By Sophia Mazer
This year, eighth grade students from Mr. Lisowski and Mr. Casey’s Innovations classes joined the fight to help Girty’s Woods. The idea was to raise money by selling t-shirts and other items.
Girty’s Woods is a 155-acre stretch of undeveloped land in Reserve Township that spans the edges of Shaler and Millvale. The Woods include walking and biking trails and are vital to the local ecosystem. The area communities also benefit from its ability to absorb heavy rainfall that prevents flooding.
The future of Girty’s Woods has been threatened by development plans that would turn the land into buildings. Those plans have resulted in community attempts to buy, preserve, and protect the Woods, which is costly.
Students at SAMS joined the fight this year. They created graphics to put on t-shirts to raise money for the cause. Students brainstormed ways to make their community better and eventually chose to focus on environmental and social issues. They then had a couple of months to turn their ideas into designs.
Their t-shirts are now on sale, as well as jewelry, stickers, and cloth bags.
To purchase a shirt or item, go to the Innovations Website (Innovations Website) and click on the order form. Each item has a minimum donation amount listed as a price: T-shirts ($20) jewelry ($10) stickers ($5) and cloth bags ($10). The link to donate to the Allegheny Land Trust is found on the order form. Customers must choose “Girty’s Woods” from the drop down menu and should dedicate their purchase to SAMS. Finally, they must screen shot the confirmation screen and upload to the order form as proof of payment.
THE SAMS SALMON 