Donations from local businesses lead to greener Decorah HS campus

Don Jose's Martin Pena Jr., and Martin Pena; Decorah HS teacher Brad Johansen; Ladybug Landscape and Floral's Anita Weis; Family Table's Nick and Stacey Gossling

Decorah High School has a new appearance--thanks to the help of three Decorah businesses.

Eight new trees have been planted in front of the high school, adding to an earlier project that added 16 trees to the high school campus.  The project was headed by high school teacher Brad Johansen, who wanted to bring "a campus-like atmosphere" to the high school.

That's where Family Table Restaurant, Don Jose Restaurant and Ladybug Landscape and Floral came in to help.  The businesses contributed money so the high school could purchase a variety of trees, including red oak, mountain ash, gold maple and burr oak.  Johansen says the trees will improve the biological diversity of the high school grounds, allowing his students to study the trees on campus instead of having to go to Luther College or another off-campus location.

The improvements to the high school campus are part of plans that included creating a school garden and will include installing solar panels on the high school and building a state-of-the-art greenhouse.

Johansen says the hope is that other business donations will fund other landscaping improvements at other schools in the Decorah Community School District.  Anyone interested in more information can contact Johansen at bjohansen@decorah.k12.ia.us