“Biodiversity” Is an Important Word

Fr. Al Utzig, director of the Columban headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, partnered with students from St. Mary’s parish school to plant 70 trees on the organization's 24-acre property. The project, held on April 25, aimed to replace trees lost to wind, insects, and age.

The planting involved ten families from the school's Budding Botanists Club. The group used seedlings provided by the local Natural Resources District, including 30 red oaks, Douglas Fir, Black Gum, Allegheny Serviceberries, Persimmon, Pear, American Hazelnut, and Apple trees.

The event began with a prayer and a reading from Genesis regarding creation. Following the prayer, participants worked to prepare growing tubes to protect the new trees.