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"Helping the Earth": fourth graders plant flowers alongside Transit employees on Earth Day
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Amid the usual hustle and bustle of shuffling feet and moving buses at the Alvarado Transportation Center on Monday morning was the distinct sounds of shovels digging into dirt and children鈥檚 voices.
The voices of 21 children to be exact, as students from Victor Chacon鈥檚 fourth grade class at nearby Lew Wallace Elementary School were hard at work turning over soil and planting new flowers in several different pots near the transit center鈥檚 bus entrance.
This group of fourth graders had been selected by the Transit Department to take part in the inaugural Earth Day planting project at the transportation center. Students worked side by side planting flowers with Transit Department employees.
The idea to host these students for this special Earth Day project only began to gain traction several weeks ago, according to Megan Holcomb, the Transit Department鈥檚 public information officer.
鈥淭his kind of came together quickly. We started talking about it in the beginning of April and we really wanted to do some beautification of the facility,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we had the idea of involving other members of the community.鈥�
The Transit Department decided to put out a notice to local schools, asking for volunteers to plant flowers at the transit center. Lew Wallace, an APS school Downtown, was the first to answer the call.
鈥淢r. Chacon jumped at the opportunity,鈥� said Melanie Lewis, the school鈥檚 community coordinator. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important for our kids to interact with nature so they understand the connection we have between them and the planet.鈥�
The planting project came at just the right time for the kids. Chacon said they had just learned about photosynthesis and pollination a few weeks earlier.
鈥淭his group of students is very excited. They love to do hands-on learning, and when I told them we were coming, they got even more excited,鈥� Chacon said.
The day for the students began with one of the Transit Department鈥檚 electric buses picking them up from the school. The group sang 鈥淭he Wheels on the Bus (go round and round)鈥� on the way to the Transportation Center.
Once students arrived, they received a bag with an activity book, armed themselves with their colorful gloves and shovels, and began planting.
鈥淲e鈥檙e helping the community,鈥� Aryka Gonzales, a fourth grade student said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e helping the Earth.鈥�
Help for the planet came in the form of the planted flowers, according to fellow student Arianna Trujillo.
鈥淲e鈥檙e planting flowers to help the bees,鈥� Trujillo said.
A big smile could be seen on every student鈥檚 face as each worked diligently. But it wasn鈥檛 just the students enjoying themselves Monday. Several Transit Department employees mixed in, assisting the students with the planting.
Mark Eshelman, who has worked for the Transit Department for five years, was one of those employees with a huge smile on his face as he planted.
鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful. These young people have a real fervor for the Earth and the plants, and it鈥檚 incredible how quickly they learn. They鈥檙e literally learning and growing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e really enjoyed the kids. They鈥檙e full of life, and I really hope they take away the love of nurturing plants.鈥�
As the students filed back onto the bus for their return trip, Chacon shared Eshelman鈥檚 hope that the experience would have a lasting impact on their relationship with their environment.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping they take away the importance of Earth Day and continue to be ambassadors of Earth. This is the only planet we have,鈥� he said.
Photos: Local elementary school students help transit employees plant flowers on Earth Day
