Fall 2007 Brenda Thoma - Fall 2007 CMBA Tour of Homes guide
Teaming up with Tommy Central Minnesota Builders volunteer to introduce youngsters to Tommy Tree
For more than ten years now, children across central Minnesota have been introduced to "Tommy Tree" an educational program organized by Central Minnesota Builders Association and presented by its members. Spearheaded by the Women's Council of the National Association of Home Builders, the Homes of Our Own program introduced "Tommy Tree" to second grade classes in five different schools last year.
CMBA member builder Ryan Arvola of Arvola Homes, Inc. in Annandale reports that he is truly committed to bringing this worthwhile program to youngsters across central Minnesota. "I really love to present this program", Arvola says. "I really look forward to those few hours with a group of second graders." The program often benefits by engaging the youngsters in the presentation. Asking why they think more than a million new homes are built in our country each year brings a wide variety of answers from the group of eight-year-olds. "You really never know what you are going to hear when you talk to these kids," Arvola laughs. "It seems that every kid in the room has their arm in the air, waiting to tell you something about their house." But typically they understand that families move sometimes and need a new house in their new community or families have more children and they need a house that is bigger.
"Arvola Homes has presented the program to hundreds of second graders over the two years that we have participated," Ryan says. "Whenever the class is asked what new houses are made of, the answer is a unanimous and enthusiastic WOOD!" This is the perfect opportunity to introduce Tommy Tree and talk about how important healthy, growing trees are to people and to animals, and that we need to take care of the forests they grow in. "We always make sure that the children understand how important it is to plant new trees and that wood is called a 'renewable resource'," Arvola says.
The people that make boards for the builders to use in building houses are very careful to protect the biggest trees because they are beautiful and animals live in and around them, Ryan Arvola explains to the class. The little trees are left to grow and only the middle sized trees are used to build homes. For each middle sized tree that is harvested, there will be five new little trees planted in the open, sunny are of the forest. It is also part of the program to tell the children that more than half of the forests in the United States will always be left for animals to live in, to keep our air clean and our country beautiful.
Second graders are learning in school how to work as a team, and Arvola encourages the students to think of how many different people might help to build a house. There are people who build the frame of the house; people to put the roof on; people to put the water pipes in and people to bring electricity to the house. New workers come to put carpet on the floor and paint the walls; still more people bring furniture to sit on and beds to sleep in. He also tells the children that all of these people know how to stay safe where a new house is being built and children and grown ups that don't know the rules should never be where the house building team is working.
"Trent Johnson, over at ECI Tree Planting gets more involved in the next part of the program," Arvola says. "Trent, the kids and I all go out onto the school grounds and plant a tree together." Trent carefully explains to the kids how to plant a tree because at the end of the day each second grader gets a tree to take home and plant in their yard.
This 'hands on' primer in renewable resources helps children understand that it is important to plant new trees. They have learned that people and animals use trees or wood for their homes and that trees help to keep the air clean and the earth cool so every single tree planted is important. "We usually present the program in conjunction with Arbor Day," Arvola explains. "But, I would like to do it more often. I think I speak for all of the CMBA builders that present the Homes of Our Own program when I say that it's a great way to spend an afternoon."
Arvola Homes, Inc. | PO Box 727, 48 Oak Ave. Annandale, MN 55302 Phone: 320-274-7002 | Email: ryan@arvolahomes.com | License #20356734
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