West Carteret High School Arboretum

The West Carteret High School Arboretum serves as an outdoor classroom and immersive ecology experience situated on the school grounds. Created by three students in the Student Leadership Academy at WCHS, Charli Sommer, Zeppelin Gavalis, and Stephanie Keen, the arboretum includes 25 different trees and woody plants around the campus that are tagged and identified with basic information and access to the NC state toolbox with more information to educate students about the plants in our community.

One of the trees, the Sand Laurel Oak, a hybrid of various oak species such as water oak, willow oak, and southern oak, makes it a challenge to identify and also unique. While the black gum tree may not be unique on its own, it holds significance in the community's history, as it was once extensively harvested for its gum, an essential component in chewing tobacco production, contributing to the region's economic past.