For the past two years, Theresa and Lou Montanaro and their son Louis have made weekly trips to Worrall Elementary School to water a tree. Louis, who will be a fifth grader at Worrall beginning in September 2012, is one of six members of his class whose families have adopted a tree. According to his parents, Louis has been an enthusiastic participant from the beginning. “He’s an outdoors kid so this type of activity is a natural for him. He loves to play baseball, ride his bike, and swim.” The “Green” program at Worrall is also a strong motivator for Louis. The entire student body is actively involved in caring for the environment and that includes a host of activities such as “Waste-free” Wednesdays when students bring their lunch to school in reusable containers, composting waste, tending a discovery garden, and creating art projects using recycled materials.

The Tree Commission’s program of planting trees and involving the community in their care is, in the words of Theresa and Lou, a great idea. “Its getting lots of people involved. We see white buckets in all of the parks. People are noticing what’s going on; they come up to us when we are watering our tree and thank us.” For both of them, watering a tree at Worrall is also a way of paying back the school for the support they have given to Louis. “The school has great teachers, a great principal, and a supportive environment. Louis loves to go to school.”