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Montgomery High School Environmental Pathway Santa Rosa, CA Montgomery High School students have been quite busy this year at Spring Creek, which flows adjacent to campus. On February 20th, students restored a section of Spring Creek near campus, removing an amazing amount of Himalayan Blackberry, and planted 52 native plants, including Big Leaf Maple, California Buckeye and California Rose. Students have also monitored the creek health through macroinvertebrate sampling, and have studied the microbiology of the creek system. Students also participated in a creek blessing with Corbin Harney, a member of the Western Shoshone Nation. |
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The Restoration of a Creek Sabrina
C., Montgomery High School While
to many a creek restoration does not seem worthy of spending an amount
of time on, as I once thought, after seeing the effects of a restoration
on the environment and community, viewpoints can most certainly change. On February 20, 2003, the students of Montgomery High School,
originating from different races and backgrounds, came together as one
to restore the latter part of Matanzas Creek.
The turnout was amazing. Not
only were students present, but also reporters and significant members
of the community, such as (Supervisor) Valerie Brown. During
the planting, Fae Kichinka and I were approached by Johnnie Fort, of
Prunuske Chatham, who asked if we would be willing to give the
demonstration on how to plant the assortment of plants.
We gladly accepted, and as Fae was talking, I gazed out over the
many faces in the crowd, some listening intently and some talking
discreetly. When it came
down to planting, I noticed the students who were semi-listening during
the planting presentation were now actively engaging in the digging in
the dirt and mud. It became serene and relaxing.
Not only knowing that you were making a difference, but also
enjoying the work and when those two components combine the
possibilities are phenomenal. I
would have never expected the outcome to be as productive as it was in
theory. But once I was out
there experiencing everything first hand, the restoration began to
manifest itself and take on a whole new meaning.
Seeing people who would not normally communicate with each other
drop all barriers and unify, working towards a common goal with sweat
and smiles, was a reward in itself. The
creek restoration also taught me virtues I possess on occasion, such as
patience and persistence. I
also learned how pollution and erosion affect our waterways and drinking
water. After gaining that
unknown knowledge I now take the extra minute to find a trash receptacle
and properly dispose of my litter. While
to some, restoring one creek out of millions may seem pointless, to
those who attended the creek restoration a new standard of environmental
consciousness and appreciation was set.
Small groups can do extraordinary things, and all those who were
present at the creek restoration made an impact, one plant at a time.
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