LEE — Lee Elementary School students took up shovels and buckets of mulch in Cornhill Farm Park on Thursday as they helped plant dozens trees: 65 to be exact.

Those trees commemorate the children born in the community last year, which actually number around 50.

And those trees will do more than represent the town's newborns; they'll add foliage to the town's coming accessible trail.

"It's really cool, because in a year or two, we can come back and see what we planted," said Isaiah Stevens, a student.

Students from Lee Elementary School helped plant trees commemorating the town's newborns in 2025.

In all, three different fifth-grade classes planted a combined 65 American Sweetgums. Those trees were selected for their hardiness in this climate and fast growth, according to organizer Norbert Johanssen.

As part of the program, the town will hold a commemoration ceremony for the newborns of 2025, in which the parents will bury a time capsule to open upon the children's graduation. It will be filled with items chosen by parents of those newborns.

Since the American Sweetgum grows between 1 to 2 feet per year, those trees will be anywhere from 20 to 40 feet tall by the time the capsule is opened.

For Norbert Johanssen, who started the project, teaching students how to plant trees is "just exciting." He hopes it becomes a yearly tradition.

The project was led by Johanssen, who got the idea from Plant-for-the-planet, an organization that partners with local governments and schools to help educate students about trees and the environment. He hopes having students plant trees will become an annual tradition.

The project cost between $800 and $900, Johanssen said, and it received a mix of private and town funding. Meadow Farm donated mulch, and Lee Audio N' Security and the Toole Agency donated funds.

Students from Lee Elementary School helped plant trees commemorating the town's newborns in 2025.

Johanssen walked students through the process, starting by digging the two- to three-inch holes, then planting the seedling, filling the hole with fresh dirt and mulch and finally giving the tree its first watering.

"The basic idea is to get the kids out on the field, let them feel the air, let them work with the Earth, let them see what is planting a tree," he said.

For students, planting the trees was an opportunity to get outside and get their hands dirty, including finding the occasional worm.

The trees will eventually bring shade to the forthcoming Cornhill Farm Park accessible trail. The final bit of land that was needed for the trail was approved to be purchased at the town meeting in May.

"We're going to put out [a request for proposal] soon, so it'll depend on how soon the contractors are available," Town Administrator Chris Brittain said about the timeline.

Tom Finnegan, a teacher of one of the three classes, said he was happy to see how well the students communicated, figured out the tasks, and worked together.

"They weren't sure what to expect, but a couple of them that I've talked to already today are, like, 'This is fun, we're having a good time,'" Finnegan said. "That's what it's all about."