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Thanks to a Henrico County resident, thousands of children in the Richmond region will plant trees of their own on Arbor Day.
Suyapa Marquez, senior community affairs representative at Dominion Energy, coordinates the company’s Project Plant It! program to teach children about the important role of trees to the ecosystem. Every participant receives a free redbud tree seedling to plant at home for Arbor Day, which falls on April 27 this year. The program was established in 2007, and Marquez has been involved since 2010. Preparation for the annual Arbor Day program begins in the fall, when Marquez launches the enrollment campaign for educators to sign up for the seedlings on the website, projectplantit.com. The program is free and is open to all age groups from preschool through college.
This spring, Project Plant It! will provide 60,000 redbud tree seedlings to children in areas served by Dominion Energy. Since the pilot year in 2007, the program has grown well beyond the boundaries of Richmond into every state where the company conducts business. About 500,000 tree seedlings have been distributed since 2007, making 2018 a milestone year for Project Plant It!
One of Marquez’s favorite activities is visiting a number of schools each spring to assist with tree-planting events and Arbor Day celebrations.
“I love seeing the excitement on the children’s faces when they watch Dominion Energy’s foresters plant a tree on the school grounds and learn how to care for the seedling that they will get from Project Plant It!,” she said.
Project Plant It! offers a number of educational resources for teachers and group leaders to share with children in classrooms, scout troops, homeschools, youth groups and other organizations. An 'Educator’s Guide' with 12 interactive lesson plans can be accessed on the website, along with instructional games and videos that can be played with adult supervision.
Even after eight years of involvement with Project Plant It!, Marquez noted that she still learns something new about trees. “They are Mother Nature’s multitaskers because they create oxygen, provide homes for wildlife, prevent soil erosion and moderate climates,” she explained, adding that trees also can reduce heating and cooling bills if they are planted in the right spots.
Last year, Marquez planted a redbud seedling in the back yard with her seven-year-old granddaughter, Malia.
“She helps water it and can’t wait to measure the growth spurt this spring,” Marquez said. “It’s so important to teach children about environmental stewardship as well as how to protect and conserve natural resources such as our forests.
“I’m proud that Project Plant It! is helping to grow the next generation of gardeners and tree planters.”
