The Sheboygan Rotary Club’s Restoration Of Our Trees Sheboygan (ROOTS) and its partner, the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP), initiated a unique collaboration with the Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) at two elementary schools on Saturday, October 19, 2024. ROOTS, LNRP, and the SASD are kicking off a multi-year project to enhance a sustainable tree canopy on public school properties throughout the District. The collaborative venture is a first of its kind in Wisconsin and has been made possible by a developmental funding grant of $25,000 from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and matched by funds from the Sheboygan Rotary Club ROOTS Program with the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP).

SASD leadership, board, and other educational representatives joined LNRP and ROOTS staff at Grant Elementary School on October 19th to launch the project. Following remarks from collaborative partners, North High School Environmental Biology Teacher David Miller provided student and community volunteers with a demonstration of techniques for planting approximately 30 trees on each of the two elementary school campuses. Student volunteers from North High School assisted the Rotary Club and community members in planting tree stock at Grant and Cooper Elementary School campuses. Additional support for this initial school planting was provided by labor, equipment, and material contributions, as well as loans from the City of Sheboygan and private community donors.

Additional information is available at rootswi.org.