Nbisiing Secondary School students celebrate Arbour week

By Jennifer Driscoll

NIPISSING FIRST NATION—The students at Nbisiing Secondary School on Nipissing First Nation celebrated Arbour Week with the help of Hydro One.

Arbour Week is celebrated from the last Friday in April until the first Sunday in May and encourages community members to get outside, learn about and plant trees.

This year, a team of arbourists from Hydro One attended Nbisiing Secondary School to teach the students about the importance of what they do – keeping hydro lines clear of trees and debris, clean up after major weather events, and working hard to keep the lights on. As part of Arbour Week, the Hydro One forestry team visits over 50 schools in communities across the province to speak with students about the importance of trees and our role in keeping the lights on through their vegetation management practices.

Students were also taught about apprenticeship programs available in various fields within the company. The team of arbourists then took the students outside to plant a cedar sapling on the property and provide examples of the equipment and techniques they use on a daily basis.

Students were able to get hands on experience with some of the equipment including throw lines used to help arbourists get up into the trees as well as hydraulic pruners used to trim tree limbs off of wires.