Lake Ashtabula park rangers partner with local school to plant trees, celebrate the outdoors

District staff from Lake Ashtabula, near Valley City, N.D., and faculty and students from Jefferson Elementary School in Valley City, celebrated the National Kids to Parks Day at the park May 16.

Students, faculty and park staff helped plant trees and a native prairie garden near the Baldhill Dam office with grant money. The Lake Ashtabula park was one of two Corps of Engineers sites selected this year to receive a grant for National Kids to Parks Day. Nicole Powers, a kindergarten teacher at Jefferson Elementary School, submitted the grant application. The $970 grant was used to pay for the trees and plants that the students planted, as well as their transportation to the park.

The event focused on more than planting trees and grasses. The children also participated in water safety activities and were treated to a tour of Baldhill Dam, which impounds the Sheyenne River to create Lake Ashtabula. “The event was a blast,” said Rich Schueneman, Lake Ashtabula site manager. “Those kids sure have some energy.”

National Kids to Parks Day is organized by the National Park Trust and is held annually, the weekend prior to the official start to summer. The National Park Trust encourages children to explore neighborhood parks and discover the history, nature and adventure in the environment around them.