Thacker shares about plants, animals with Valley View students

It was an extra special Earth Day on Wednesday at Valley View Elementary School

By Stewart Thacker

LAFOLLETTE, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF)- Wednesday, Earth Day, there was a sprout of new life at Valley View Elementary School.

Mrs. Jane Mattie organized an interesting Earth Day event for the students of VVES in coordination with local Scouting America Troop 310. Nearly 60 students spent a wonderful day outside and learn about several interesting things about not only our nation’s history, but our natural history. Scoutmaster Chris Thacker, a representative of Troop 310, talked about local plants and animals, needs of plants, and how plants interact with our environment.

The American Chestnut (Castanea denata) is an imperiled species native to the eastern United States. Due to overuse, agricultural development, and foreign diseases, the American Chestnut populations have declined to a critically endangered status. However, due to a large collaboration with the American Chestnut Foundation, universities, research institutes, and Scouting America, these trees are being brought back home, especially here in Campbell County. With that said, the students of VVES got to learn how trees are planted, the history of the American Chestnut, its importance to the environment, and how the dirt (and the things that live in it) help these trees prosper. These trees will be marked with a GPS and have their growth recorded for years to come. This provides our students with opportunities to contribute to real world conservation.

During this presentation, the students also got another interesting surprise, a live snake demonstration. During the discussion in the nature area at VVES, the students saw a wild Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus). Like the American Chestnut, this is a native species to our area. Due to a great deal of development, these elusive snakes are becoming more rare, but these students got to see this docile snake up close and personal. The Rough Green Snake is a highly arboreal species, which means it lives and moves in trees. Interestingly enough, it happened on a day of a native tree reintroduction. That’s a wonderful coincidence.

Overall these students received a wonderful day learning about the cool things going on right here at home in our environment.

Thank you to Mrs. Jane Mattie and Troop 310 for creating a memorable and productive day for our students. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/24/2026-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)