Kids in southeast Saskatchewan are facing their concerns about the environment head-on with a new Weyburn tree-planting program, designed to combat soil erosion and help local farmers.

The Souris River Farm Protection Program is being run under Help International and Art Africa - local initiatives coordinated by Rodney Sidloski to teach prairie kids to be helpers at home and internationally, and to raise the image of other cultures in Weyburn.

Last year Help International held two-day sessions with 20 schools participating, to talk about "what's broken and what needs fixing in our homes and communities," said Sidloski. Environmental concerns were a recurring theme.

"This year we're taking it one step further on the theory of helping to engage in something practical, by taking the education out of the classroom for hands on learning," said Sidloski. "The kids, while being educated, are also accomplishing something for the community - in this case for farmers in the regular planting of trees."

The program has three goals: to stop wind and water erosion on farms, to clean up the Souris River by stopping the soil from running into it, and to create biodiversity with wildlife habitats in the newly-planted trees, grasses and other foliage.

Any farmer who owns land on the Souris River and has a genuine erosion problem can be a part of the program. There are currently 10 producers in six rural municipalities involved.

"Generally we take the direction from farmers themselves. It's really farmer-driven," said Sidloski, who is also a farmer.

Under the program many producers have agreed to give up 15 metres of their land that borders the river and convert it to permanent cover (grass). Planting permanent cover instead of farming that land prevents silt from running into the river.

"We're also promoting different methods of farming," said Sidloski. "There are many other options for farming methods, many we get from farmers."

Sidloski says producers can help the environment and themselves with very simple projects, such as planting a single tree in a pasture - exactly the environment a hawk would nest in. The hawk, in turn, would help to control the gopher population - a less expensive and more environmentally-friendly option than poisoning.

The two-year tree planting program kicked off in April with grades 4-9 students from Griffin planting eight varieties of trees on various erosion areas at Mainprize Park, where the valley has been recently landscaped and there is no grass or trees. School projects are beginning on farmland in May.

There are around 20 sponsors for the program, with trees coming from Shand nurseries and the PFRA. A number of RMs have provided mechanical tree planters, and landowners will provide the tractors to pull them.

Twenty schools are participating, including Weyburn, Fillmore, Griffin, Benson, Estevan and as far away as Rocanville and Crane Valley.