School District of Washington

Washington Middle School Outdoor Club Tags Trees as Part of Community Service Project

Posted on 11/11/2021

Washington Middle School’s Outdoor Club recently participated in a community service project for the City of Washington at Miller-Post Nature Reserve.

Students tagged trees at Miller-Post Nature Reserve on Wednesday, November 3. They hiked on the Quarry Trail for a little over an hour. Students utilized drills to mark pre-chosen native trees. This was the second part of the project. The club began by the education (cabin) area of the nature reserve, where they tagged the native trees along that trail.

The tags are metal and utilize a screw system that grows with the tree and doesn't damage it. There are QR codes on the tags that people can scan with their phones to learn more about the trees and their preferred growing conditions.

Stefanie Virgen, WMS teacher, is the advisor of the Outdoor Club. This project involved sponsor Virgen Stream Team No. 5403 and is assisted by the Washington Parks Department. The purpose of the project is to increase native tree education in the community and in the riparian corridor of St. John's Creek.

“This is an entry-level learning project for the kids in identifying native trees and invasive plants affecting them, and it's also fun for them to hike in the woods and learn how to tag the trees,” Virgen said. “The prizes at the end are provided by Virgen Stream Team No. 5403 as added incentives and as thanks for helping out. Volunteering is a vital part of our club, as part of conservation is preserving our resources for future generations. The club members invest a lot of time and energy into bettering the Washington community and the WMS campus.”

Photos from WMS Outdoor Club students tagging trees at Miller-Post Nature Reserve are below.