On January 24, the 4th grade went tree planting at Discovery Trail in Chehalis. Our kids planted over 300 trees to help reinforce the riparian corridor along the Chehalis River.  Kids were super excited to be part of this process in protecting their environment.

These 4 boys loved (left) the fact that they were planting stakes, they could not believe they would grow roots and become a tree!

This group (right) worked as a team to get the planting holes just right….sometimes it was quite the process to get the tool in far enough then a real struggle to get it back out so they could plant the tree.

After we planted trees, we got to tour the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Most of the kids had no idea where the water goes in a public water system.

Student comments from the experience:

“I learned that you shouldn’t put anything in your toilet or anything that goes to the sewer, because it can clog the whole thing.”

“I learned about tiny bugs and different species of them that help with decomposition.”

“I learned where and how the water gets recycled.”

“I learned how waste water treatment plants work to help clean water.”

“I learned to never, ever flush toys down the toilet!”

“I learned dams that are not made by beavers and the bugs and creatures and the sludge in the water, how dirty water can get from sewer systems. I also learned how to plant trees!”

“I now know that water goes to a wastewater treatment plant. I learned about healthy microbes in the soil.”

Submitted by Erica Frederickson, 4th grade teacher at Simpson Elementary.