Three Barrington High School students are offering community members an affordable way to help the environment.

Emma Pautz, Abigail Goblick and Siddharth Gupta are selling tree saplings for people to plant in their yards — the students are hoping the saplings sold will off-set the amount of paper used at Barrington High School in a year. 

This is the second year the local students have held the sapling sale. 

“Last year's sapling sale was very successful,” Pautz wrote in a recent email to the Barrington Times. “In one and a half months, we were able to sell 606 saplings. We are so grateful for the support of the community of Barrington. We never expected to sell so many saplings. While there were some challenges along the way, we learned so from much last year and we know that this year will be even better.”

The students are working with a non-profit organization called “Tree-Plenish” — saplings are being sold for $5 each at the students’ website: http://tpevents.org/school/3072 The sapling options are Eastern Rosebud, Flowering Dogwood, and Red Maple. The sale will continue through April 7.

Pautz, Goblick and Gupta said the tree sapling sale is not part of a school project. Rather, it is a venture all three students enjoy pursuing on their own time. The Barrington High School students are hoping to make a positive impact on the environment. 

“Trees have significant importance to the environment,” Pautz wrote. “…they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, provide oxygen, and improve air quality.  

“However, not only do trees have environmental importance, they bring communities together and create happier environments.”

Pautz, Goblick and Gupta are hoping to sell 250 saplings.