Camp Tonkawa
Outdoor Learning Center, Inc

Arbor Day Celebration

Upcoming Dates: Friday April 23rd, and Sunday April 25th, 2010

Come to plant trees and picnic!

Costs: Tree Donation (See Adopt a Tree Information Below) - Pre-register with the tree you will be bringing.

The following agenda can be scheduled for Feild Trips, private schools, public schools, and home schooled groups.     10am - 3pm Or whatever works best for your group

  • 10:15 - Welcome to our woods. Thanksgiving to the TREES!
  • 10:30 - History of Arbor Day
  • Songs
  • 11:00 - HUG A TREE - wilderness survival technique
  • 11:30 - How Old is that tree? How tall is that tree?
  • Story Time: Great Books about Trees and Nature
  • 12:00 - Picnic Lunches (bring your own)
  • 12:30 - How, where, when to Plant a Tree
  • 1:00 - Tree Planting Begins
  • Nature Poetry - We would love your contributions, a special poem you like or wrote yourself.

Adopt a tree

Camp Director Chipco (means: Tree Hugger) asks for tree donations. Her goal is to raise trees of many varieties to eventually use as teaching tools at the camp. So when we learn about the Catalpa we can someday climb in her branches, put the flowers on our fingertips and watch the caterpillers defoilage it while providing us with fish bait. This is just one example of what we could do with one tree. We love the Post Oaks, Cedar Elm and Juniper Red Cedars that forest the woods at the camp but we ask families, scout troops, school classes, homeschool groups and other groups to ADOPT A TREE of different varieties. We hope you will choose one of the varieties listed below, purchase it, and then plant it at the camp. A plaque will be placed with both yours and it's names at its base. We hope you will help shower it both with water and love during your visits to Camp Tonkawa. Trees planted in the pasture areas will also need protective rings built around them to protect them from being eatten by the horses.

Common Name Scientific name Donated by
LOBLOLLY PINE Pinus taeda  
SHORTLEAF PINE Pinus echinata  
LONGLEAF PINE Pinus paustris  
GINKGO Ginkgo biloba  
BLACK WILLOW Salix nigra  
RIVER BIRCH Betula nigra  
BLACKJACK OAK Quercus marilandica  
CHINKAPIN OAK Quercus muhlenbergii  
AMERICAN ELM Ulmus americana  
SASSAFRAS Sassafras albidum  
AMERICAN SYCAMORE Platanus occidentalis  
CHINESE TALLOW Sapium sebiferum  
AMERICAN HOLLY Ilex opaca  
CAROLINA BUCKTHORNE Rhamnus caroliniana  
MESQUITE Prosopis glandulosa  
MIMOSA Albizia julibrissin  
EASTERN BLACK WALNUT Juglans nigra  
PECAN Carya illioensis  
BLACK HICKORY Carya texana  
CHINABERRY Melia azedarach  
BOX ELDER Acer negundo  
RED BUCKEYE Aesculus pavia  
WHITE ASH Fraxinus americana  
GREEN ASH Fraxinus pennsylvanica  
SOUTHERN CATALPA Catalpa bignoniodes  

Fruit trees suitable for our region will also be gladly accepted.

A FAMILY TREE can be donated but for larger trees get your scout troops, homeschool groups, school classes to all pitch in.

Arbor Day 2009 was a big success! These trees and items were donated by the following families and organizations:

  • Southern Magnolia - Edmonson Family 2008
  • Sweetgum - Heltne & Alexandar Families 2008
  • Bur Oak - Joe Van Dunk and Family 2008
  • Live Oak (3) - Pilot Point 3rd grade class of 2008
  • Crabapple - Andrews Family 2008
  • Red Oak (3) - Pilot Point 3rd grade class of 2008

      Other Donations in 2008.

      • Compost (3) - Dennards Farm Supply
      • Home Depot Gainesville - 10 Bags Moonure
      • Home Depot The Colony - $25
      • Pilot Point Feed Store - 2 Bags Compost