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Stream Work

Allison Kelleher, a senior and a member of the girls' track team, works on cleaning out a stream at the Palmer Arboretum April 1 "It is a good thing to do," she said. More photos on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

 

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

WOODSTOCK --- When the swarm of Woodstock Academy students and staffers left,  there was no trace of winter's ravages.

Sara Dziedzic, social studies teacher and Initiative leader, said more than 200 students and Academy personnel signed up to spruce up the Palmer Arboretum before its May 7 Open House.

Dziedzic said she started planning the community service project about a month ago. She was bombarded with positive responses when she sent out a blast email, looking for helpers.

"They all got right back to me," she said.

Spring athletics teams, the National Honor Society, the Spanish Club and more all signed up.

"This shows a lot about the kids at Woodstock Academy. They are giving back and giving back to a neighbor on the Hill."

Several students said they didn't even know the Palmer Arboretum was there. It was founded in 1915.

Bill Brower, head of the arboretum's board of directors, was wowed by the turnout. "We had volunteers coming out of our pores" last weekend. The kids and adults "got into corners, carried logs, leaves, raked, picked up piles of branches, dug out weeds (dock, garlic mustard bittersweet, skunk cabbage and more), pruned shrubs, put in drainage pipe, cut down euonymus. and more.

"Unbelievable," said Brower. "They've been fabulous."