Vinland Elementary School first-grader Ben Foster had a firm grip Friday on immediate and enduring benefits of planting trees.

“This is fun. You get dirty,” Ben proclaimed while he inched a shovel into U.S. Corps of Engineers ground in southwest Lawrence to make space for a red maple.

Jim Bell, Clinton Park ranger, left, helps Clint Chapman, 8, Vinland Elementary School student, dig a hole to plant a tree. Vinland first- through sixth-graders set out hundreds of trees Friday morning in a one-acre open area between Kansas Highway 10 and Clinton Parkway. The trees were donated to the U.S. Corps of Engineers by the National Tree Trust, Washington, D.C.

He’s convinced that by the time he’s finished with public school, the tree should be ready for climbing.

“You can jump off of it,” Ben said. “That’s the best.”

Despite wet ground and temperatures in the low 50s, more than 100 Vinland students, teachers and parent volunteers met rangers to plant about 600 trees on an unused one-acre tract between Kansas Highway 10 and Clinton Parkway.

Children spread out on the grassy area to sink redbud trees and a variety of maple and oak trees into the surprisingly hard dirt. Trees ranged in height from 1 feet to 2 feet and had no leaves, making the work of these volunteers difficult to see from the road.

“In 10 years, they’ll be 10 to 15 feet tall,” said Ranger Jim Bell, who has worked with schoolchildren in other parts of the state to plant more than 10,000 trees.

Specimens planted by Vinland students in grades one through six were donated by the National Tree Trust in Washington, D.C. The trust gave the corps 1,000 trees. The 400 not planted Friday will be spread around Clinton Lake park areas, he said.

If these good trees didn’t dot the area, Bell said, undesirable locust, elm, cedar and hedge trees would dominate.

The location’s proximity to high-speed traffic on K-10 and Clinton Parkway will limit the population of rabbits that chew on tree bark and deer that rub against small trees. That should help about 60 percent of the trees survive, Bell said.

Vinland Principal Bill Scott said the elementary school had never before participated in a tree-planting project off school property. The good experience Friday may convince him to repeat the effort.

“The kids are having a ball,” he said. “It’s also a public service. We can give back to the community.”

Fifth-graders Haley Finucane and Megan Hester said they had never planted a tree before. Both struggled to sink their shovels into the ground. Jumping up and down on the blade’s lip wasn’t effective.

Assistance of a big-footed adult opened up the earth enough to slide two small oaks into dark soil.

“Thanks for the hand, I mean foot,” Megan said.

“It’s great not to be in class,” Haley added. “But I wish we could plant redbud trees. They’re so pretty.”