Townsend Elementary Students Provide Winning Stump Carving Ideas
 | Author:
Patrick Plantenberg, Tree Board Chair
Townsend Tree Board Chair, Townsend Rotary Club |
Patrick Plantenberg
Tree Board Chair
The Townsend Tree Board asked Townsend Elementary School students to visit the Heritage Park playground and come up with ideas of how two cottonwood tree stumps in the playground should be carved. The winner for each stump would receive $100.The students came up with many great ideas and the Tree Board judging committee has selected the winning ideas and students.
One of the stumps has two arms. Many students thought the stump should be carved into a bulldog. Three student winners were selected based on their write-ups. Second grader, Tyler Cannon, said: “I think there should be a bulldog and the forepaws. You should do this because Townsend is the town of bulldogs.” Kinsley Kirks said: “I think that they should be carved into bulldog paws, and we can play, but it has to be body-proof.” And finally, Alex Bucannon suggested: “I think the tree stump should be carved into a sentence that says ‘Home of the Bulldogs’…” So, the double-armed stump will have the Townsend bulldog logo and ‘Home of the Bulldogs’ carved into the trunk and the bulldog forepaws carved into the arms.
The second stump has no arms. Three students suggested that stump should be carved into a tree house. Thea Moos drew a picture and said: “I think the stump should be a tree house because people will love it.” Keaton John Schritz said: “I think the tree stump should be carved into a squirrel house where it can store its nuts”. And finally, Josiah Sparks-Lowry suggested: “I think the tree stumps should be carved into…a miniature house.” So, the tree with no arms will be carved into a squirrel tree house with an oversized squirrel carved into the trunk.
The Tree Board thought these two ideas fit both Townsend and the setting in the park playground. Each of the students will receive a check from the City of Townsend for $33.33. The Tree Board would like to thank the students, teachers, and elementary school administration for their help. The Tree Board will contact the winner of the Lincoln, MT tree carving competition to complete the carving this summer.
