A Wetland Becomes a Classroom
On the grounds of Clackamas High School is a wetland connected to the larger Clackamas River watershed. For students in Rod Schroufe’s environmental science classes, it has become a living classroom.
In March 2025, the area was heavily disturbed after the district removed many shrubs and trees. When our educators visited the site last April, we brought students into the wetland to remove invasive plants—and hauled out several bags of trash that had blown in from the adjacent parking lot.
When we returned in the fall, the tenacious Himalayan blackberry and holly had grown back, and the area was again littered with trash. The students were ready. Together, they continued the slow work of stewardship and cleared the way for the next stage: restoration.
Last month, we taught students about the ecological and cultural importance of native plants before nearly 150 students fanned out to plant nearly 300 plants over two days: red flowering currant, Douglas’s spirea, Scouler’s willow, tall Oregon grape, swamp rose, red osier dogwood, and salmonberry.
Each visit built something bigger than a planting project. Students see how ecosystems recover over time—and how their work can help restore the health of the land they’re part of.
This work is made possible through support from Clackamas Water Environment Services and the RiverHealth Stewardship Program.