I moved onto the next chapter of my professional career and moved to Austin, Texas, to make it happen. I now work for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, under it’s outreach program called Take Care of Texas. In this position, I’m a marketing and outreach liaison to the public — with focus on educators and K-12 students.

Check out TakeCareOfTexas.org to learn more about the program!

There were many different types of tree planting celebrations. A lot of which involved golden shovels for sponsors and photo opps! However, music was always a key theme at our events. We had a speaker setup at most events to use as a PA system, but also plugged in music for occasional events. Many of these celebrations also had local students perform as part of the ceremonies.

Below is a compilation of sped-up clips showing students performing or singing along for you to enjoy!

One of the fun parts about the Cool Schools tree plantings were the younger students who came out to put mulch rings around the freshly planted trees. I nicknamed these kids “Mulchkins,” combining mulch and munchkins together. Hearing them scream in joy and running around spilling mulch everywhere was certainly a sight to see.

I made a compilation video of different mulchkin groups running around at tree plantings for you to enjoy!