Imagine being a kid and having a senior government official come
to your school to share the joy of reading and storytelling.
Then imagine the excitement when an actual Dr. Seuss character
enters the room! That’s what happened when Arthur “Butch”
Blazer, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and
Environment, recently spoke to more than 300 students at James
K. Polk Elementary School in Alexandria, Va. about the
importance of trees and forests. “Why are trees important?” the
former State Forester of New Mexico asked the students. “Do you
know where you get your drinking water every day? Much of that
water comes from the forest”. “It’s so important that we take
care of our forests. Remember it’s important that we keep our
forests healthy so we have good water to drink. If our forests
go away, where will we find our water?” Blazer proceeded to
share with the curious young faces the story about The Lorax,
which revolves on the Dr. Seuss character’s quest to
reinvigorate a forest filled with trees and