Laytonville elementary students in Room 11 are culminating a place based learning project with a tree sale the week of Monday, January 7 to Friday January 11. What makes it "place based" you ask? Place based means that the educational elements of reading, writing, math, social studies and science are integrated into a project that has relevance to the students and in which all participate; building, enriching and deepening their learning as they work. This project has a service component that involves the community. For a very small price, people can buy and plant trees that, as the students say, will help this planet to be a nicer place to live.

I decided to visit Deb K'vaka's classroom to find out more about this second grade project by interviewing the students. They eagerly told me about their field trip to Georgia Pacific on the coast where they will get their seedlings for the sale, the Botanical Gardens where they identified some of the trees, and their research reports on the trees they will be selling. Some read their reports to me, some pointed out a picture of their favorite tree, and some just talked! Their reports and what they said during the interviews, give some attributes for each kind of tree and will offer the buyer a guide to the trees they might be interested in planting.

Beginning with evergreens, Shaina Maxwell, Jarred Hart, Stetson Kuykendall, Tesla Hencz, Ashley White, Thunder Wilson, and Anthony Morales chose Redwoods to research. Stetson says, "Redwoods can live 2200 years. Their roots grow six feet down. My favorite thing about them is that they can live through forest fires if the sap can get though them. If a Redwood falls down, at least ten new Redwoods will grow back in a circle around the old one." Tesla adds to this information that, "The Redwood is the tallest tree in the world. It stays green forever. It has real tiny cones that open to make the seeds." Shaina says that "Coast Redwoods grow up to 325 feet tall. Sometimes the diameter can be more than 15 feet. That's how wide it is. The bark is tough and very thick. I will plant one and give it lots of water." Jarred says that he likes the Redwood tree, "...because it grows so high. It is the best tree in the world. Its bark is thicker than a pine tree's bark. It likes to have a lot of water and it grows well in California in the fog." Anthony's take on the Redwoods is that. "It looks stronger than other trees and the needles do stay green forever. There's two or three in a bundle and they're dark green. These trees grow in the United States, Mexico, and Canada."

Ashley chose the Giant Sequoia to find out more about. "I learned that the Giant Sequoias are native to the western slopes of the Sierra Mountains. They grow 3,000 to 5,900 feet above sea level. Squirrels and birds eat their seeds." Thunder wrote that he learned "The Giant Sequoia is the second tallest tree. They need deep soil, full sun and to be watered deeply but infrequently. They are slower growing than coast redwoods and need less water. They have seed cones that are 2 to 3 and 1/2 inches long and take two years to mature."

The Incense Cedar was the tree that interested Emerald Scott and Sean Maddry. Emerald tells us that "The Incense Cedar is large and aromatic. That means it smells good. The cones are light or reddish brown to yellowish brown. They look like duck bills when they're open. It is drought tolerant and a good wind break. It is used for timber and pencils. My teacher showed us some pencils made of Incense Cedar. It is soft but not splintery and can be sharpened. Sean says, "I just love Incense Cedar. It smells good like cinnamon. It is part of Mother Nature. Cedar can grow up to 150 feet tall. It is an evergreen tree with thick, deep, irregular bark."

Reyannah Wilson chose the Ponderosa Pine to research. "They are forever green. They grow in Nevada and are Nevada's state tree. Their pine cones are thorny to touch. I like this tree because it's evergreen and I can look at it when its snowy outside."

Bryce Mitchell and Devin Stevenson picked the Douglas Fir. "Bryce says, "I picked Douglas Fir for my tree because they make a lot of shade when it is hot. It's needles are flat and tipped. The bark is reddish brown and very thick. I like it because it grows so tall--up to 200 feet. I have a real old tree behind my house that I like." Devin says, "Douglas firs are two to five feet fat which is also called the diameter. They have holes in their trunks where birds and raccoons make their homes. I like needle trees better than oaks."

Four students, Chris Grant, Matti Matheson, Everett Sloan, and Sammy DeLeon picked maples as their tree to find out more about. Chris says that she chose the Japanese Maple because "It is such an airy and delicate tree. The leaves are 2-4 inches long. In the spring it's red, in the summer green, fall it is scarlet and in winter it is green and red." She went on to say that, "The one I really like is the big leaf maple because they're good for climbing. Japanese maple are too small for that. They'd fall down if I climbed them, but they're the prettiest." Everett said that he liked Japanese Maples because "They grow slowly and have beautiful leaves except in winter when there are none. I like the red color of their leaves in the fall. Red is my favorite color. Japanese Maples like shade and you can keep them small." Matti says, "The Big Leaf Maple tree grows flowers too. The wood is used for furniture. The trees are good shade trees. They like stream banks or moist canyon soil. Maple sugar is made from their sap. In the winter they lose their leaves." And Sammy adds, "Big Leaf Maples range from Alaska to Southern California 1000-5500 above sea level. The leaves have pointy lobes, shiny tops and are light and hairy beneath. The wood is used for furniture and handles. Native Americans used it for canoe paddles. The seeds have wings like little helicopters that fall down and twist. It is a deciduous tree. Acer macrophyllum is the scientific name."

The Liquid Amber was chosen by Suzanne Hawthorn Reed as the tree she wanted to find out more about. "The Liquid Amber grows up to 100 feet tall. The lower branches spread 20-25 feet. The leaves turn from shiny dark green to red. After peeling the bark off the tree, the inside is like gum. They like moist soils. The Liquid Amber lives as a native in the East and South and is planted in the West."