News

Chapel Hill Elementary School 5th grade class plants 300 trees at Henry Horton State Park
Tuesday, March 02, 2010

(CHAPEL HILL, TN) – One hundred and twenty five fifth graders from Chapel Hill Elementary School planted 313 native tree seedlings on the border of the Duck River in Henry Horton State Park on Thursday February 19, 2010.  The project is a part of a larger watershed education project sponsored by the Friends of Henry Horton State Park (FHHSP) and Tennessee Environmental Council (the Council).

One hundred and twenty-five fifth grade students and Chapel Hill Elementary School teachers planted   Tulip Poplar and Shumard Oak seedlings.  Both trees are native to Tennessee and the Tulip Poplar is Tennessee’s state tree.  They planted the trees to help reduce erosion and stabilize the area.  Each student and participant also took home a tree to plant.  Also attending the event in Henry Horton State Park (HHSP) were Senator Bill Ketron;  County Commissioner EW Hill; David Owenby, Director of Public Affairs for Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation; Mike Robertson, State Park Regional Manager; Randy Whitworth (HHSP Superintendant); Stacey Cothran and Teresa Dugger (FHHSP) and John McFadden and Kevin Burke (the Council).

Senator Ketron praised the students, “This is really a good thing you have done.  You’ll be able to come back to the park in 20 years to have a picnic under these trees with your family.  You’ll feel better today at school because of what you have done and from spending time here in the park.”

This event was part of the “Protecting Our Watershed” educational curriculum the students have been working on since the fall.  Students began the project in October 2009 with a trip to the park to study the water quality of the Duck River. Students learned about the biology, chemistry and habitat of the river system and learned about the history and benefits of Henry Horton State Park. Students sampled the aquatic insects which allowed them to determine the quality of the water as some insects live only in clean water.  Students found mayflies, snails, isopods, and the class favorite - crayfish.  Based on the aquatic insects found, the students determined that the river was fairly clean.

Students then followed up with some chemical testing of the water, looking at the water pH and dissolved oxygen.  PH and dissolved oxygen are both considered “indicators” of pollution and are commonly used to determine if water quality problems exist.  The ranges for pH and dissolved oxygen were acceptable for good water quality.

Finally, students assessed the streamside habitat by looking for the different types of vegetation, trees, bushes and grasses.  When a stream side has all three types of vegetation it’s considered healthy without the three types of vegetation the habitat is considered unhealthy.  The students noted that some areas along the Duck River did not have the three stream side vegetation types, specifically missing trees and smaller bushes.  Students learned that trees are the most important vegetation layers, because they shade the water helping to keep it cool, and also help to reduce stream bank erosion as their roots hold the soil in place.

Once the students had determined that there were issues with the stream side vegetation they participated in a brain storming session, led by the Tennessee Environmental Council’s executive director and aquatic biologist John McFadden, to determine what could be done to address the lack of vegetation on the river bank.  The students put forth many ideas, including not mowing in the area next to the river, putting up fences to keep people out and planting trees.  The idea of planting trees along the river in some of the areas in the park was advanced to park staff, FOHHSP, and the Council; who helped organize the tree planting event on February 19, 2010.

The response to the event was enthusiastic Cindy Gabard 5th grade Chapel Hill Elementary teacher said, “These kids will remember this the rest of their life.” Randy Whitworth (HHSP Superintendant) agreed adding, “This is one of the all time best things that have ever happened in Henry Horton State Park”.

The Tennessee Environmental Council educates and advocates for the conservation and improvement of Tennessee’s environment, communities and public health.  The Council’s Tennessee Tree Project has a goal of planting 1 million native trees in Tennessee by 2010.  The Council’s Duck River Opportunities Project engages volunteers in stream bank restoration and other projects to protect the Duck River which was named by National Geographic as one of the four most biologically rich places in the world. 
 
Friends of Henry Horton State Park is a 501c3 charity whose sole purpose is to enhance park offerings at HHSP in Chapel Hill, TN and to educate the public about nature and conservation of our resources.  The group was awarded the “2009 Tennessee Sustainability Award” by the Tennessee Environmental Council for their innovative and outstanding lead removal project in Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, TN.

The “Protecting Our Watershed” educational curriculum is a collaboration of Tennessee Environmental Council and Friends of Henry Horton State Park, which offers students an opportunity to learn the importance of clean water to their community and takes students through a six-step process to evaluate a section of the Duck River in Henry Horton State Park, to identify opportunities to improve the river’s health, choose a specific project designed to address any opportunities or threats, and take concrete steps to address issues to improve the health of the river.  This program offers prospects for learning in Science, Math, Social Studies/Civics, English, Computer Studies, and Art.