By Tony Fessler, Co-Coordinator – Restoration Of Our Trees Sheboygan, www.sheboyganrotary.com or 920-946-6770.
Photo Credit: Tony Fessler
A collaborative urban reforestation project involving the Sheboygan Area School District, the Sheboygan Rotary Club Restoration of our Trees Sheboygan (ROOTS) and the Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP) completed a second major milestone on May 10, 2025. This first-of-its-kind urban reforestation collaboration was initiated in 2024 through a matching $25,000 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Grant to ROOTS and LNRP. The objective of the grant was to evaluate and enhance the tree canopy on twenty Sheboygan Area School District properties throughout the city of Sheboygan and adjacent township areas devastated in recent years by losses due to emerald ash borer and other infectious diseases.
In the spring of 2024, ROOTS and LNRP sought and received the support of the Sheboygan Area School District Board and school administrative leadership for a multi-year reforestation program with several specific components:
- To pair ROOTS and LNRP expertise with both science and STEM faculty and students to inventory and assess the current state of the Sheboygan Area School District forestry assets, prioritizing the need for replanting the tree canopy on individual school campuses;
- Based on the forestry evaluation using the expertise of the collaborating partners and system faculty, develop plans for the reforestation of properties;
- Using collaborating partners, Sheboygan Area School District faculty and students, acquire and replant school campuses with diverse and sustainable tree stock in significant quantities; and,
- Promote Sheboygan Area School District faculty and student long term engagement in the value of urban reforestation through enhancements in natural science curriculum from levels K-1 through K-12.
Under the multi-year project, two elementary school campuses were replanted in the fall of 2024, followed by a high school and an additional elementary school campus in May 2025. During each of these milestone planting events, ROOTS and LNRP provided DNR grant funds and matching resource support. To date, campus reforestation has resulted in replanting and follow-on support for approximately 180 diverse, sustainable tree stock.
Photo Credit: Tony Fessler
High School botany and biology teacher Mr. David Miller, also serving as faculty advisor for the Sheboygan Rotary Club Interact High School Club, has provided extensive technical expertise and coordination in campus reforestation. Under Miller’s leadership, along with resource support from ROOTS and LNRP, detailed plans have been developed and executed using an average of 50 or more student volunteers to expand forestry assets for each campus. Miller noted that a particularly noteworthy outcome of the collaboration has been to offer students a direct personal role in combating climate change and global warming through community urban reforestation.
Sheboygan Area School District Superintendent Jacob Konrath and other system leaders joined area media in highlighting the extraordinary community collaboration, which underscores the program’s success. Konrath noted that the extensive collaboration provides immediate educational benefit to students while greatly enhancing system campuses with minimum impact on limited Sheboygan Area School District budget resources. Sheboygan Rotary Club ROOTS and LNRP leadership have expressed appreciation to the DNR for its Urban Forestry Grant program, which was instrumental in developing a prototype reforestation program that may be replicated by other educational systems in the state.