Restore Our Habitats
As part of the 5th grade citizen science project we were invited to focus on a specific issue affecting our community. My group focused on the issue of invasive plants on the banks of Thornton Creek. I wrote to the Mayor of Shoreline. I was pleasantly surprised when I received word back from Cameron Reed, Environmental Programs Specialist in the Shoreline Mayor’s office. The Mayor’s office recognized the significant impact of invasive plants along the banks of Thornton Creek and encouraged me to:
Project goals
Create a restoration plan for the area
Apply for a mini grant of up to 5,000 dollars
Talk to my school and work with the school because they have a mitigation plan running for the same area.
In meetings with Mr. Reed from the Shoreline Mayor’s office and my teachers, we surveyed the Twin Ponds area along Thornton Creek to determine the impact of invasive plants. The city connected us to the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) and together with them we agreed to restore the South Twin Ponds park. In fall 2018, I spearheaded the creation of an Evergreen Middle School Restoration Club.
The club organized it's first restoration event on Halloween Day, Oct 31, 2018. Fifty 6th grade students, teachers and members of WNPS worked together to remove invasive plants in Twin Ponds. To organize the event, I coordinated the procurement of tools, planned logistics and informed my grade level classmates of our plan.
Since our first work party in October, we have arranged monthly after school restoration parties. Club members and I make announcements and market these events at school assemblies and through the school newsletter to recruit volunteers. Parents, siblings and club members come together at each work party.
The South Twin Ponds area is partially free of invasive plants now but we much to do. I am now working on a mini grant application to procure funds that will help us expand our efforts.
Project outcomes
After that first work party in October, we arranged monthly after school restoration parties. Club members and I made announcements, marketed the events at school assemblies and through the school newsletter to recruit volunteers. Parents, siblings and club members came together at each work party.
By the end of the year the South Twin Ponds area was partially free of invasive plants but much work remained. Later in the year, I worked on a mini grant application to procure funds that would help us expand our efforts. While we did not get the grant, club members and I remain grateful that we had the opportunity to do the work we did.