Kalama students tend forest in natural resource program

KALAMA, Wash. (AP) — Senior Sam Bacon and junior Cody Mortensen looked on as Chris Stone, a science teacher at Kalama Middle-High School, wiggled his shovel into the dirt.

"Try to go straight down," he explained, "so the seedling won't bend."

Stone then grabbed a Douglas fir seedling and placed it into the soil. It was one of 300 trees the class planted over the course of the week in the school district's 38-acre forest.

Stone's natural resources program, launched this year, serves many purposes. First, the class shows students real-life applications of science and provides hands-on learning. Moreover, the course "makes students aware of career opportunities in forestry in particular," according to Superintendent Eric Nerison.