ASEZ STAR, the student volunteer group of World Mission Society Church of God in New Windsor, planted trees on Sunday, June 23 at the church to celebrate its 10-year-anniversary.
ASEZ STAR stands for “Save the Earth from A to Z, Students Take Action Right Now.” It is comprised of over 7,500 students from the Church of God in 175 countries around the world. Age groups include students from middle school and from high school.
ASEZ STAR carries out projects ranging from fostering good character at school to taking care of the planet. This past Sunday’s event fell in line with the Green World project, which includes tree planting and cleanup efforts. The event was even more meaningful as the World Mission Society Church of God in New Windsor is celebrating its 10-year-anniversary as a church establishment in the region.
Worldwide, the church is celebrating its 60th anniversary since its inception.
“I am a student volunteer from ASEZ STAR, which means saving the earth from A to Z, and STAR means students take action right now. And we’re commemorating the 10th year of the establishment of the Church of God here in New Windsor,” said Ethan Calle. “And it is all to fulfill the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] that we promised to fulfill.”
The SDGs are the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, which the Church of God’s volunteer groups strive to fulfill through their initiatives, such as protecting life on earth and promoting good health and well-being. Upon arrival, the students participated in a variety of activities before planting the trees. As the students and parents trickled in, student volunteers guided them through a series of panels which displayed the initiatives of ASEZ STAR. The panels introduced ways to live more eco-friendly lifestyles at home and in school as well as ways to carry out good deeds.
Two high school volunteers delivered a more in-depth presentation of the initiatives, outlining opportunities for students to participate in. This was followed by a plant propagation demonstration; the students and parents learned how to properly prune plants and use the trimmed stems to grow new plants.
Afterwards, they moved on to the bigger plants—the trees! In total, they planted 12 white spruce saplings in a grassy location between the church pavilion and pond. The trees were donated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).
Just over two weeks ago, the young adult volunteer group of the church, ASEZ WAO, partnered with the NYSDEC to plant a variety of 300 tree saplings at Stewart State Park. They planted 13 species of native trees and shrubs in an abandoned agricultural field in the hopes of reforesting the land and promoting itsconservation.
For more information o the program, visit asezstar.org.