By Katie Meredith, Assistant to Institutional Advancement

What do salmon fry, blackberry vines, and a stream running through an office park have in common? They are all elements of the most recent initiative of the Eastside Preparatory School Environmental Club, which seeks to restore the environment and raise awareness of environmental issues among the EPS community. Throughout the school year, club officers and members work together on a variety of projects, including initiatives that were started by club members who have since graduated.

For example, Alyson (’27) has focused on adding more electric vehicle charging stations to the TALI garage, including working on a grant to secure funding for chargers. Vehd (’26) has been continuing work on the carbon offsets from EBC trips and tracking energy from daily usage on campus. He is also passionate about reducing CO2 emissions through alternative modes of transport, such as biking, carpooling, and public transit. The club’s social media channels have been managed by Audrey and Leah (both Class of ’27) who have been sharing the club’s projects to raise awareness and generate interest online. Finally, club officer Xinyuan (’25) has been taking the lead on the club’s efforts to restore Cochran Springs Creek.

There is a section of Cochran Springs Creek that runs through the end of the Linbrook Office Park (where the EPS campus is located) that is also connected to Lake Washington. Last year, the EPS Marine Science Club raised salmon fry from eggs in a tank in the Middle School building. In spring 2024, they released those salmon fry into Lake Washington, hoping they would grow into adults and return to the area to spawn. With the restoration of Cochran Spring Creek, the Environmental Club intends to foster a healthy habitat that will benefit spawning salmon as well as the larger marine ecosystem of Lake Washington.

Working toward the goal of creek restoration, the Environmental Club partnered with King Conservation Corps to organize Orca Recovery Day. On a drizzly Saturday morning in October, volunteers gathered on the edge of the Linbrook Office Park and quickly got to work. By the end of the day, they had removed 1,220 lbs. of blackberry vines, root bulbs, and other invasive plant species from the banks of the creek. With support from approximately fifty community volunteers, including EPS faculty, parents/guardians, staff, and students, the Orca Recovery Day effort was a huge success. EPS has officially formed a long-term partnership with King Conservation District, who will work with the school to ensure the success of this restoration project.

In addition to fostering the restoration of local ecosystems, the Environmental Club hopes to see the creek used as an educational resource for EPS science courses. They are also planning to develop a community curriculum by adding informational signs near the creek, documenting the restoration process, and inspiring the community to steward native plants and marine life.

Xinyuan said that she joined the club without knowing much about the environment at all but was inspired by being part of such meaningful work. She noted that many of these initiatives are multi-year projects, so a student may not get to see their project completed before they graduate. She said, “Once students get invested, they can stick around for years, so that builds community across grades. Most of us will not be here to see the finish line of the projects… we hope to see new students joining the club each year to continue where we left off.”

This is the life cycle of the Environmental Club with each generation—starting new projects and leaving a legacy to be carried on, leaving unfinished work for the next generation, and leaving the environment even better than they found it.