Restoration Days at White Hill Middle School

December 2006

Ms. Cuomo

This is the third year of our restoration project on Fairfax Creek, which runs through our campus. Each year, our work has been planned, funded, and managed by Friends of Corte Madera Creek and, especially, by Charlie Kennard.

Charlie’s tremendous effort has benefited our creek as well as the hundreds of White Hill students who have participated. Thank you, Charlie!

Below are samples of student reflections on their participation in this project. Their own words tell the story of what they enjoyed and learned, and most significantly, how they understand their contribution to our creek and our world.

 

Sancy C.

Even though Charlie and the volunteers and parents helped me, I like the feeling that I can do something useful by myself. I also like knowing that I can make a difference. What was really nice was that we got to be pretty independent and learn how to plant on our own. Because of this, we really learned what we were doing.

For three years, White Hill Middle School has been doing creek restorations. Charlie and Ruth ran our restoration project. They told us they were quite surprised by how well the native plants from the last two years were growing. Both of them have seen a lot of restoration projects, so a compliment like this is to be taken seriously. We have older and newer plants mixed together, so some of them are already thriving. If people keep maintaining the creek beds, we will have a wonderful section of Fairfax Creek. The water will be cleaner and the animals will be healthier.

 

Fairfax Creek Photo by Lauren

 

Tommy B.

What I enjoyed most about the restoration was working with my friends to restore the creek. I had a lot of fun finding abiotic things. I found a chair leg and two glass bottles. I found a baseball and a golf ball in our first hole, deep down.

I think that pulling non-native plants is just as important as planting native ones. The invasive “nons” will choke out the native that are in their area.

Also, native animals have trouble eating or making their homes in non-native plants.

 

Mackinzie S.

I enjoyed restoring the creek and making it a more natural habitat. I like working in my garden at home and it’s just like a wild garden that we are trying to restore to its former beauty and order. I like knowing that I was doing some good. Years from now (if classes keep planting native plants) the banks could be flourishing with native plants. I won’t make much of a difference alone, but if kids keep planting natives, pulling out the non-natives, and picking up garbage,

I will have helped make a difference in the school creek and all the other creeks that it runs into.

 

Maddie H.

Delivering the mulch to the planters was the best because I got to work together with my friends and I really felt like I was accomplishing something.

As we worked, we saw the environment improve right in front of our eyes. It felt so good to know that we were helping our community. Another thing I liked about working with mulch was that I finally figured out what it is. When I used to hear the word mulch, I’d think of mud or manure, not wood chips.

If I come back to my restoration spot in five years, things will probably be a lot different. I’m sure there will be many more plants put in by future classes.

There will probably also be much more wildlife, like worms, insects, skunks, mice, birds, and more.

 

Melanie M.

The things I enjoyed most were drawing, and watching my friends help the community. I also like this type of class project because it is fun. I got to talk to friends, play, and help the environment at the same time. Planting native plants and picking up garbage definitely makes a difference. Our restoration will help animals that live in the area. It will also help us humans. To help our environment is to help ourselves.

 

Caden G.

What I enjoyed most about my restoration day was ripping out the Himalaya blackberry, which is non-native in our environment. I also enjoyed dragging broom and building a huge pile of it. Broom is another non-native plant.

Mulch will keep moisture in the soil and give nutrients to the plants. The soil will be healthier for the earthworms.

 

Bailey K. and Anna C.

Before our planting, there were a lot of non-native plants growing, and a lot of erosion was happening. Also, some of the non-natives such a Himalayan blackberry and French broom were taking over all the space so the native plants didn’t have enough room to grow. I really enjoyed the fact that we were helping the environment. It was kind of like helping a sick child getting better, except the child in this case is the creek and the sickness is the erosion and the nonnative plants.

Our restoration will benefit people because next time there is a big flood, there will be less mud in the streets.

 

Sydney S.

Our creek is called Fairfax Creek, and it eventually flows into Corte Madera Creek, and that flows into the San Francisco Bay. So making sure to protect and restore our creek is very important. In a way, the Bay depends on a healthy Fairfax Creek so it can be healthy, too.

 

Will B.

I learned about numerous plants, but here are a few. Poison hemlock is a deadly non-native that has spread around Marin. Pampas grass is a non-native grass that is hard to remove and can grow really big. Himalayan blackberries are the main kind of blackberries people have in their yards, and they are very invasive.

For our creek to be fully restored, someone will have to remove the concrete wall in the creek, near Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Olema Road.

We need to take out the Himalaya blackberries and poison hemlock, and replant the eroded bank on the other side of our creek.

 

Sam M.

We planted coyote brush, toyon, and other plants. I remember learning that toyon looks like holly. Actually, Hollywood got its name because there was so much toyon growing there. The people thought it was holly and named their city after it.

 

Madison H.

The plants we planted have strong roots to help stop the dirt from running into the creek. This helps immensely because it keeps the water cleaner and stops dirt from getting into the gills of fish. Not only that, but keeping this creek clean helps the bay and the ocean, where our creek water goes. The plants higher up the bank are good for the insects and other animals that rely on the plants for food and shelter.

 

Olivia A.

I think what we did will make a difference to the students, the plants, the animals, the bay, and anyone else who visits the creek. The students who worked on it also benefit because they learned how to plant and restore a creek bank. Animals will benefit from the native plants, and plants can live where they used to live. Most importantly, the bay will benefit from a healthy water source.

At the restoration site I saw birds, worms, lizards, and a snake. The birds will have more seeds to eat, the lizards and snakes will have good hiding places, and the worms will have better soil.

 

Alexander D.

I think that the work I did could make a big difference in people’s lives, and in animals’ lives, too. Our restoration could help stop erosion of the soil so that houses don’t get so damaged by the floods. The plants could help animals by creating shelter for some, while maintaining a stable food source for others.

 

Lauren S.

This restoration will affect (in a positive way) many organisms.

Everything living in the creek will be healthier. For example, if salmon and trout come to lay their eggs, the water will be the right temperature because of the shade provided by the trees. The water will be cleaner because there will be less erosion, thanks to the roots of the trees. The animals that live in our Fairfax community will be helped, too. They will have native plants to feed on, and this will provide for a stable community. We will have also helped the Pacific Ocean because our creek water eventually feeds into the ocean.

 

Claire A.

I have done creek restoration for four years now, but each time it is a new experience. I plant new plants and have different jobs. This year was fun because it was more relaxed and we helped where we were needed. I helped plant seven plants, mulch the pathway, and bring water.

For all I know, the tree I planted last year will become a home for many bird nests, and fish will live among its roots. I love the idea of every little habitat, everywhere in the world, being totally native and healthy. I know this is a big dream, but every step helps.