(MOLINE, Ill.) Washington Elementary students participated in a hands‑on tree‑planting experience during the Urban Trees Project on Tuesday, May 4, 2026. Illinois Extension partnered with Constellation Energy on the Growing Together: Trees, Education, and Community Resilience project to expand tree canopy and provide environmental education in communities with limited tree coverage.
Illinois Extension staff, Master Gardeners, and Constellation volunteers worked alongside students to plant 15 trees around the school grounds. Students learned about the benefits of trees while planting their own. Children from kindergarten through fifth grade participated. According to Illinois Extension, the new trees will provide shade, improve air quality, and serve as ongoing hands‑on learning opportunities for students.
Washington Elementary School Principal Tara Bahnks said the experience helped students understand the importance of trees. “Our tree‑planting experience will help our students make meaningful connections to the planet and the impact that trees have,” Bahnks said. “We lost a few trees due to age a couple of years ago, so these trees will renew what we have lost and give the students something to look forward to each year as they see them grow.”
Students also shared their excitement. One second‑grade participant said, “I learned about trees, and we saw scrubs. We helped name our tree Garfield!” A kindergarten student added, “The new trees make my school look more beautiful and like a garden!”
Illinois Extension horticulture educator Emily Swihart said the project aims to build long‑term stewardship. “By being involved in planting schoolyard trees, we hope students become invested in the care of these trees and their community, learning a life lesson of being able to make a difference,” Swihart said. The project was funded by Constellation Quad Cities.
Swihart noted that trees provide ecological, environmental, social, and health benefits. Research from Illinois Extension indicates that residents of tree‑filled communities report higher levels of happiness and fewer cardiovascular health ailments. Additional studies show that increased tree and plant presence is associated with reduced negative thoughts, fewer symptoms of depression, improved mood, and greater life satisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of urban trees in supporting healthy, thriving communities.
Picture cutline: Washington Elementary students named their newly planted trees and learned each tree species.
Sources: Illinois Extension, The Garden Scoop (2019, 2022)
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.