Hillcrest Academy recently received a Trees for Kids grant in the amount of $2,491.25 from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The funds were used to plant replacements for several dying trees on school grounds. A small orchard to be tended by the school’s agriculture classes will also be covered by this grant. Plant Science students Julia Boller, Leah Bontrager, Isabel Canchola, Sarann Durflinger, Abby Fritz, Esther Hughes, and Kaaylee Shafer planted the trees, they were accompanied by DNR Forester Mark Vitosh on Wednesday. Additional maintenance and mulching will be conducted by the Plant Science and Intro to Agriculture classes this fall.