Are you thinking about planting an orchard at your school? What do you need to know and where can you get financial support? Although funding for a school orchard project can come from a variety of sources, it’s a good idea to do some simple planning and clarify your ideas before you get your orchard project started.
Answer the following questions to help you define your school orchard plan:
- Why are you interested in having a school orchard?
- How do you plan to use the orchard?
- Is there someone who can maintain the orchard?
- What will you do with the fruit?
- Have you gotten permission to have an orchard from your school administration?
- How much will your school orchard cost?
One organization to help you get started is ReTreeUS. They have been planting orchards in schools and community centers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts since 2012. Not only do they have all kinds of orchard resources and how to videos on their website, you can apply to have an educational orchard with their help.
If you are an educator interested in bringing trees into your classroom, check out the resources available from the Arbor Day Foundation from tree facts to videos to hands-on activities.
Here are some examples of Maine School Gardens who have orchards:
- Westbrook Middle School’s Falcon Academy Garden had about 100 students involved in the planting of 10 apple and 10 pear trees for the orchard with ReTreeUS combined with lessons in plant and soil ecology.
- Established in 2010, the RSU 22 School Orchard and Garden program includes 3 orchards with 2 of the orchards from ReTreeUS.
- Camden Hills Regional High School includes orchard maintenance in a course they offer each fall.
Want to know more?!
- Apply for an educational orchard with ReTreeUS
- ReTreeUS YouTube Video: Why We Plant School Orchards
- Arbor Day Foundation Youth education
