For as long as anyone can remember, students and staff at Jefferson Elementary in Mankato have been planting a tree on Arbor Day.

Crabapple trees, to be specific.

Chosen because the vertically challenged species won’t interfere with overhead power lines, students have planted more than 20 along the edges of Fairfield Street and James Avenue. Every spring, the crabapples’ noted flowers bloom on Jefferson’s hillside in shades of white and pink. And every spring, Principal Linda Kilander said she is reminded why the last Friday in April is her favorite holiday of the year.

Students said the tree-planting is a tradition, a legacy to future students. And Luke Ambrose is absolutely sure that 10, 20, maybe even 100 years from now, Jefferson kids will still be trekking down to the corner of James and Fairfield to sing a song or two and plant a crabapple.

“It’s really cool to see all the trees planted in the past years,” said the fifth-grader. “All the trees show we’ve been here for a while.”

Fellow fifth-grader Greta Schwickert said it was a “fun project to do year after year” and Logan Walterman said the trees carried an important message to the community.

“It’s like a sign from Jefferson that this is a clean and nice place,” she said.

Arbor Day’s roots date back to 1872 when an estimated 1 million trees were planted across the country. The idea germinated in the mind of Julius Sterling Morton, a prominent politician who served as President Grover Cleveland’s secretary of agriculture.

Corey Roeker is a fifth-grade teacher at Maple River West in Good Thunder. He too, is an advocate for agricultural activities. Together with two other teachers — Mark Jenzen and Ted Simon — Maple River schools have received more than 15 grants through the Blue Earth County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Roeker has built wood duck houses with his students. They’ve monitored streams. And this year — thanks to another grant for almost $1,000 — Roeker was able to receive almost 700 trees to give to students.

On Friday afternoon, students had their choice of Scotch pine, ponderosa pine, Norway spruce and paper birch seedlings. Along with that, Roeker offered some advice on planting and reminded students to keep the roots moist until they’re in the ground.

“The students take such pride in their trees,” Roeker said. “And, hopefully, they can go home and spend some quality time planting with their parents and grandparents.”