Arbor students build a bridge to help the environment
December 2, 2009
By Christopher Huber
By Christopher Huber
The Arbor School in Sammamish now has a prettier, more accessible back yard, thanks to the work of its middle school students and a grant from King County.
Seven students, under the direction of humanities teacher Sharilyn Lux, installed a new footbridge and plant landscaping Nov. 2. The finished product took a day to complete, but the children spent months preparing materials, researching landscape and bridge design and earning a $500 Green Team mini-grant through the county’s Solid Waste Division, Lux said.
“It’s good for them to be outside and at the same time they’re doing something good for the environment,” she said.
The garden bridge-building project was part of the students’ Land Lab project, she said. The new bridge now allows the younger children to better-explore and enjoy the garden and pond, according to students who worked on the project.
“It makes the younger kids happy because they have something to play on now,” said eighth-grader Hannah Monsen.
As the boys mostly worked on designing, constructing and installing the bridge, made of Trex (recycled plastic and other materials), the girls put their energy and focus into introducing native plant species to the school’s grounds, Monsen and Lux said.
They said they spruced up the yard with about eight kinds of plants, such as sallal, snowberry, ocean spray, Vancouver’s jade and Oregon grape.
“It was kind of ugly… so I liked making it prettier,” Monsen said.
Eighth-grader Ian Avadi said working with the special, eco-friendly Trex boards took longer than regular wood, due to the particles jamming the saws as they cut the pieces.
In the end, the approximately 10-foot-long bridge took about seven hours to complete, he said.
“I personally just liked being outside and making stuff,” Avadi said.
Lux said they chose Trex material because it’s low-maintenance. Chemicals in treated wood could affect the waterway on the property.
The students received the Green Team grant in May after applying in March, Lux said.
King County’s Solid Waste Division works with area schools to provide grants of up to $500 to Green Teams that conduct projects focused on waste reduction, improving recycling and promoting habitat stewardship, according to the program’s Web site.
The grants can also be used to hold educational sessions or field trips.
To learn more about the Green Team Mini-Grant Program, visit http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/elementaryschool/documents/GreenTeamGrant.pdf.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
The Arbor School in Sammamish now has a prettier, more accessible back yard, thanks to the work of its middle school students and a grant from King County.
Seven students, under the direction of humanities teacher Sharilyn Lux, installed a new footbridge and plant landscaping Nov. 2. The finished product took a day to complete, but the children spent months preparing materials, researching landscape and bridge design and earning a $500 Green Team mini-grant through the county’s Solid Waste Division, Lux said.
Arbor School students work on a bridge that was made possible in part by a county grant. Contributed
“It’s good for them to be outside and at the same time they’re doing something good for the environment,” she said.
The garden bridge-building project was part of the students’ Land Lab project, she said. The new bridge now allows the younger children to better-explore and enjoy the garden and pond, according to students who worked on the project.
“It makes the younger kids happy because they have something to play on now,” said eighth-grader Hannah Monsen.
As the boys mostly worked on designing, constructing and installing the bridge, made of Trex (recycled plastic and other materials), the girls put their energy and focus into introducing native plant species to the school’s grounds, Monsen and Lux said.
They said they spruced up the yard with about eight kinds of plants, such as sallal, snowberry, ocean spray, Vancouver’s jade and Oregon grape.
“It was kind of ugly… so I liked making it prettier,” Monsen said.
Eighth-grader Ian Avadi said working with the special, eco-friendly Trex boards took longer than regular wood, due to the particles jamming the saws as they cut the pieces.
In the end, the approximately 10-foot-long bridge took about seven hours to complete, he said.
“I personally just liked being outside and making stuff,” Avadi said.
Lux said they chose Trex material because it’s low-maintenance. Chemicals in treated wood could affect the waterway on the property.
The students received the Green Team grant in May after applying in March, Lux said.
King County’s Solid Waste Division works with area schools to provide grants of up to $500 to Green Teams that conduct projects focused on waste reduction, improving recycling and promoting habitat stewardship, according to the program’s Web site.
The grants can also be used to hold educational sessions or field trips.
To learn more about the Green Team Mini-Grant Program, visit http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/elementaryschool/documents/GreenTeamGrant.pdf.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com.
Other Stories of Interest: environment
Comments
Got something to say?
Before you comment, please note:
- These comments are moderated.
- Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
- Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
- This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.
