Petersburg youth tour VSU farm via trolley, watch Dominion Energy foresters plant trees

Petersburg Family YMCA before and after-school program enrollees scored a field trip, and I happily tagged along.

For the first time ever, Virginia State University hosted Dominion Energy's Project Plant It!, an award-winning program. It teaches children and adults the importance of trees and the essential role of pollinators.

The six Walnut Hill Elementary School students, all girls, were filled with excitement to tour VSU's Randolph Farm in Ettrick. Before the trolley arrived, we hung out in the Community Garden area and spotted butterflies on pretty flowers, birds, bugs and frogs.

Sporting a VSU jersey, second-grade student Jordan R. proudly shared with me that her mom works in the Agricultural Department at VSU.

Randolph Farm Agricultural Learning Center

VSU Extension Specialist Chris Mullins drove the trolley while his father Jimmy Mullins, a retired VSU Agricultural Professor, served as our tour guide. Jimmy kept the students engaged with his interesting and entertaining spiel.

As we passed by a herd of goats, fourth-grader KeMarah S. exclaimed "Baa baa goats!"

Jimmy pointed out blueberries and blackberries growing, greenhouses, and farm equipment such as tractors and combines. He chatted briefly about VSU's aquaculture pond and hydroponics system.

VSU's Great Pyrenees Montana barked at us as we passed by him. The fluffy, angelic-looking guard dog looked adorably fierce standing amongst a field of yellow buttercups.

The trolley stopped at VSU's Nature Trail entrance where Dominion Energy foresters were eagerly waiting to plant two redbud trees with heart-shaped leaves. The Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' is valued for its brilliant scarlet-purple color to new foliage, maturing to maroon. In spring, its rosy-pink flowers attract butterflies.

The foresters taught the students about the benefits of trees to the ecosystem. Trees produce oxygen, improve air quality, provide shelter for wildlife, prevent soil erosion, and moderate climates. When planted strategically, trees help save money on heating and cooling costs.

The students enjoyed observing the foresters in their element. To gain a better vantage point, I climbed a pile of mulch to capture the moment.

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Pollinators are essential

After the newly-planted tree was watered by Luke D. McCall, Distribution Forestry Coordinator with Dominion Energy, we visited the Cooperative Extension Pavilion to hear remarks about the benefits of pollinators and taste foods made possible by pollination.

"The goal is to help them see the full circle of planting trees and wildflowers and learn how pollinators are important to their food supply," Shai West, Project Plant It! coordinator at Dominion Energy said.

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Butterflies, bats, moths, flies, birds, beetles, wasps, small mammals and bees visit flowers to drink nectar or feed off of pollen. As they move from spot to spot, they transport pollen grains. Pollinators are essential to our food system and the sustainability of the environment.

Without pollinators, we tourists would not have been able to eat the fruit and Hershey's Kisses provided at the end of our fun adventure.

What did the kids think of their special outing?

"I liked the cold air," fourth-grader Ronnie J. said.

"I learned that trees need a lot of water and serve as a habitat for birds, squirrels and snakes," fifth-grader Naomie J. said.

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Dominion Energy's Project Plant It!

Project Plant It! is a partnership between Dominion Energy and the Arbor Day Foundation [ADF]. It is available at no charge to individuals, educators, and other groups that work with youth within Dominion's service area, currently 16 states.

ADF is celebrating an anniversary milestone. In 50 years, they have planted and distributed nearly 500 million trees in more than 50 countries around the world.

"We were really glad to partner with Dominion and its Plant It! program to work with youth in the Petersburg area," Chris Mullins said. "We introduced them to some of the things we do at Randolph Farm and exposed them to agriculture and the importance of trees."

The students' smiled when they found out they would each receive a free redbud tree seedling and a packet of wildflower seeds.

The ADF cultivates the tree seedlings, packages them in recyclable containers with instructions for indoor/outdoor planting, and ships them to participants. The nonprofit organization also sources and ships the wildflower seeds designed to attract bees and pollinators.

Truth be told, I enjoyed kid-watching more than anything. They had a blast! It was great entertainment watching expressions and listening to comments. If invited to ride along with youngsters again, I'll more than likely scoop up the opportunity. It was a royal hoot!

Visit projectplantit.com, arborday.org, and vsu.edu for more information.

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— Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly columnist is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on Twitter, @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram, and subscribe to us at progress-index.com.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg YMCA youth enroll in Dominion Energy's Project Plant It!