Jun 1, 2018 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the EQT Foundation, a statewide nonprofit is now growing its roots in the southwestern corner of the state.

Representatives from EQT and Wildlife for Everyone, an organization that promotes conservation and education, were at Waynesburg Elementary School Tuesday to celebrate the new partnership. The school had one of the largest requests for trees of participating schools this year.

The money has helped expand the program to Greene County and parts of Westmoreland, Washington and Allegheny counties. Six Greene County schools and 14 Washington County schools joined in, for a total of over 8,000 local students participating in the program this year.

More than 30,000 students in the four-county area benefitted from the group’s Seedlings for Schools program this year, said president Jerry Regan. Waynesburg Elementary requested 1,600 seedlings for students to plant at home.

“Thank you for your participation and being young conservationists,” said Regan to a group of students Tuesday.

Third-grade teacher Traci Benke was instrumental in getting the trees into the hands of elementary students.

“They’re very excited when they get the saplings,” said principal Scott Headlee. “The more we can get these children outside, the better.”

This is the first year the EQT Foundation has partnered with Wildlife for Everyone, said Ellen Rossi, EQT Foundation manager.

She said the cooperation is a natural fit, with EQT’s geographic region and aim for students to get in touch with nature, “which they all need.”

“You can watch them grow as you grow,” Rossi told students as she asked their upcoming summer vacation plans. “We’re really glad you planted your trees, and take care of them over the summer. They’ll need water.”

The Wildlife for Everyone foundation was formed in 2004. This is the tenth year that the Seedling for Schools program has distributed trees to children throughout the state. It’s open to all schools in Pennsylvania preschool through 12th grade. Any teacher can request a seedling for their students at no cost. Nearly 850 schools and 160,000 students received a seedling to plant this year, up significantly from last year with over 350 more participating schools and 65,000 more seedlings shipped to participating students.