By Alyssa Gwinn

Special to the Reporter

Kirkland Junior High 7th graders recently worked on a Cotton Hill Restoration Project. The teacher, Susan Crauer, is currently teaching the students life science, including ecosystems.

She says, “This gave my students a chance to explore sciences outside of the classroom.” Thanks to the students at the University of Washington, they separated the class into different groups and taught them what their project was. There were six different activities, including eco art, data collection, photo journaling, drawing, amphibian habitat and planting.

The whole point of doing the restoration project is to make Cotton Hill a healthier place for all organisms. The students at the University of Washington have been working on this project for about a year. They appreciated the help of Kirkland Junior High.

When the class arrived at the site, they had a moment of silence. A student, Zoe McNeely, said, “It feels like we are camping,” with a smile. Another student said, “I wish we could do this every Tuesday!” All of the kids worked hard and enjoyed getting the fresh air.

One activity group was called eco art. Their job was to make a sculpture using nature materials. The first group decided to make a teepee using branches and sticks. The second group added a peace sign underneath the teepee. This really turned out to be a beautiful piece of art that the students are proud of.

This restoration project was a big success. Now the school, Kirkland Junior High, hopes to continue this project for future 7th graders. All people in the neighborhood are welcome to see and explore this project. Also, community service is available to do at this site. To learn more, go to www.KirklandHighlands.org.

Alyssa Gwinn is a 7th grader at Kirkland Junior High.