As the founder of DeKalb Kids Project, Inc. one of my goals is to teach our youth to value and appreciate the community. “We are the seeds of our environment.” Think about life in comparison to the life cycle of a tree: (Infancy, Youth, Prime, Middle Age, and Senior) The first stage of infancy, begins with a seed. The second stage is youth. Trees in the “teenage” phase, have long, slender branches, and pointed tops. Stage three is its prime. Trees in their prime have full, round-topped crowns, filled with long, strong branches. The fourth phase is middle-age. The trees crowns begin to flatten out as limbs grow thicker and heavier. Trees become seniors at stage five. Senior trees have flat-topped canopies of heavy limbs, sometimes covered in short sprouts. Gaps start appearing in the canopy as the major limb systems start dying out. Trees are important because what begins as a small seed works to form a foundation that stands throughout many generations. The impacts of weather and cultivation are crucial. I AM DEKALB! @dekalbkidsproject @dacosta.dekalb #iamdekalb
