This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Fourth and fifth grade students from Rehoboth Elementary School gathered to celebrate Arbor Day with music, lessons about conservation and a commitment to protecting the environment.
Through songs and classroom performances, students highlighted the importance of trees and the role they play in everyday life. Teachers said the event was the result of weeks of preparation.
“We’ve been practicing in our classrooms, the tree song, and they get excited over it. They love singing the songs,” said fifth grade teacher Tina Wright, who organized the event.
Wright said helping children understand the value of trees is especially important in a growing community.
“We build a lot down here, so we lose a lot of trees,” Wright said. “Trees are a really important part of our life. That’s what I want them to understand, the importance of them.”
The celebration took place at Stockley Park, where students joined Rehoboth Beach Mayor Stan Mills in reading a proclamation encouraging the protection of trees and continued planting efforts in the coastal city, often referred to as the nation’s summer capital.
“So I want the students to feel like they’re a part of everything and that they have a voice,” Mills said.
Winners of the Delaware Forest Service’s Arbor Day poster contest were also announced during the event. This year’s theme was “Trees are Terrific for People and Places.”
Rehoboth Beach, marking its 35th year as a Tree City USA community, served as a fitting backdrop for the celebration. The designation recognizes cities committed to maintaining and expanding their urban tree canopy.
Students also reflected on past efforts, including tree plantings around their school campus.
“We planted trees on the other side of our school last year, so we’re trying to always spruce it up and keep the trees alive,” one student said. “All the smaller trees around here are from our Arbor Days, so that’s pretty exciting.”
This year, students continued that tradition by planting another tree, turning their lessons about environmental stewardship into action.
