Bettendorf students planted a tree, made a wish on Earth Day Neil Armstrong Elementary students came together as a school to read the book 'WishTree' and planted a tree on Earth Day, April 22. Author: Ann Olamiju (WQAD) Updated: 9:39 PM CDT April 22, 2021 BETTENDORF, Iowa — Neil Armstrong Elementary students celebrated Earth Day, April 22 by coming together as a school and planting a red oak tree. All the students read the same book, `The Wishtree’ by Katherine Applegate. The book is about a community coming together despite differences in culture. Just like the characters in the book, students came together and tied their wishes to a fence.