Celebrate Trees in Our Community at Vaughn Elementary

NEWS RELEASE #74
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2011

WHAT: Tree Planting Ceremony
WHEN: Thursday, April 14, 2011, 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: Vaughn Elementary School, 1155 Vaughn St., Aurora, CO 80012

Celebrate Trees in Our Community at Vaughn Elementary

In the past few years, deforestation and record wildfire seasons have destroyed millions of trees in our country’s forests. As the U.S. Forest Service spends its resources fighting fires, few funds remain for planting new trees. Colorado has already seen an unusually high number of forest fires this season, and meteorologists predict that dry weather could result in a historic wildfire season. So this year’s Arbor Day celebration is more important than ever.

On Tuesday, April 14 at 3:30 p.m., about 90 students in the after-school COMPASS program at Vaughn Elementary School will gather for a Tree Planting Ceremony. The Colorado Division of Forestry will help students don shovels and plant a Pacific sunset maple tree on the school grounds.

In addition to the tree planting, the ceremony will honor Vaughn student Oscar Velázquez, the winner of the COMPASS Arbor Day Poster Contest. This year’s theme for the poster contest was “Celebrate Trees in Our Community.” Velázquez will go on to compete in the state-wide Arbor Day Poster Contest.

Interested media, please contact the Aurora Public Schools Communication Department at 303-365-7805 for more information.

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