Talk with local arborists and landscape architects to see where trees could be planted to assist with preventing soil erosion around your hillside gardens. Trees near gardens attract the hungry animals and birds that might snack on your flowers and veggies. The trees protect the garden from being eaten before you have a chance to enjoy the gifts you have planted. Investigate the types of trees that would provide food to local birds and animals. Create a large wall mural of a tree you might use in or near a school garden and fill it with the local birds and animals that would benefit from it.
Trees help bring good insects to gardens.
Make a class book of insects that would be helpful to your garden. Include a picture of the insect, its name, the foods it eats, its predators, and any interesting facts you can find. Fallen tree leaves, twigs, and bark help feed the soil around gardens by turning into free mulch. Fall leaves can also help keep weeds away. Create mulch for a school garden by utilizing fallen leaves, twigs, and bark from nearby trees.