Ninety-three Stony Point High School students started the year off in the spirit of service by replanting trees that were destroyed due to the Bastrop fires in 2011. The group included freshman International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme students, members of the environmental club, students from the Advanced Placement (AP) environmental science class and students from the Functional Academic Classroom (FAC).
Pam Bethke, Stony Point teacher and environmental club sponsor, spearheaded the effort. She was approached by the Nobelity Project after they learned of the success of the Stony Point Monarch garden. Bethke sent in a resume of student work and the environmental club motto, “Think Global: Act Local,” which was almost identical to the motto of the Nobility Project, “Local Acts have Global Impact.”
“I wanted to take a diverse group of students,” Bethke said. “I did this to show the kids that no matter what group they belong to, everyone can serve.”
Nobelity Project Co-Founder Christy Pipkin was so impressed by the work of Stony Point students that she agreed to pay for the transportation to the Bastrop tree planting. Afterward, she gave presentations about the global impact of tree planting.
The mission of the Nobelity Project is to provide students with service and leadership opportunities focused on the area of environmental science, which aligns perfectly with the IB Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) project model.
“I remember when the Bastrop fires happened,” Stony Point IB student Gracie Sadler said. “I didn’t really understand the devastation at the time, but when you see it first hand, it changes you. This experience has opened up a whole new part of my life. I definitely plan to be more involved from now on.”
In addition to taking action and doing service, the trip had an academic correlation to what students are learning.
“We have been studying how long it takes to rebuild an ecosystem,” said Kamryn Irby, Stony Point AP environmental science student. “It’s interesting to see first hand the consequences of the interactions of society and the environment. Because we no longer allow natural fires, the undergrowth in Bastrop was so much that it helped spread the devastating fires.”
The group planted 849 trees in just under two hours. Stony Point Sophomore Anthony Barrera, who works in his family’s landscaping business, planted 80 of the trees with the help of his group.
The staff at the Nobelity Project were impressed with the expertise and heart of the Stony Point students.
“Stony Point students were on point the whole day. I sincerely enjoyed interacting with every single one; they’re sharp and engaged, evidence of talented teachers,” said Liz Cates, marketing and events coordinator for the Nobelity Project. “We feel so privileged to have this passion and support from campus.”
Stony Point FAC student Kevin Johnson summed up the experience simply when he said, “Planting trees is the most beautiful thing that I’ve done in my whole life and it was hard work.”
