Parents at Lord Kelvin Elementary School hope someone in the community will step up and replace three trees cut down by vandals last summer.
The trees were part of a project to augment the school’s greenspace, spruced up by the parent advisory council (PAC) in 2015. With help from students, the PAC built planter boxes, planted flora and brought in rocks and logs to make the area more appealing to kids and the community at large.
“It was a big school project, and it was all about community,” PAC president Natalie Lawy told the Record.
Part of the project included the removal of an old tree that had been on the site for years. The PAC had the district remove it because it was dying – a decision that was particularly difficult for some teachers.
“We swore to the teachers that we would replace the tree with more trees and that it would be more green when we were done, not less green, and so, to have the trees chopped down – not that it’s our fault – but it’s like we broke our promise in a way,” she said.
The vandals destroyed all three new trees, including a cherry tree, a sumac tree and a Japanese snowbell. Most important was the cherry tree, which was donated by a parent and planted in memory of Kelvin teacher Colin Mackay, who died in a motorcycle crash in July 2015.
“That was particularly disheartening,” Lawy said.
The two other trees were purchased using funds the PAC received from a neighbourhood small grant. Costs to maintain the garden are covered by the PAC and with spring finally here, the group will be heading to the store soon to buy new plants for the upcoming season.
“This year is the year to assess what did well in the garden and what didn’t, and we’re going to go in and fill in the holes,” she said.
Lawy said the PAC is accepting donations from anyone, and folks can donate money or a tree, she added. The goal is to replace the three damaged trees with new ones.
New trees must be similar to the ones destroyed, as they’d been approved by the school district.
To donate, contact Lawy at [email protected].
