Students plant trees on refuge

Gray skies and looming rain clouds did not discourage veteran teacher, Linda Wright and 32 of her fifth grade students from donning rain jackets and rubber boots for a morning of tree planting on Tuesday.

Mrs. Wright’s 5th grade class has been working with the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership and has had a classroom program about native and invasive plants in our area.

On Tuesday, the class took a bus to the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge to help McKenzie Miller and Samantha Johnson of L.C.E.P. plant 150 native snowberry and cedar trees.

The new trees should help block out some of the invasive plants that are growing rampantly throughout the refuge.

“The kids enjoyed getting out and helping the environment,” Wright said.

“We liked getting dirty,” added student Ellie Leitz with a laugh.