The belief that kids these days are afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty has been a bit exaggerated.

An Arbor Day program held Friday morning at Lehighton Area Middle School Friday morning saw students lay that theory to rest.

Much to their excitement, the program returned after a two-year absence as students worked inside the school’s Environmental Center.

Students dug holes, planted trees and moved from station to station. They also visited the fence where their work for the yearly poster contests are hung.

“We’re glad to get back to Arbor Day,” said Judy Wingert, a member of the Lehighton Shade Tree Commission. “We’re just so excited to see the kids back out here.”

Seventh-graders Noah Bauder, Victoria Nied and Jed Cordes were among the many students willing to work to further enhance their treasured Environmental Center.

“We get to go outside, and all of us bond together,” Noah said.

“It’s cool because we planted a bunch of trees for Arbor Day,” Victoria said.

“It’s nice that we get to spend the day outside, and not in school all day,” Jed said.

That energetic outlook is exactly what seventh-grade life science teacher Joe Yescavage was looking for.

“It’s all about (doing) hands-on (work),” Yescavage said. “And getting the kids outside.”

Yescavage said each student was able to bring a seedling home, adding that 128 tree seedlings were given out.

He noted this marked Lehighton’s 29th year in a row as Tree City USA, a distinction that’s held by less than 20% in the country.

In 2020, Yescavage took students on about a 30-minute virtual tour using Zoom, and showed them pictures from Arbor Days gone by, as well as all the trees that were donated in past Arbor Days and now reside in the Environmental Center.

Yescavage said they covered the history of Arbor Day, along with how the Lehighton Area Middle School, the Lehighton Shade Tree Commission, PPL, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Lehighton Borough, and the mayor of Lehighton all get together on Arbor Day to celebrate.