By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
August 19, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The folks at Woodland Elementary School are asking for the community’s help.

This fall, the school, located at 711 Woodland Ave., is installing orchard trees and bushes around its Born Learning Trail, an interactive, outdoor learning experience behind the school. Jerry Kitzi, director of early learning for the Kansas City Public Schools, said Woodland is a community school, and this is a project they’ll need the community’s help with.

“What grew out of a gift for a trail is turning into something great,” Kitzi said.

After the installation of the trail and signs in 2014, the United Way came back with benches. From there, discussions took place which lead to the United Way and Turner Construction teaming up to provide fruit trees and bushes to plant around the trail track.

“The United Way is extremely excited about this,” Kitzi said. “It’s intended for anyone in the community.”

The Giving Grove — a non-profit organization that provides self-help and educational assistance to low-income people, children and community groups in the KC metropolitan area to grow their own food from garden plots located in backyards, vacant lots, school yards and at community sites — will assist, but Kitzi said they school is also looking for community volunteers to water and care for the bushes and trees. As of now, the school is scheduled to host a community planting event on Saturday, Nov. 7. Kitzi said they’ve agreed to be caretakers of the orchard, with a district employee tasked with overlooking the orchard.

“The more we can teach the community about it, the better it’ll be for everyone,” Kitzi said.

The school will begin the installation process in October. In the future, Kitzi said the school also plans to host community events as a way to educate people on the nutritional values of the fruits and nuts they’re growing.

If you think you might be interested in assisting the school with caring for the orchard, contact the school at (816) 418-5900 and ask to speak with Mona Cozart-Ban.