Arbor Day School Planting in West Virginia

This past Arbor Day, April 27, 125 Kanawha County, WV students from Mary Ingles Elementary School and DuPont Middle School participated in an Arbor Day celebration at the Blue Creek Mining operation on Campbell’s Creek, south of Charleston, WV.  Tents were set up on the top of the strip mine and students were welcomed by Jordan Maynor, Field Representative for WV Congressman Evan Jenkins, who read an Arbor Day proclamation from Congressman Jenkins. The WV National Guard presented the colors and students then proceeded to outdoor stations on the mountaintop. One of the stations was staffed by Mark Double and Robert Sypolt from the WV-TACF Chapter. Double introduced fungi to the students with moldy bread and fruit, button mushrooms, decayed wood, then spoke about the fungus that was responsible for the demise of the American chestnut tree. The students from Kanawha County Schools were well-behaved and attentive. In addition to lunch provided by Blue Creek Mining operation, students also planted backcross American chestnuts donated by TACF as part of the Arbor Day celebration.