By Aika Isabelle Acenas
Grade 7-Bellarmine, XU Junior High School

The Xavier University Atiman Kinaiyahan team visited XU Junior High School on 23 September 2024 to give an orientation on tree planting and seed propagation to two Grade 7 sections, Bellarmine and Berchman. Campus of the Future Project Director Engr Lennie Ong and Campus of the Future Associate Project Director Ms Ann Charlette Cabana explained the benefits of tree planting in the current condition of the earth saying, "Nature fills all of our needs, but can never fill our greed,” and to encourage the students to help in XU’s tree-growing endeavor. 

On 30 September, our class, Grade 7-Bellarmine, was chosen to plant the Narra seeds, making us part of the first groups to participate in the university’s project. We brought our assigned materials such as gloves, trowel, sawdust, and enthusiastically took part in the activity done in the Mini Forest of XUJHS, digging soil for the planting bags where we later placed the Narra pods, with the guidance of the Kinaiyahan team. Most of us who listened to the talk previously given were already aware of the problems that earth is facing, and have heard or read about ways we can help the world we live in. But for many of us, it was the first time that we had the opportunity to plant a tree from seed for a cause. It made us feel both excited and proud. Not only this, we ended the activity by having the privilege of putting our names on our planting bags.   

With this, the Grade 7-Bellarmine students made our mark as the “gardeners” of the first batch of the targeted fifteen thousand trees to be planted by XU in the next five years. We are really grateful that we became part of XU’s tree planting initiative which involves the community in creating consciousness about the environment and climate change. For us, this activity is just the first step as we continue to participate in helping our surrounding become clean and green once again.