help celebrate Arbor Day in Alaska can apply for grants from the Alaska Division of Forestry to do so.
Schools may apply for up to $400 to buy, ship and plant trees on school grounds. Funded by the U.S. Forest Service, the grants celebrate Arbor Day, which was founded to educate children and adults about the many benefits of trees, said Jim Renkert, community forestry program manager for the division.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing impact on schools disrupted the original plan to have schools plant trees on Arbor Day 2020 and 2021, but we would like to get these grants awarded so schools can plant trees during the 2021-2022 school year,” Renkert said. “We encourage schools to apply for a grant and to plant a tree to beautify their campus and foster an interest in nature for students.”
The deadline to apply is December 10, 2021. In Alaska, Arbor Day is celebrated on the third Monday in May. In 2022, Alaska’s official Arbor Day is May 16.
For applications and instructions on how to apply for NASF Centennial School Tree Challenge grants, go to the Division of Forestry’s Community Forestry Program website at http://forestry.alaska.gov/community/grants.
Schools are encouraged to involve students in the grant application and planning process.
