School Pocket Forest Restoration Project

Project Summary

Students at Mt. Spokane High School transformed nearly an acre of lawn into a native pocket forest, creating a natural space for learning, reflection, and environmental stewardship that serves the entire school community.

Detailed Story

Mt. Spokane High School students converted 0.8 acres of conventional lawn into a thriving pocket forest filled with native trees, bushes, and grasses, creating a natural sanctuary available to all school staff and students during the day. The project was designed to provide regular access to nature for students who rarely have opportunities to experience natural environments, allowing them to connect with the outdoors as part of their daily school experience. Implementation involved two major planting days each year—one in fall and one in spring—when students work together to expand and maintain the forest. The space follows an intentional design with different planting zones for various native species, including areas for grasses, low and medium stature shrubs, and trees, creating a diverse ecosystem on what was previously a monoculture lawn. Students take ownership of the space by planting and weeding throughout the year, with graduating students often returning to check on the trees and bushes they planted during their high school years. The project also builds anticipation among middle school students who visit the site and look forward to contributing their own plants when they reach high school. Beyond providing environmental benefits such as increased biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and natural cooling, the pocket forest serves as an outdoor classroom where teachers conduct lessons across various subjects, allowing students to learn while immersed in nature rather than traditional classroom settings.

Impact Statement

The project has transformed nearly an acre of ecologically barren lawn into a biodiverse native habitat that serves multiple functions for the school community. Over 200 students have directly participated in creating and maintaining the pocket forest, developing hands-on conservation skills and a deeper connection to local ecosystems. The space provides daily access to nature for the entire school population, supporting mental well-being and offering an alternative learning environment for classes across disciplines. The project has also created an intergenerational connection, with graduates returning to check on their plantings and middle school students anticipating their future contributions. By replacing lawn with native species, the pocket forest increases biodiversity, improves soil health, sequesters carbon, and provides habitat for local wildlife, transforming a maintenance-intensive monoculture into a self-sustaining ecosystem that will continue to grow and evolve with each new class of students.