Roosevelt Student Has Growing Concern Fifth-Grader Patches Up Winter’s Wrath By Planting Trees In Manito Park

Sat., May 24, 1997

Torsten Kjellstran Staff writer

Roosevelt Elementary School students took turns planting a black alder tree near Manito Park’s duck pond on Friday, not far from the stumps of willows felled by last winter’s ice storm.

Fifth-grader Nicolas dePeyer, 11, and his mother planted the seed for the idea when they went walking in the park after the November storm.

“My mom and I came up with this idea when we went walking in the park, and we saw all the debris,” dePeyer said. “I decided to plant these trees somehow, so I went to the Association of the Student Body at Roosevelt with the idea, and they loved it.”

Roosevelt students raised money and helped Jim Flott, horticulture manager for the city’s parks and recreation department, choose three black alders for the area near the pond because they’re tolerant of wet sites. Flott also gave the students a planting lesson.

“In the future, you’ll be able to walk past here and see the tree as it grows,” Flott told the students. “You’ll know that you made this park that much better for future generations.”

The black alders join about 20 others planted recently around the pond, and another 30 planted throughout Manito Park.

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