FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: February 22, 2018
Contact: Carrie A. Dittman, Centerville-Washington Park District, cdittman@cwpd.org OR Michelle Oxrider, Destination Imagination Team Leader, 937-433-5155 or michelle@oxrider.com
Subject: Centerville fifth graders’ plan takes root
CENTERVILLE, OH: A class lesson on ecosystems inspired a fifth grade Destination Imagination team from Weller Elementary School into action. The students learned about the devastating effects the introduction of the emerald ash borer has had on Ohio’s forests. Soon after, they organized themselves into the Tree Tribe and held a school wide November Coin Gobble, raising more than $2,500. They used the funds to purchase and plant 17 trees throughout five different Centerville-Washington Park District parks. The team selected parks located near their school – including Stansel, Waterbury Woods, Weatherstone and Willowbrook Parks. On President’s Day, the students gathered at Rosewood Park to help Centerville-Washington Park District staff plant the final six trees for their project.
“We were privileged to work with this awesome group of students. They are a credit to our community,” said Ginger Clark, Community Engagement Coordinator for Centerville-Washington Park District.
Destination Imagination is a global educational nonprofit group dedicated to teaching students skills needed to succeed in school, their careers and beyond. They develop project-based learning programs that blend science, technology, engineering and mathematics education with the arts and social entrepreneurship.
First identified in Ohio in 2003, the half-inch long emerald ash borer has managed to devastate Ohio’s forests. The emerald ash borer kills infested trees within three to five years. Because about one in every 10 Ohio trees is an ash, the loss is substantial. The Centerville-Washington Park District has removed over 2,000 dead ash trees from parks for safety reasons, with more trees scheduled for future removal.
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The Centerville-Washington Park District operates eight community parks, nine nature parks, and 33 neighborhood parks encompassing more than 1,000 acres in Centerville and Washington Township. For more information about the Centerville-Washington Park District, please call (937) 433-5155 or visit www.cwpd.org.