Mini-Term Project: The CDS Giving Tree

For mini-term this year, we partnered with Guy Mott from Adventure Tree to create a new, permanent tree climbing area on the CDS campus. We selected a silver maple tree located behind the Little House because of it’s size and ability to host 10-15 climbers at a time. We also liked the location because it was tucked behind the Little House and it will give us some solitude when we are having our climbs.

The problem was that the tree was full of dead branches that needed to be removed and it was surrounded by my nemesis… bush honeysuckle. This invasive plant is a massive problem because it’s ability to reproduce quickly, it’s hearty and hard to get rid of permanently, it starts growing earlier than Missouri plants and stops growing after Missouri plants (which prevents native plants from receiving the proper amount of sunlight), and a host of other ecological problems.

Here's a couple of photos of the area before we started working:

The first day of mini-term was yard work day. We started by cutting out all of the honeysuckle from around the tree. Then we sprayed the stumps with 20% glyphosate to kill the root systems. Then we had a dump truck full of mulch delivered and we created a nice, soft landing pad all the way around the tree. I was blown away by how much 10 kids (Grades 3-6) were able to accomplish in one day!

The second day was dedicated to recreational climbing and we couldn’t have had more perfect weather for such an epic day. Every kid was able to try different rope heights and placement. We taught students the correct way to put on and remove harnesses, we learned climbing commands and safety protocols, and the students were also taught some of the knots required to make the system work. It was a fantastic two days that was meaningful for the students and their work will continue to have lasting effects as this tree will be used for years to come. Bang up job, kiddos!

Whenever we go tree climbing we always name the tree we are about to climb. It makes it easier to identify different trees on the campus that may be the same species but in different locations, so instead of saying “we’re going to climb the red oak that’s furthest west on our campus” we can just say “we’re going to climb Hagrid today”. More importantly though, naming the tree humanizes the tree and starts to create this connection between the climber and the tree. While climbing, these trees are supporting us and keeping us alive. They are allowing us to see things we’ve never seen before. They allow us study things we never could while on the ground. Not to mention all of the benefits they already give us like oxygen, shade, and habitat for the birds we enjoy seeing at CDS. The mini-term students decided to name the silver maple at our new tree climbing area The CDS Giving Tree (inspired by The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein). Much like in that book, this tree has given the gift of tree climbing for years to come at CDS. Ready. Set. Launch!

Special thanks to Stephanie Hoff and Guy Mott for their help with this project!