A Model For Service-Learning

Odyssey School became the first Clean Creek Campus and set a benchmark for the program. There latest service project includes removing Ragweed, a non-native invasive plant, along Waller Creek and planting native plants to help restore the creek bed. Click here to check out a news 8 feature of  Odyssey marking stormdrains and caving. Click here to read a KXAN news  feature on Odyssey cleaning  Town Lake.

Bailey Middle School
Students at Bailey Middle School explored the importance of pervious cover, identified native plants, and then competed to create a garden design for their school garden. Then on March 19th they turned the soil, removed grass and weeds, added a border for their new star shaped garden, and then replenished the area with new soil and compost. Stay tuned as the garden continues to take shape.

Hillcrest Elementary School
In 2006 and 2007 Hillcrest 2nd graders teamed up to learn about watersheds and cleanup their local creek. Then in 2008, a campus wide initiative was sparked at Hillcrest by 5th graders to install two native garden beds and three raised bed gardens.

Allan Elementary School
In its first year as a Clean Creek Campus Allan Elementary School has come over the top - 3rd graders have studied the dynamics of compost and are installing a compost bin, 4th graders are initiating a campus recycling campaign and 5th graders are focusing on litter and watersheds and plan to cleanup Boggy Creek. Click here to view pictures and accomplishments of the Garden workday at Allan.

Austin High School
In 2006 Austin High School became a Clean Creek Campus learning about native plants and installing a native restoration project behind the school - Janey Park. Since that time the AP Environmental Science class continues to expand  their gardening to include not only the native restoration project but also two beautification projects at the front of the school. Many thanks to Taylor Quedensley for guidance and plant donations from the UT greenhouse at the Brackenridge facility. In addition, to their gardening programs their recycling efforts now include collecting aluminum and plastic from the classrooms as well as paper; money generated from the paper recycling is used to purchase plants and supplies for the garden.

South Boggy Creek Cleaners

Over 160 Williams Elementary School students trekked out to explore South Boggy Creek on November 14th. After completing a guided scavenger hunt students stepped up to clean trash out of the creek, collecting over a dozen bags of trash and two bags of recyclables. But the most interesting stuff was saved for last as students shared odd items found in a show and tell format.