Goleta’s Stow Grove has long been an ideal place for a walk or picnic under its towering redwood trees. On Thursday and Friday, a group of Laguna Blanca School students, teachers, parents and alumni gathered at the grove to plant redwood saplings under the giant trees to help the copse continue to thrive.

The trees were donated to the school by Dawn and Pierce O’Donnell and their family in honor of Laguna’s 75th anniversary.

“We wanted to give back to our wonderful community by beautifying it where redwoods are needed,” Dawn O’Donnell said.

“I think it’s exciting that many of our Lower School students will take an active role in planting the trees.”

Laguna’s kindergarten through fourth-grade students have devoted much time to studying trees in both their science and garden classes. On Thursday, they got an opportunity to further their studies with Ken Knight, executive director of Goleta Valley Beautiful. Working in groups of five, students planted 50 redwood trees, and rotated through such activities as haiku writing, worm hunting, and creating collages of nature rubbings.

Each student was assigned a redwood tree, each of which has been given a GPS tracking number. In the years to come, the students will be able to return to Stow Grove and visit their trees to see their progress — and someday show their own children the mighty redwood they once planted.

Tara Broucqsault is Laguna Blanca School‘s public relations director.