South Salem High School
Environmental Issues Class
Community Service Project
Contents
- Background to Community Service Project
- Community Service Photo Gallery (slideshow)
- Community Service Photo Gallery (list of pictures)
South Salem High School’s Environmental Issues students took local action within their own Salem community by combining two community service projects into one.
The high school sophomores adopted a group of kindergarten and first-grade students from nearby Sumpter Elementary School, and taught them about the current conditions of the Willamette River. In addition to teaching the youngsters about issues such as water pollution sources and loss of fish and wildlife habitat, they introduced them to a variety of solutions to these problems that can begin right at home.
Following some interactive teaching sessions and role-playing games and activities, the students from both schools joined forces on May 29 to clean up Minto Brown Island Park, which borders the Willamette River.
In all, about 100 six-, seven-, 15-, and 16-year-olds contributed to the health of the ecosystem by conducting a variety of clean-up tasks. These included: removal of exotic species such as the Himalayan blackberry; garbage and litter pick-up; maintenance on pathways and play areas; and planting trees.
The student teams collected and analyzed a large amount of garbage. The results of the analysis will be turned in to the Oregon Adopt-A-River program.
Despite a steady downpour of rain throughout the day, the high school students and their elementary "buddies" had a good time. They ended the day's work with a barbecue lunch, and games in the rain.
Community Service Photo Gallery (list of pictures)
- Students gather at park shelter
- John Turman gives students a pep talk.
- Student magician delivers an environmental message.
- Kindergarten students watch the magic show.
- Students gather the necessary tools for their clean-up tasks.
- Student team adds some color to the park.
- Students clear out brush from trails.
- Team picks up trash along the park pathways.
- Students spruce up some picnic benches.
- Clean-up team picks up litter along the river.
- Students pose for a picture in front of the river.
- Chefs Turman and Goldstein dish out lunch to the hungry clean-up crews.