Tukes Valley earns green school certification

Battle Ground — Tukes Valley Middle School earned a Washington Green School certification, and students and staff were presented with a Green School flag by Clark County Environmental Services at an assembly in early June. More than 50 students participated each week to help create an interpretive nature trail and outdoor classroom in the green space adjacent to the campus. Starting in the fall, students restored the trail and green space to its native state with plants that are indigenous to the area and suitable habitat for birds and other fauna. The school used grant funds to purchase trees from the Battle Ground Public Schools’ Center for Agriculture, Science and Environmental Education, and worked with high school students, the Conservation District and the school district’s facilities team to plant the trees and build a bark dust trail. The plan for the future is to extend the nature trail and create a garden.