Austin Go Green Club member Nayeli Hernandez helps fill in dirt around a freshly planted tree Friday near Austin High Schools main entrance. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

With rain and wind, a tree was planted in the Austin High School yard Friday.

The AHS Go Green Club and Spruce Up Austin partnered for the first time to plant a tree in celebration of Arbor Day Friday.

“Spruce Up Austin was nice enough to donate a tree to the AHS Go Green Club, and the conversation actually started about a couple of months ago because there’s some trees here on east side lawn that need a little love over the summer break,” Go Green Club Advisor Kate Soiney said. “So we need to make sure we come and water them, and then they offered to donate another tree.”

Austin High School juniors and members of the Go Green Club Alisa Hughes, right, and Nyajuok Puok lower a tree into its hole near the main entrance of Austin High School Friday. The tree was planted in honor of Arbor Day. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Members of the club gathered Friday after school outside the school, along with members of Spruce Up Austin, to place the tree in the hole dug by Austin Park and Rec. Despite the rainy weather, everyone was determined to get the tree planted. Spruce Up Austin President Chris Stepp was excited to partner with the Go Green Club.

“I think it’s a great partnership right now because we’re dealing with younger people and we’re hoping as they grow up they can become Spruce up Austin members later,” Stepp said. “So it’s kind of a longterm project with them.”

Stepp was excited students took the initiative to help beautify Austin and do something good for the planet at the same time.

“We think it’s one of the easiest and best ways to do a longterm beautification project, by planting trees,” he said.

Student Kendra Wagner, 17, has always been environmentally conscious, so joining to the Go Green Club was an obvious move for her. She was excited to plant a tree where there were none.

“I think it’s great to plant a tree here,” she said.

She hopes other students learn by the club’s example and start thinking about the planet more.

“I want more kids in the high school to be more cautious and more conscious about it, you know,” Wagner said. “Our club is fairly small and I just want other kids to care about the environment, because it’s the only planet that we have.”

The Go Green Club also recently made its way to the capitol with the Izaak Walton League. About 40 people went to speak with Senator Dan Sparks and Representative Jeanne Poppe regarding environmental conservation and sustainability. They discussed a buffer bill, where about 50 feet of vegetation or alternative water quality practices would buffer permanent waterways, and a bill that would create more clean energy and green jobs by increasing the renewable energy standard in Minnesota to 40 percent by 2030. Jay C. Hormel Nature Centery Director and Naturalist Larry Dolphin, who is also involved with the Izaak Walton League, was excited to see the students get involved.

“It was nice to have young people there learning the ropes and lobbying,” Dolphin said.