Tree Planting Protocols on FCPS School Grounds

This document outlines the guidelines for tree plantings on school grounds. You can find guidance for tree planting events with the Fairfax County Urban & Community Forestry Division and for school-directed tree plantings. You can also find curriculum connections at the end of the document.

Urban & Community Forestry Division Tree Planting Program with FCPS

• Urban & Community Forestry Division (UCFD) is the lead organization for requesting a tree planting event on school grounds.
• The program is funded through the Fairfax County Tree Preservation and Planting Fund.
• All students, K-12, are eligible for participation.
• Fairfax City Schools are not eligible for this tree planting program but may request a tree planting through SPROUT.
• The planting time window runs from October 1-May 31st to ensure optimal survival of trees.
• Schools will be allocated 6 trees per event. 
• Additional opportunities are described below.

Planning and Implementation Process

1. All requests for a school tree planting event through Urban & Community Forestry or Casey Trees should be sent to Todd Nelson, the Project Manager/Tree Planting Coordinator with the UCFD. He can be contacted by email at [email protected] or at (703) 324-1770.
   
   
2. An initial meeting will be scheduled to discuss planting objectives, concerns, student participation, connections to curriculum and instruction, etc. and to review school grounds for potential planting sites.
   
   Typical Attendees: school contact (often the Get2Green Leader(s)), principal, any other interested school staff, Fairfax County (UCFD) staff, Casey Trees staff when involved.
   
   
3. UCFD/Casey Trees will prepare a draft planting plan based on the initial meeting and propose tree locations and species. This plan will be sent to the school contact for review and to respond with any comments.
   
   
4. UCFD will make any needed adjustments to the plan in response to school staff comments.
   
   
5. UCFD will contact the nursery to acquire preferred trees. Any recommended species changes are run by school contact for review.
   
   
6. UCFD and the school agree on a planting day with a backup date (in case of inclement weather).
   
   
7. School contact responsibilities:
   • Submit a DC-407 to FCPS Facilities including the draft planting plan for review.
   • Distribute draft planting plan to school staff.
   • Work with school staff to organize student participation in planting day, usually in several groups to participate at different times.
   • Identify any curricula to be supported by planting project.
   • Coordinate with staff who may want to assist with supervision and work with students.
     
     
8. FCPS Grounds staff responsibilities:
• Contact Miss Utility to mark underground utilities.
• Augur planting holes.
• Move trees and mulch to planting sites.
• Water trees during summer months as coordinated with UCFD.
  
  
9. UCFD/Casey Trees responsibilities:
• Prepare proposed planting plan for review.
• Select trees at nursery.
• Mark the planting locations prior to Miss Utility marking utility locations.
• Provide all tools necessary for planting including hose to extend from faucet to planting sites.
• Recruit additional assistance as needed.

 

10. On the planting day: UCFD will arrive 1-2 hours before students are scheduled to come out to be sure everything is ready – holes prepared, lay out hoses, tools ready, root prune containerized trees as needed to redirect circling roots depending on condition of root ball.
• Students come out:
• Each large group gets a safety talk about tool use, no horseplay, listening, and following instructions.
• Tree talk: such as tree benefits, relationship to supported curriculum, planting procedure, tree functions, maintenance, stewardship. Q & A.
• Students break into smaller groups (4 or 5) to plant.
• Small group supervisor or UCFD staff get tree into hole and unwrap covering of balled and burlapped trees or remove container.
• Students backfill and firm soil, mulch, and water. Watering is the final step so we aren’t working in wet soil.
• Students may do as much as they are interested in trying. K-2 students may find some tasks challenging. Tasks provide an opportunity for them to understand how to handle the tools and the nature of the work. Their enthusiasm and joy at being outside and actively working at accomplishing an objective produces a lot of energy. Direct experience to be effective, encouraging, and positive.

School-Directed Tree Plantings on School Grounds

In addition to participating in the UCFD tree planting program outlined above, schools may submit a request to host a school-directed tree planting on school grounds. These plantings may include a commemorative or celebratory event such as a school anniversary or in honor or memory of a school community member. Other groups such as scouts may desire to plant trees as part of a project.

In all cases, regardless of the number or size of trees, planting trees involves the installation of a permanent feature on school grounds and requires the approval of the principal and the submission of a DC-407 for site and species approval by Facilities. A DC-407 must be submitted by the designated person in the school office and should include detailed information on the location and type of tree to be planted.

The approval process ensures that the tree or shrub is an appropriate species (not invasive or aggressive) and will be properly sited to ensure its survival and appropriate distance from the building. Consideration should be given to native species that are adapted for our area. Suggestions can be found in Native Plants for Northern Virginia Guide. 

Fruit trees are not approved for planting on school grounds as they are prone to pests and diseases and require special care and maintenance. Fruit trees require additional sanitation to remove dropped fruit to avoid attracting pests. For additional guidance contact FCPS Grounds Operations and Maintenance within the Office of Facilities Management at (703) 764-3500.

Consider the site of the planting to ensure that it is appropriate for the survival of the tree(s) and that the height and width at maturity can be accommodated by the selected space. Notification of Miss Utility is required to ensure that the planting will not interfere with underground utility lines that would disturb or require the removal of the planting should future repairs of any utility lines be necessary.

A maintenance plan must be included in the tree planting plans giving consideration to the time of year the tree is planted and how much watering may be required during the first year after the planting.

Curriculum Connections

These are ways science and other content areas could be supported using the trees as a resource. If there are any ideas below that you are interested in, Get2Green would be happy to answer any questions you have or assist with activities:

• Students express through visual or language arts (painting, essay, poem) how the tree planting project has affected their feelings about the natural environment or how the trees have changed the school.
• Simple data collection to track the growth of the trees: trunk diameter, height, spread, condition.
• Monitoring environmental services provided by the trees: energy conservation, carbon storage, stormwater management, etc.). There is free software (i-Tree) developed by the US Forest Service that can quantify the value of environmental services based on tree location relative to buildings, species, and size of trees.
• Keep a photographic record of trees as they grow.
• Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration featuring tree maintenance (pruning, mulching, watering), and posters/examples of above related projects
• Check out opportunities for Tree Campus K-12 recognition, a new program from the Arbor Day Foundation. UCFD staff is available to assist with the completion of tasks needed to earn this recognition.

Contact [email protected] for questions about tree plantings.