High school gives away trees in town

The Greencastle High School Environmental Club will be giving trees away from 8 to 11 a.m. this Saturday. Pictured are participants in the 2009 tree giveaway, from left, Ashley Holmes, Cheyanne Maddox, Alan Peck, John Garner and Khristen Phillips.

This Saturday the Greencastle High School Environmental Club will sponsor a tree giveaway from 8 to 11 a.m.

John Garner, a science teacher and club sponsor, said he got the idea on a drive through a neighboring community.

"About three years ago I came through Crawfordsville and there was a church there giving trees away." Garner said. "We first did it two years ago and Pike Lumber Company sponsored us then. "

Garner said anyone who shows up can take up to five trees.

"We have a little bit of instruction to go with them," Garner said. "Most of the trees we have right now are ready to go in the ground. They can dig a hole and just put them in.

Garner said that the selection of trees this ear was looking good.

"This year we have some pretty good-looking trees," he said. "The oak trees that we have are really pretty tall. They should get a pretty good start I should think."

Garner said that the oak trees are between two and three feet tall, while the pine trees aren't quite as large.

"The pine trees that we have are just two years old, so they're just little seedlings," he said.

Members of the environmental science club as well as students in his environmental science class will aid Garner.

"I don't think many kids will be there -- we don't need many to do it," he said.