By Darrell Blackwelder
For the Salisbury Post
What is the oldest living thing on Earth?
What tree is more than 350 feet tall?
The oldest tree is the Bristle cone pine, approximately 4,500 years old and the tallest tree is the redwood, both found in California.
These were a couple of facts students from Tiffany Smith and Tish Hatley’s fourth-grade class at Hurley Elementary school learned in a discussion about the importance of trees.
These students also celebrated Earth Day by planting four ornamental cherry trees on the Hurley School campus.
Coordinated by Hurley parent Gabby Nesbit, Cooperative Extension agent Darrell Blackwelder and Master Gardener Coordinator Carole Massey, the group met with the fourth-grade students, providing them with a short presentation about the importance of trees and how trees have affected our lives. Each student received a pine seedling donated by the North Carolina Forest Service.
Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, is credited with initiating this event which began April 22, 1970. Earth Day is now observed each year on this date by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.