The community of students and faculty at William R. Dutemple Elementary School had the chance to celebrate Arbor Day last month with the city’s environmental stewards. Steve Pilz, chairperson of the Cranston Conservation Commission, Rick Degrandpre, Cranston engineering and tree warden, and Lynne Harrington, also of the Commission, worked with the school to plant a new shade tree in the school yard to replace two older trees that were dying. Principal Beth Basile and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Judith Lundsten were also part of the celebration with the staff and students. "Today we are given the chance to think about nature and preserving our trees and we are so lucky to have Mr. Pilz and Mr. Degrandpre to talk to us about what it takes to plant a new tree," Basile said According to Pilz, the new tree, a Katsura Tree, is a medium- to large-sized tree native to China and Japan, with small, heart-shaped leaves that are blue green in spring and summer but turn to a bright apricot and yellow in the fall. "They give off a pleasant cotton-candy-like fragrance when the colors change in the fall," Pilz said. Pilz explained the meaning of Arbor Day to the students, and encouraged them to care for their surroundings. "Today is like a birthday for a tree, a celebration all around the state, and you are helping Rhode Island celebrate National Arbor Day," Pilz said. He told the students that by planting a tree now, they would always have a place to come back and visit, knowing they had a part in planting the tree. "When you get older, you can come back and visit this tree with your family and it'll be like an old friend," he said. "You'll have to help take care of the tree with everyone else." Degrandpre spoke to the students about the importance of trees and how they help humans to live and breathe, and how humans help trees to live as well. The tree being planted was approximately 9 or 10 years old, and Degrandpre pointed out that many of the students present were around the same age as the tree. "Most trees in this area live to be between 75 and 80 years old. Trees are like humans though, they get old and they die and it was time to take the other two trees down and today we're planting a new one," he said. Pilz and Degrandpre put the tree into the ground and each of the students present were able to put a handful of dirt into the hole around the tree. 2 @C_Cutline:TREES ARE IMPORTANT: Engineer and Tree Warden Rick Degrandpre explains to Dutemple students that trees help us to live and breathe. (Herald photos by Jen Cowart) 3 @C_Cutline:INTO THE GROUND IT GOES: Steve Pilz and Rick Degrandpre put the new Katsura Tree into the ground at Dutemple Elementary School. 4 @C_Cutline:EVERYONE HELPS: Each student and faculty member present at the Arbor Day celebration had the opportunity to place a handful of dirt around the new tree.