Tahoma Makes a Difference!

Restoring the THS Rain Garden

On October 26th, 2013, it was “Make a Difference day” in Maple Valley. As a responsible citizen, I worked with the Tahoma High School Green Team from 9am to 12pm to restore the Rain Garden in the THS parking lot. We began with compost soil delivered to the high school parking lot at 9am, which is when the team got to work! We had the game plan of spreading and evening out all of the soil, making sure it didn’t cover the puddles or rocks so that the plants we were going to put in would be safe. We shoveled dirt for hours, and eventually were able to get all of the dirt placed and spread it around. After all of the soil was evenly distributed, myself and the team took about 30 plants donated by a nursery in Black Diamond and planted them in the garden. By planting these native species, it means that the garden will be even more self-sustaining, and support a healthier environment in the garden. It was a very large task, thankfully with a team of myself and 8 other people, we were able to get it done in 3 hours!

By contributing to planting the THS rain garden, I was able to do a hands on project that directly benefitted the school and environment. The High School is a large part of our community, and being able to make a difference for both visually pleasing and eco friendly benefits is certainly a demonstration of being a responsible citizen. Having assisted research on the native species we decided to plant, I fully understand the benefits of what the project was all about. To create an ecosystem in a busy parking lot that will thrive and prevent storm water pollution. Having Mrs.Nance and my fellow Green Team members to teach and guide one another, it was not only a great hands-on experience but a great learning experience as well. I learned how to apply these values of being local and sustainable to my lifestyle, and carry on these habits to form lifelong habits that will benefit me. Overall, the garden looks beautiful and has a function for our school!

Thanks to Kylin F., TSHS Green Team Leader for the Post