MARY ESTHER — Mellany Dominick’s eyes sparkled as she waited anxiously for her turn to help plant a tree outside her school.
She skipped around a hole dug by airmen from Hurlburt Field to get a closer look at the red maple tree she would soon plant with her fourth-grade classmates at Mary Esther Elementary School to celebrate Arbor Day.
“I think it will be kind of cool to watch the tree grow knowing I helped with it,” 10-year-old Mellany said.
The project was the culmination of studies about the history of Arbor Day and how trees grow, said Alicia Murray, a student teacher who came up with the idea to plant trees for the environmental holiday.
“It was a really big tradition for me back in California, so I thought I’d pass it on,” Murray said
View a photo gallery of the students planting trees >>
After working with Principal Gary Massey and Murray to remove the tree from a plastic container, Mellany and Ryan Ho loosened the roots before placing it in the ground near the playground.
“This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be,” Mellany said with grin.
Ryan said he was enjoying the experience, not just because it was his first time planting a tree but because he got to flex his muscles as they worked.
“I get to fill in the whole thing,” he said while standing beside a mound of dirt with a shovel.
A few feet away, 10-year-olds Daniel Bryant and Keith Valentine were having an equally good time.
“I think this tree is going to get big,” Daniel said as he looked up the tree, which already was taller than him.
After dropping the tree into the hole, the boys ran into a minor setback, but cheerfully corrected it with some classmates.
“(Mr. Massey) said we need to add a little bit more dirt,” Keith said.
The students planted four red maples in all. Massey said the school’s resource officer recommended red maples after researching which trees grow well locally.
The most important thing was that the students not only were enjoying learning, but taking ownership of their school, he said.
“I want them to take a bit of Mary Esther after they leave,” Massey said.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or ktammen@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn.