From left, TVHS students Ashley Bahney, Kaden Sebastian and Deonte’e Smith are shown planting one of the new trees. Students dug holes to the correct depth and circumference, and backfilled the holes after the trees were planted.

Tippecanoe Valley High School is a special blend of communities. Hosting students from both Kosciusko and Fulton counties, the school is a unique combination of towns.

TVHS recently had the chance to celebrate the diversity of their student body’s skills thanks to grants from Kosciusko REMC and NIPSCO. With a combination of grants totaling around $2,500, TVHS was able to purchase and plant a variety of trees around the building. Twenty-one trees in total were planted, with around seven different native Indiana species that made the cut. Tippecanoe Valley High School Principal, Dr. Michael Bendicsen, said “We made it a point to mix them up,” noting tulip trees were a favorite as they are Indiana’s state tree. The variety of trees is also a preventative measure, Bendicsen added, as one disease would not affect all of the newly planted trees.

Varieties of trees planted included: tulip, hackberry, sugar maple, white pine, honeylocust and street keeper. Most of the trees will grow between 45 and 60 feet in height. The trees planted measure about 10 to 12 feet in height currently, and only 2 inches in diameter.

The variety of trees planted represent the student body as a whole. “We wanted to make it a point that it wasn’t going to just be one group. We wanted to get a good cross-section from the school,” said Bendicsen, “We had the obvious choices from the agriculture class — they were kind of the experts on this. But, we also had band kids, athletes and kids that aren’t really involved in much of anything.” He added students from many different groups joined in to help beautify the school grounds. Along with the beautification of school property, NIPSCO and REMC know trees provide many other helpful benefits.

Trees provide natural shade that helps cut the energy costs at businesses and homes, especially in the rural location of TVHS. Arbor Day Foundation suggests planting trees near air conditioner units and on each side of a building to help cut costs, depending on where the most sun comes through windows.

ArborMetrics Solutions, a vegetation management system based in North Carolina, aided in the project by connecting the grants with the company that provided trees, Dogwood Hills Tree Farm of Middlebury. Dogwood Hills was able to provide training and guidance to the students who chose to participate in the event, showing students the proper depth and circumference of the holes where the trees would be planted, planting techniques and the best ways to position each tree.

TVHS lost several students in the past year, and the trees were also a way to remember lost friends and honor those memories. Bendicsen said the trees won’t be commemorated with plaques, but will live on with the knowledge a student body has recognized a loss.

Bendicsen noted the community also has a great opportunity to become involved at Tippecanoe Valley High School, or other community facilities. Planting the trees is something he hopes to continue, and the community support, whether physical or monetary, goes a long way to aid in that.

“We couldn’t have done it without the students,” noted Bendicsen, thanking both companies that provided grants and the students who chose to become involved.

The 21 trees were planted in front of the school, and wrap around the building. They add beauty to the scene now, but will continue to grow and bloom for many future generations of students. Some trees were planted with a remembrance of students who had passed during the school year.