Teaching tomorrow's environmental caretakers

FALLBROOK — May 25, 2007, marked the first group of students participating in the Save Our Forest (SOF) Environmental Educational project for 2007. This year SOF was presenting to third grade students at Live Oak and fourth- and fifth-graders at La Paloma. Classes totaling 160 students from Live Oak and 430 from La Paloma potted native plants and participated in a brief classroom presentation.

At every level students were found to be remarkably knowledgeable about the benefits of trees and plants, eager to understand why SOF is stressing the planting of less-thirsty native plants and the importance of community service. Jean Dooley and Susan Sullivan were instrumental in the organization of the project and approximately 10 SOF volunteers worked with students to pot their plants.

Save Our Forest has been pursuing this hands-on method of instilling the concept of protecting the environment for the past four years. Their project involves students planting tiny rooting cuttings or seedlings in the later part of the school year, taking the newly potted gallon-size containers to the SOF nursery for a year and bringing the same students back the following year to plant them in the community.

Jackie Heyneman, SOF spokesperson, commented, “Perhaps these very students will play a major role in protecting and preserving a healthful environment and the character of Fallbrook in their future.”