The Estuary Partnership offers service learning projects to schools and other educational groups. Each project fulfills state and district requirements but the project designs are also flexible enough that they can be personalized to fit a teacher’s particular curriculum requirements. Whenever possible, sites are chosen to minimize transportation costs, give students an “ownership stake” in a nearby natural area, and facilitate teacher’s ability to use the site in future curriculum and service projects.

Service learning projects offered by the Estuary Partnership include:

• Habitat Enhancement and Restoration
• Schoolyard Stormwater Management
• Schoolyard Habitat Improvement

Service Learning is an educational approach that integrates classroom learning with student service activities and reflection about those experiences into a curriculum of study. Through service learning, students gain and apply academic and social skills by addressing real community needs and on the ground problems. They literally learn through service.

In addition to the field component, Estuary Partnership service learning projects include classroom instruction related to the service activity. Service learning projects involve one to four classroom lessons that teach students educational concepts related to the service project. For a complete list of classroom lessons offered by the Estuary Partnership visit our Classroom Programs and Field Trips page. We also provide, encourage, and support post-service reflection activities.

Estuary Partnership habitat enhancement and restoration service learning projects are typically three hour field trips to a local nature area involving invasive plant removal and the planting of native trees and shrub. Visit our project map site to search for on-going service project sites. A partial list of past sites includes: 

• Lacamas Creek in Camas, WA
• Mary S. Young State Park, Lake Oswego, OR
• Oxbow Metro Regional Park, near Gresham, OR
• Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Ridgefield, WA
• Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge, near Washougal, WA
• Tryon Creek State Park, between Portland, OR and Lake Oswego, OR

The Estuary Partnership also organizes weekend tree plantings at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. See Volunteer Opportunities to learn about our tree planting opportunities.

Service learning projects involving schoolyard stormwater management and schoolyard habitat improvements take place at individual schools within the Estuary Partnership study area.

For more information on service learning projects, contact Jennie Klein at the Estuary Partnership office at 503-226-1565 x.222 or jklein@lcrep.org.