Wade Thomas School, San Anselmo

This work was created by students in Eric Brandt’s and Amy Kaufmann's fifth grade classes at Wade Thomas School in San Anselmo. Wade Thomas has been participating in the STRAW project for over ten years. This year we restored part of the creek that runs thorough Paul Martin’s Ranch in Northern Marin County. This is the first ranch on which Wade Thomas students worked. It was fun to see that the willow sprigs that we were planting during our restoration were harvested from mature willow trees Wade Thomas students had previously planted.

What I Call Heaven

I glare above his scoured walls

And listen to his boisterous calls

Of an existing creature

And a once in a lifetime feature

Soon to be a lifeless doll

The sun plunges over the mountains

As the creek leisurely dampens

Animals hasten as they recede home

Like a tranquil echo in a vast dome

Entering an almost pristine poem

His immense trees and scenic stream

Gradually cast a shadow gorged with deem

The diminutive rocks are dispersed here and there

As the water erodes the walls not even to care

And the stream slowly tears

You will reflect back on his enchanting calls

Pretend like it is a part of heaven or angels

And now you know how he has gone from pace to pace

He will soon become strong and vigorous

Again as I glare above his scoured walls

Swish

Swish goes the breeze

Though the winter trees

Everything’s still

Even on the hill

Maybe the creek

Who can’t yet speak

Could be the dead trees

In love with the breeze

We can’t let it be

Maybe it’s me

For we need to help!

Ally


Before	During	After
Our class went on a field trip to a creek because we were going to restore it. When we got there I saw the creek and it was at its worst. There were very few trees and the bank was eroded. The water was muddy and murky with algae. There were few trees with almost no soil holding the roots of the tree. There was almost no wildlife and the land was dried out. The bank was also very dry and steep. Right when I saw the creek I knew that our class was going to have to work hard to help this creek.	Everyone got in their groups and started walking in the creek. Before we got to the creek the owners of the ranch had cut down willow branches for us to use. So we used those long willow branches and lowered them from the steep bank. We piled willows on top of each other on the steep bank to keep the bank from eroding even more. We didn’t pile the willows all the way to the top of the steep bank. We pile it high enough for the bank to stop eroding. And while those people were doing that the others were on the top of the bank planting native plants. They planted all sorts of native plants such as Live Oak, Coyote bush, Buckeye, and even more. They would care for the plant by covering it so the deer didn’t eat it. We also nourished them by giving them dry water which would keep watering them for about three to four months. Other groups were digging holes to plant willow branches. They planted them near the bank so they will grow into trees and shade the creek.	When we got back to school our class wrote down what the creek would look like in five years because of what we just did. We said that there would be huge willow trees and native plants. The creek bank would stop eroding with the colder and flowing water. And maybe if there was more water there would probably be more wildlife. Also the willows we planted should shade the water and the creek. There will be more water to help the plants grow and it is flat land. The animals that live there should have more resources for animals and providing more food from them to. And because there was so little water and it was murky there should be a little bit more oxygen in the air for the wildlife. But when we finished our work it didn’t really look restored. All it looked like was a plants planted and the willow walls. But then I know that it would look so much better in about five years. By Isabel
At my first glance of the creek, I just thought it was a trickle of water. The water that was there was murky and very still. The banks were more like miniature cliffs. As for the vegetation there were just little scrubs and bushes. There were no healthy looking trees shading the creek from the sun. There was barely any wildlife either, just about four birds chirping quietly.	I really enjoyed helping the creek though. It might have been hard work and muddy but that’s part of the whole thing. It was interesting to learn about how just by putting branches of willows into the ground you could create a tree. It was also quite fun to create a whole entire wall by weaving branches together. I think that this is an important thing that we did because if we kill nature we’re just killing ourselves.	Later on, in about five years, I think after all the help we did the creek should be quite healthy. There should be no erosion so that the banks are smoother. The water will be moving much more rapidly. Vegetation will be plentiful and there will be tons of friendly trees to shade the water. There will also be lots of native plants along the banks. As for wildlife, instead of a measly number of four to ten birds, it will probably rise to twenty-eight to forty. There will also be other wildlife like deer and rabbits. Now that’s what I call a healthy creek.