In October, the Benicia Tree Foundation tried something new. They gave away an iPad to get area youth interested in their urban forest. Students in 5th through 12th grade were challenged to correctly identify the most trees species within the City of Benicia.
Ninth-grader Amanda Radtke won an iPad from the city for correctly identifying 62 tree species in the Great 2010 Benicia Tree Science Challenge. The purpose of the challenge was to get more young people interested in Benicia’s urban forest initiative. The foundation is partnering with the city as Benicia develops a tree master plan. A survey of city trees is under way, which is expected to lead to future planting and maintenance goals.
The city contributed the iPad.
“We’ll repeat the contest next year, but it won’t be exactly the same,” Wolfram Alderson, Benicia Tree Foundation’s Executive Director, said. “But it will be some kind of challenge involving trees.”