Tomorrow, City of Austin Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo will present a city proclamation to recognize the Clean Creek Campus' accomplishments and Hill Elementary School's student service project.

What: Fifty students will use grabbers and gloves to clean up litter in the park. They will also explore the grounds to learn about the local watershed, run a hands-on simulation of how invasive and native plants compete for resources. This will be followed by rolling and tossing seed balls and exploring the onsite pond for macro-invertebrates and clues to the health of the water.

When: 9:30-11:45 a.m. Friday, April 24

9:30-11:30 a.m.     
Students will clean the park grounds, seed wild areas of the park and explore Shoal Creek and the onsite pond.

11:30-11:45 a.m.     
City of Austin Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo presents a city proclamation commemorating 10 years of student service through the Clean Creek Campus program.

11:40-11:45 a.m.    
Students and teachers will be presented with a Clean Creek Campus banner to recognize their commitment to protecting Austin's environment.

Where: Northwest District Park, 7000 Ardath St.

Background: Clean Creek Campus, a partnership program of Keep Austin Beautiful and the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, is celebrating 10 years of fostering student stewardship of natural resources. Since 2005, the program has led 2,000 presentations to educate 16,000 youth in learn about watersheds, litter, urban ecology and earth-wise gardening. The award-winning program models long-term public-private partnerships.

Hill Elementary School has participated in the program for six years. This year, Hill's fifth-grade students participated in hands-on, multidisciplinary activities about litter and other pollutants that affect waterways.

For more information, please contact Keep Austin Beautiful Director Monica Lopez Magee at (512) 391-0617, ext. 703 or monica@keepaustinbeautiful.org.

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AISD is the fifth largest school district in Texas, serving approximately 85,000 students at 129 schools. Follow AISD on Twitter at @AustinISD or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/austinisd.