La Paloma students take part in planting project

FALLBROOK— On May 14, Save Our Forest’s (SOF) school outreach program began again at La Paloma Elementary School. Over 200 fourth grade students planted seedlings in containers under the direction of SOF volunteers. These were taken to the SOF nursery, and a year from now, the students will be reunited with the plants at the Heller’s Bend Reserve where they will plant them permanently.

Jackie Heyneman, who heads the SOF, said that the program is beneficial to the students in many ways.

“The obvious is that the students learn about the importance of plants and trees for a healthful and attractive environment,” she said. “For their generation, they will need to cope with ever dwindling water supplies, so we are trying to stress the importance of native plants and water conservation. Another more obscure, but no less important benefit of this program, is that it provides an outdoor group project that the students will remember—and for many, a first opportunity for community service.”