NWRESD recognizes the Friends of Tryon Creek

NWRESD presents Partners in Education Award to the Friends

In June of 2012, students from the Cascade Academy in Beaverton spent time at Tryon Creek doing stewardship activities in the park as part of a pilot program with instruction in Ethnobotany and Forest Ecology.

 

Cascade Academy Students hit the trail

The pilot program was conceived of by Friends' Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Sarah Kreisman, Friends' Board Member and Service Learning Outreach Volunteer Carl Axelsen, and Friends' Educational Outreach Volunteer Roland Begin. These three individuals harnessed their energy, talent, and time in a unified effort to serve their community while caring for the natural world.

Trees waiting to be planted

 

Sarah, Carl, and Roland coordinated with Cascade Academy to create a program that would empower their students to experience the rewards that come from spending time in nature while simultaneously engaging in stewardship activities to enhance the park. These activities included removing invasive species like ivy and tree planting.

 

Protecting a little tree

Cascade Academy is dedicated to serving students with serious conduct, behavioral, and emotional needs. Students rely on the creativity, skills, and stability of Cascade Academy staff to provide a learning environment that supports, inspires, and sustains them. The Friends' pilot program provided Cascade Academy students with an opportunity to connect with nature in a hands-on fashion, and the benefits that the students experienced while participating in the program were noticeable among staff and students alike.  

 

Cascade Academy student connects with park fauna

 

For their efforts in crafting the stewardship program for Cascade Academy, Northwest Regional Education Service District (NWRESD) recognized Sarah Kreisman, Carl Axelsen, and Roland Begin as their March 2013 Partners in Education. NWRESD teacher Susan Harrell observed that the Friends' efforts will have a life-long impact on Cascade Academy students: "Without the partnership with the Friends of Tryon Creek, students would not have had this opportunity for personal growth and relevance to learning and their environment."

 

The Friends are honored to have been recognized by Northwest Regional Education Service District and are pleased to have been able to make a difference in the lives of Cascade Academy students.