Fourth-graders in Fred Schroeder's classroom Monday learned the true meaning of Earth Day through trees.

Each student received a free tree.

And if each student went home and planted their tree, the Earth would be a better place, the students learned.

Logan Moore was thrilled.

"I'm going to build a tree house in mine," he said.

Harrison Topp, with the Montezuma School to Farm Project, said Moore might have to wait a little bit for that.

"Probably about 40 years," Topp joked with Moore.

Each student was given a bare-root fir tree not more than a foot tall.

Every student seemed committed to planting theirs when they got home.

"This is fun," Tamsen Asnicur said.

Logan Mills was also excited to get his tree.

Schroeder said the class will travel to Cortez on Friday to celebrate Arbor Day, an annual tradition with other area schools. This year, he said, Mancos students did well in the poster contest.