This school year, Wayside: Sci-Tech Preparatory’s Environmental Sciences class is putting their lessons into action by adopting a portion of Williamson Creek.

Scholars in Kelly Barr’s Environmental Sciences class adopted a quarter-mile segment of the creek through the Adopt-A-Creek program, a project sponsored by the City of Austin Watershed Department and Keep Austin Beautiful.

Wayside’s portion of the creek is located between South First and South Congress, which is not only close to campus, but also close to many scholars’ neighborhoods.

“Being a member of your community and serving them is a key part of an IB education,” Barr said. “We chose this area specifically because it’s close to home for many of our scholars. We aren’t just learning science; we are also learning how to take responsibility for our neighborhood by assuming a stewardship role for the community.”

This year, Barr has four visits to the creek planned for her scholars. On their first visit, scholars picked up trash and learned how to girdle ligustrum, an invasive plant species that overwhelms local creeks. Because it typically grows back thicker after it is chopped down, scholars must girdle it to prevent its spread in the future. Girdling involves peeling the bark off the plant, which strips the roots of nourishment so that it eventually dies.

On their second trip, scholars planted 400 native saplings donated by local nonprofit Treefolks. The saplings will eventually grow into mature trees, and Barr hopes they are a source of pride scholars can visit later in life.

“The scholars think of these plants as their babies. They can’t wait to come back and check on them to see how big they get,” she said. “I even had one scholar tell me that she hopes to come back with her children one day to sit beside the cypress tree she planted along the creek’s edge.”

On their third trip, scholars will check on the growth, and begin their final project, which requires them to work in groups to create their own restoration plan for the creek. On their fourth trip, they will execute the plan.

While the Adopt-A-Creek program has been an integral part of this year’s lesson, it isn’t the only field trip the Environmental Sciences class has taken. Earlier this year, scholars visited a cave and tested water quality at another local pond. They later used the skills they learned to determine why a large quantity of fish died in a private pond. Their tests determined the water had abnormally high nitrogen levels that would be deadly to fish.

“We are using service projects to turn abstract concepts into real-world learning,” Barr said. “This isn’t just a science lesson, but also a lesson to show students how they are connected to the world around them.”

Next year, Barr’s class will move to the new Bradshaw Road campus, which she says will have a positive impact for Environmental Sciences.

“Currently, we don’t have a lot of green space outside the school. That will all change next year, and the possibilities are endless,” she said. “In addition, we will be moving next to Onion Creek, so we can begin to conserve and beautify a new area.”