LYNN — The Lynn Department of Public Works (DPW) and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) joined Mayor Thomas M. McGee and members of the Harrington Elementary School on Thursday to plant two red dogwood trees on the school’s grounds in honor of Arbor Day.
The mayor chooses a school every year to plant trees on the holiday, a tradition in Lynn for more than 20 years.
The ceremony at Harrington included the second grade students, who just returned to in-person learning this week. Students read a poem about planting trees and held up drawings of trees and nature.
A group of students from one of the special education classes was also in attendance and assisted with planting the tree, with each student shoveling a pile of dirt onto the roots.
“They were excited to be a part of it,” said Harrington Principal Lissa Jussaume. “(Arbor Day) is not something that we acknowledge as big as this, so now they’ve learned about it and they’ve done some things in the classrooms to kind of prepare.”
The trees were planted outside of the school on Dexter Street in a grassy area Jussaume said the students use to sit, read and host picnics.
“It benefits the school, but it also benefits the neighborhood,” she said.
McGee assisted some of the students with shoveling dirt on the trees, which were partly planted into the ground by DCR before the event.
The Arbor Day tradition was put on hold last year because of the pandemic, but McGee said he was excited to resume the celebration.
“We’re here to celebrate Arbor Day, but more importantly to celebrate here at Harrington School with all of you,” he said. “You’re going to help us plant this tree that’s going to be here a long time from now when your children have a chance to see this tree that you know you planted.”
According to DPW tree warden Jason Dumas, DCR has planted nearly 2,000 trees throughout the city since 2017.
“We have to thank the state because they’ve put in thousands of trees,” he said. “It makes for a healthy environment. Trees make people happy in general.”
McGee and Jussaume said it was nice that the trees were chosen to be planted at Harrington because there is so much concrete surrounding the school and not many grassy spaces where students can connect with the outdoors.
“We’re all concrete here at Harrington,” Jussaume said. “Our playground is concrete. We don’t have any grassy areas really where they ever are, except for this area. I think seeing the process and learning about how to plant trees is important.”
McGee said it’s important to add more trees to that area, and others throughout the city, which allow for space for nature to flourish.
“Let’s enjoy it and help to make this a big celebration of these new trees here at Harrington,” he said.
