COEUR d'ALENE — Retired forest pathologist John Schwandt grew up in Illinois where he and his siblings received free trees for Arbor Day programs.

"One of them is still there 70 years later," Schwandt said Monday. "I got interested in forestry partly as a result of that and made that my career. I’ve been very fortunate to have been out in the forest for 40-something years."

Schwandt, chair of the city of Coeur d'Alene's Urban Forestry Committee, served as Idaho's first forestry pathologist after he obtained a doctorate in forest diseases from the University of Idaho.

"I've been in Coeur d'Alene since 1976," he said. "It was about then, because of the insect infestation problem around town, they started the forest pathology program."

Having served on the Urban Forestry Committee since the early 1980s, Schwandt is also the president of the nonprofit Arbor Day Organization of North Idaho. In conjunction with the city, the group has annually given away free seedlings to fourth graders since the program's inception 40 years ago.

More than 88,000 seedlings of more than 70 different species of trees have been given away since 1985.

"What started out as a small program giving out a few hundred seedlings to just a few Coeur d’Alene schools has now grown to nearly 2,000 seedlings given to all fourth graders in all schools in Kootenai County every year — Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, Rathdrum, Hayden Lake, Athol and Spirit Lake as well as private schools," said Schwandt, who was one of the founders of the annual program.

"I’ve even had a couple of teachers say they remember getting a tree when they were just a fourth grader," Schwandt said.

The program was started to accompany the Coeur d’Alene Arbor Day program as part of its Tree City USA application in 1985. As part of the Arbor Day celebrations, the Coeur d’Alene urban forester and several members of the Urban Forestry Committee decided to give away seedlings to some local fourth grade classes.

"Fortunately, we were able to get Idaho nurseries to donate surplus seedlings for several years," Schwandt said. "However, as the program grew, nurseries were no longer able to donate all the trees we needed, so we contacted the local timber and tree care industries, and they were graciously willing to provide needed funds. This also enabled us to purchase more desirable species aimed at providing attractive shade and flowering trees that will enhance the natural beauty of this area without creating undesirable problems with sidewalks, power lines or insects and diseases." 

In 1995, an art contest was added to give high school students opportunities to participate and learn more about Arbor Day.

"We found out we have some very talented artists in high school and we used the winner’s design to create ceremonial buttons, which we also gave out with the seedlings for 25 years," Schwandt said.

In 2017 the Arbor Day Organization of North Idaho became registered as an official nonprofit. In spite of its growth, this program is still run entirely by volunteers so all the donated funds go toward the purchase of seedlings and bagging supplies.

This year's seedling bagging event will take place on Earth Day and the giveaway will take place April 26 on Arbor Day.

"After this year, we will have given out nearly 90,000 seedlings of over 75 different tree species," Schwandt said.

To celebrate four decades of trees given away to diversify and beautify North Idaho, The Press is seeking photos and stories of former fourth graders and their Arbor Day trees. Then-and-now photos of the trees being planted are most welcome, as are photos of the former fourth graders with their trees today to show how much each has grown and changed through the years. The Press will publish submitted stories and pictures as Arbor Day approaches.

"A lot of these trees along the boulevards were planted by fourth graders," Schwandt said, beginning to chuckle. "One year, we planted some along Ramsey Road and Fourth Street and the kids all wanted to name their trees. With magic markers we wrote names on all the trees."

Patty McGinnis of Coeur d'Alene shared this with urban forester Nick Goodwin several years ago.

"This tree means everything to me," McGinnis wrote. "It symbolizes Home, Family, Growth and Love. This beautiful pin oak was brought home to me Arbor Day 2002, when my daughter Makena attended the fourth grade at Borah Elementary. They gave trees out in honor of Arbor Day. It was a tiny stick of a tree. I planted it, nurtured it and celebrated its growth every year, as I did the growth of my daughter. As it grew so did she. It grew into a strong, beautiful tree, just like my now 28-year-old daughter grew into a strong and beautiful woman!" 

Fourth graders who planted free seedlings received through the Coeur d'Alene Arbor Day giveaway in the past 40 years are welcome to send photos and memories to Devin Weeks, [email protected]. Please include: Names of tree recipients; schools attended and names of teachers; years trees were received; species of trees; where trees were planted; and anything special remembered from that day.

    Ramsey Magnet School students Ruby Baker and Lane Churchill shovel dirt onto a new tree they helped plant during an Arbor Day celebration at Atlas Waterfront Park in 2024. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Coeur d'Alene fourth grade seedling giveaway program, The Press is seeking "then and now" photos to show how trees and students have grown through the years.
  

    Matthew Thayer, who was a Coeur d'Alene High freshman when this photo was taken, helps organize and bag trees during an Arbor Day seedling sacking event in 2022. The Press and the Arbor Day Organization of North Idaho are asking people to send in then-and-now photos of former fourth graders and their Arbor Day giveaway trees in honor of the 40th anniversary of the program.
  

    These buttons show examples of the results of the art contest the Arbor Day Organization of North Idaho held for 25 years.