MANSFIELD — Tiger Scout Troop 152 ventured through mud and the rain Friday to plant white pine trees at Gorman Nature Center on Earth Day.
The six trees planted help fill gaps where older trees have fallen, and these small-needled white pine trees will attract the Northern Saw-Whet Owl to the nature center, Tiger Scout leader Rebecca English said. While the owls are not native to Mansfield, they use the nature center while migrating.
“We planted today because it was Earth Day, English said. “The boys get service-hours for doing this, and they are giving back to the community. They also get an Earth Day badge.”
English said the scouts also practiced leaving no trace of them being at the center, picking up trash along Lexington Road, where the trees were planted.
“For the environment today, we are using it up much faster than we are replenishing it, so to teach the kids young to plant the trees and getting them to grow to produce more of the stuff we are using up is great,” English said. “Trees have oxygen and for the environment the owls it is attracting will bring back more environment to this area.”
Xander Gellison, 8, said the experience was important because he felt his troop helped the environment.
“What we were doing was helping the environment and nature, also it’s Earth Day — it’s perfect,” he said. “Also owls will make homes out of these trees.”
