Conservation grants to aid school's tree-planting efforts.

Three Richland County schools will celebrate South Carolina's observation of Arbor Day tomorrow by planting trees.

Celebrated nationally in April, Arbor Day is observed in December in the Palmetto State, as that month's climate is more conducive to tree planting, according to a news release from Richland County.

Students at Blythewood High School, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School and Spring Valley High School will plant trees through efforts funded by conservation education mini-grants from the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District.

The mini-grants, in amounts of up to $1,000, are offered to county K-12 educational institutions twice a year. The next application deadline is Feb. 4, 2022. For more information, visit www.richlandcountysc.gov/rswcd or email Chanda Cooper at cooper.chanda@richlandcountysc.gov.

Students in Blythewood High's Science National Honor Society will plant saplings throughout the community to help offset the school's paper usage. The students' work will be supported by a $500 mini-grant.

"Our goal is to completely offset or surpass our school's and our personal paper usage," Robin Henderson, science teacher and Science National Honor Society adviser, said in a news release. "We also want to spread awareness (about) simple...