High school junior Matthew Tichenor (center, wearing a green t-shirt) took charge of this year’s Arbor Day celebration, helping plan, organize and conduct a tree planting on Rand Road. Photo by Susan Hess.
By Susan Hess. May 3, 2018. Matthew Tichenor finished track practice and headed to Hood River City Hall. His name was first on the City Council agenda. Still in shorts and running shoes, he walked up to the microphone to give the council and staff an update on the city’s Arbor Day event.
Hood River is one of the 3,400 cities across the United States that have been named a Tree City USA, an honor that requires the town to hold an annual Arbor Day celebration. This year, high school junior Matthew Tichenor took a lead role.
Celebration implies something with cake and ribbon cutting. But the City’s Tree Committee went with Tyler Roth and Jacquie Barone’s plan to replant trees instead–eleven of them along busy Rand Road, where a number of trees had died. Committee member Kass Bergstrom knew that her son’s friend, Matthew, was looking for an extended application project and invited him to consider taking on this Arbor Day planting.
Every Oregon high school student must take on an ‘extended application project.’ The goal is for students to take on an experience where they use their academic knowledge and apply it in a real life situation. They have to take charge of all or a significant part of a project.
Matthew emailed the committee: “I’d love to get involved with the Rand Road tree planting. I spoke with Kass about the project needs, and I believe I’d be a great asset to some of them. I think I could help out with/take on public relations and education outreach, as I’m very involved with the community, have a strong influence, and I know many teachers, such as Mr. Becker. If these positions won’t work out, I’d still love to get involved with the project any way I can.”
The group took to him immediately. They realized that, as manager of the project, he could use a mentor. Committee member and developer Jacquie Barone offered to take on that role.
Within a week, Matthew had sent out a two page spread sheet with two supply lists for both days of the project. “Please let me know what you can help supply,” he wrote to all involved. “If anyone has any concerns with these lists, let me know, and I’ll get on it.
“I’m also really happy to say that the [high school] Leo’s Club is going to donate $250 to help fund the project. I talked to Rosauers, and they are donating 3 dozen boxes of donuts for April 20 and another bunch for April 27.” He wrote press releases and rallied volunteers. People liked the idea that on Earth Day they would dig dirt and on Arbor Day they would plant trees.
Fifteen high school students showed up on April 20 to dig holes. One week later another grou students, Rand Road neighbors, tree committee members and city staff filled each hole with a six-foot sapling.
Matthew (front left) digs a hole alongside other volunteers. Photo by Susan Hess.
“I was impressed with the quality of kids Matthew recruited,” Barone said. “He was a hard working leader, positive and good spirited. That energized everybody.”
All those qualities were needed because the site slopes steeply and the ground holds chunks of concrete and asphalt from road construction and gravel sprayed on winter roads. Thick stakes had to be driven into the packed earth to hold the trees steady in the Gorge winds, and watering bags were attached to each tree.
The planting finished late in the afternoon. A new row of trees stretched up the hill. The sidewalk was swept, hoses were rolled up and put away, buckets and shovels loaded into cars and trucks. Most people had drifted away as the work wrapped up, while Matthew stood checking the last details. Behind him Jacquie shouted, “Hey, Matthew!” He swung around and saw Jacquie and Tyler swinging a cooler full of ice water. He jumped and laughed.
