Gladden, et al 1

Carlie Gladden
Michael Hockom
Robb McKenzie
Molly Riesselman
Brennan Schulte
English 10
Ms. Boes
3 November 2014
Stop the Breeze, Plant Trees
Introduction (Carlie) Choosing to be involved and participate in high school sports is a great thing, and at
Carroll High School, we support participation and encouragement to the players, but sitting in
miserable weather makes that hard to do. There is no way for us to change Iowas harsh weather,
but there is a way to make it a little more tolerable, a windbreak. Windbreaks are barriers made
of trees and shrubs used to reduce wind in a certain area. Putting a windbreak in around the
soccer field would overall make both playing and spectating more enjoyable.
Problem We Face(Molly)If you have never been out to the Little League Fields on the outskirts of Carroll on a
windy day, you may have a hard time relating to what I am going to say. If you have been to the
Little League Fields, you should know that it is always windy out there. It could be a day where
it isnt windy in town, but out there it definitely is. As you may understand there is no way of
blocking the wind when it comes to the Little League Complex, which is the problem we are

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seeing. If you do not believe us, you can ask many people who have experienced the wind first
hand.
We asked a couple people we know about the wind issue at the soccer fields, and they
had some interesting things to say. First we asked Katie Smith, a sophomore who plays soccer
for Carroll High and who practices on the field, and she told us about how annoying the wind is
when they are trying to play. Maddie Stenbo is also a sophomore at Carroll High, and she told us
that she loves going to soccer games, but it isnt as fun when its windy. She told us she would
go to more home games if there was less wind. We also talked to Brian Tigges, who is a social
studies teacher at Carroll High. He told us his twin boys play football out at the soccer fields. We
asked how he felt about the wind, and he said, Its always about 20 degrees cooler out there,
and it sucks. I think it is miserable.
As you can see we face a serious problem here. If we are able to block the wind with a
windbreak, it can only benefit us. Our most successful interview was with Bill Baddeley. Mr.
Baddeley is a respectable coach figure and has been the gym teacher at Carroll High for at least
30 years. Coach Baddeley takes his gym kids out to the soccer fields in the fall and spring, so he
spends a lot of time out at the complex. When we asked him about the wind situation at the
soccer fields, he had this to say, It seems like its always windy out there. Sometimes I don't
take my gym classes out there because the wind will carry the ball and that makes the games
more complicated and less enjoyable. I guarantee we would get more fans to high school and
youth games. The more attendance, the more money made. If we do something about it now, we
can make the future games more enjoyable.
How We Are Going to Fix It(Hockom) -

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The obvious solution for getting rid of any form of wind in an open area is to plant a
windbreak. The overall layout of the soccer field is a giant, open windy field. With little
protection from buildings or trees, nothing can stop the wind out at the fields. We met with Lois
Behrens to discuss different ideas for where trees could go to form the windbreak. There is a lot
of planning in putting up a windbreak since you want to do it right the first time and not go
through the effort of replanting.
We all went out and met Lois and also met her coworkers, Clint and Vicki. We walked
around the field and discussed where the best locations would be to put trees. We thought
evergreens and shrubs should be our main components of the windbreak (Windbreaktrees). We
would plant them all on the West side along the field, but we would have to leave space between
the lights and other utilities. The city and school property line is also right where we want to
plant the trees, so we got the citys permission and schools permission to plant trees on the field.
This line is also on a hill, which makes it even harder to plan. If we were to plant certain trees,
they wouldnt even cover the field and would be a waste of money.
This funds also doesnt come out of nowhere. We had to make the decision of how we
would get the funds for the trees. We came up with the idea that we would ask companies that
offer funding for projects like this to get funds for the trees or actual trees. Companies like
MidAmerican, Pheasants Forever, and the NRCS all provide some sort of funding for preserving
the environment by planting trees or by doing other things to help the environment (Pheasants
Forever). Once we get our plan figured out for where trees will go and what kind of trees, we can
start calling companies to see if they have any funds for us to do the project.
Windbreaks (Carlie Gladden)

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Trees and shrubs are not only used to filter the air, prevent soil erosion, and reduce the
greenhouse effect (Top 22 Benefits), but they are also used as windbreaks. Over 90 percent of
the winds velocity can be blocked by a windbreaks (Windbreaktrees) that consist of rows of trees
and other shrubbery. Unlike what we originally thought, putting in a windbreak isnt as easy as it
seems. It is not just a matter of going out, digging a hole, and putting the tree in the hole. There
is a lot more information that we had to find out such as what kind of soil is in the area, if there is
electrical lines to watch out for and the density, spacing, height, number of rows, species, length
and placement of the trees. Another thing that we learned through research is that caring for the
windbreak does not end after the tree is in the ground. Without proper care, the windbreak will
not serve its purpose and will not serve a long life.
Approximately 90 percent of windbreaks that are installed do not reach their full potential
(Windbreaktrees) because of improper spacing or planting of the wrong species in a certain area.
This is why we are using the help of professionals to ensure that we will have the highest success
rate that we can and learn everything that we need to. Both the windbreak height and density
play a major role on the reduction in wind speed. The area of land most affected by the
windbreak is the area that is the closest to the tree, but because of the way a windbreak works,
the taller the windbreak is, the more land protected from the wind there is. In a windbreak, a
small amount of wind goes through the windbreak, a small amount goes around the edges, but a
majority of it goes above it. Therefore the taller the windbreak, the more coverage you will have.
Obviously it can take a while for a windbreak to become effective, but when it does, the effects
will be greatly appreciated.
Grants (Brennan Schulte)

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Grants are very important for this project to be successful.With grants, we can plant the
trees we need to create our windbreak without creating any fundraisers or getting donations. A
few companies we are looking for grants from are MidAmerican and Pheasants Forever. The
Habitat Management Grants Program from the DNR offer many grants including the ones we
need. They provide small grants that go to small projects relating to the wildlife diversity
conservation, education, or research. The total allowance for the grants are $10,000, and $2,500
for a single proposal request. We can also get a grant from Mid American.
MidAmerican's Trees Please! program offers high quality trees for discounted prices.
Not only will they give you discounted trees, but they will also donate labor and materials. Their
Trees For Kids/Trees for Teens program provides trees for schools in the spring and fall. The
goals are to educate students around Iowa about the environment and the importance of treeplanting at schools. For that grant, it has to be on public property, such as schools, parks, or
alongside roads. Grants applications are available semi annually, in the fall and spring. All trees
for the Spring grant must be planted by May 31, 2014, and for the fall grant, they must be
planted by October 31, 2014.
These are the few of many grant programs, but these are the ones we found that best
match our needs and that will make our project work successfully. We are not sure which grant
programs are available from each company, but we do have good ideas, and we have good
sources to make this project work. Our goal is to find the perfect grant, plant the specified trees,
and in a few years, the soccer field and football fields will be less windy, and more playable for
the kindergarteners to high schoolers that play there.

Expected Outcome (Robb McKenzie)

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The wind has a big impact on attendance at soccer and football games that are hosted at
the fields. Most people dont want to sit out in the wind, even if it is to watch their family
members play sports. If we were to implement our idea, it is projected that more people will be
attending the games, and we also expect that the players will have a better experience since they
wont be blasted by the wind. To carry out our idea, we will need a good amount of people to
help plant the trees. We planned to submit our idea as an option for the school wide community
service day in the spring. We believe that if we get two or three homerooms to help us, we will
have an easy time getting the wind breaks planted.
There are many factors on a field which may influence a team's decision on which end
[of the field] to defend. Not the least of these factors is wind This statement is from the website
Discover -Soccer, which has a large amount of information on soccer and as you read, how wind
can significantly affect a game. So, not only will we be cutting down on erosion, but we could
even impact games by making sure wind isnt a factor that the players, and spectators for that
matter, have to worry about. If we cut back on the amount of erosion at the soccer fields, they
can be preserved for longer for a better experience for the players and spectators.
In order for the windbreaks to work at the most efficient level, they need to be well taken
care of. According to the University of Florida, In order to obtain maximum benefits from a
windbreak, it must be properly managed throughout its lifetime. That would mean that when the
trees are still small they need to have constant care, since they can easily be damaged by all
manner of things. We plan to turn over maintenance of the trees over to the agricultural classes,
horticulture and landscaping.
Conclusion (Carlie) -

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Playing and spectating games at the Carroll High School soccer field will become more
enjoyable with a windbreak. Our project will help the winds that hinder peoples experiences
whether theyre players or the family that watch the games. The main problem is that there is no
coverage of any kind at the soccer fields. After meeting with Lois Behrens, she planned out the
map of where we could plant the trees and what kind we can plant. The funding for this project
will come from companies like MidAmerican and Pheasants Forever who have tree funding
projects. In the future, the trees will grow larger which will result in less wind, more attendance
to games, and less erosion to the hill on the field. Now the next time you are at the soccer field,
you will no longer have to worry about games being cut short, drinking hot chocolate, running to
your car to warm up, bringing enough blankets, and now you will be able to enjoy a whole game
of soccer without having to sit in miserable conditions.

Works Cited
Brandle, James R., Xinhua Zhou, and Laurie Hodges. "How Windbreaks Work."
University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension. N.p., 1 Jan. 2002. Web.
Kelly, Kevin. "WindbreakTrees.com." WindbreakTrees.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov.
2014.
"Top 22 Benefits of Trees." Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
http://www.pheasantsforever.org/
Andreu, Michael G., and Donald L. Rockwood. "The Benefits of Windbreaks for Florida
Growers1." EDIS New Publications RSS. University of Florida, 2008. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.

Gladden, et al 8
"Conservation Practices Minnesota Conservation Funding Guide." Field Windbreak.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 2014. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
"Effects of Wind Erosion." Effects of Wind Erosion. Natural Resources Management and
Environmental Department, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.
"Wind and Game Strategy." Discover Soccer. National Soccer League, 14 May 2011.
Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
Andreu, Michael G., Mellisa H. Friedman, and Donald L. Rockwood. "Management of
Field Windbreaks1." EDIS New Publications RSS. University of Florida, 2011. Web. 06 Nov.
2014
"Grants & Available Funding." Grants & Available Funding. DNR, n.d. Web. 07 Nov.
2014.

Katie, Smith
Personal Interview
3 November 2014

Maddie Stenbo
Personal Interview
3 November 2014

Brian Tigges
Personal Interview
3 November 2014

Gladden, et al 9
Bill Baddley
Personal Interview
7 November 204

Polish: Grammar, repeating, comma errors, in text citation, stronger conclusion

Questions/Suggestions:
Ask more coaches?
Explain greenhouse effect
Mention Jeff Dvorak more?
How will we keep the trees growing strong?
What about the people who think wind is part of the game?
Sum down some words to just grants
Give peoples titles/jobs
Rob, we arent taking care of it for 2 years
Talk to ag teacher about his students preserving the trees
Water first day
Use orange flags to mark trees
Ask Lois for plans
Praise:
Good introduction, good quotes, good thesis (could add more), good flow, most logically
flowing paper so far