<I>Angela Eckhardt/Chieftain</I><BR>Showing off their newly built greenhouse are Wallowa School District alternative education aide Judy Horton, left; instructor Colby Knifong, right; and students, from left, Cody Holden, Sarah Shoopman, Kayla Wenke and Brandijai Bowman.

Any excuse to get out of the classroom is good enough for most students, but the students of Wallowa’s alternative education program are especially proud of the work they’ve done this spring on some outdoor projects.

A new greenhouse, adorned with a butterfly garden, now stands next to the alt ed building, across from the elementary school. All the benches on Wallowa’s main street have been re-varnished, along with the whiskey barrels, which will soon be replanted.

Students gained public speaking experience as part of the clean up effort, by asking area business owners for permission to work on benches and whiskey barrels, as well as support for the project. They each had to visit city hall to discuss their plans as well.

Their public relations campaign paid off. Wallowa Pharmacy, Food City, Shell Mercantile and Diane’s Kitchen each kicked in $20 for the clean up. And when it came time to do the work, the students were treated to drinks and popcorn by Diane’s Kitchen.

The students agreed the best part about building the greenhouse and cleaning up Main Street was the fact that they got to choose the projects themselves.

When it comes time to plant the whiskey barrels, the students will also get to choose their own flower arrangements.

“(Greenhouses) look easy, but there’s a lot more ingenuity to them than it seems,” said Brandijai Bowman, who earns her diploma this year.

The particular design is meant as a prototype that others can follow for an inexpensive and good looking structure that can be easily adapted to the weather by removing the outer plastic during the height of summer.

Plans for the greenhouse are available through Wallowa Resources, which coordinated the project, bringing together construction assistance from Paul Arentsen, donated lumber from Community Solutions post and pole plant and gravel from Moffit Bros.

Little Hill Farm of Lostine is helping to secure the plastic for the structure and Jim Zacharias is providing the back siding.

The school is working through Eastern Oregon Nursery and the Plant Peddler for plants.

Except for a garden to attract butterflies planted directly in front of the greenhouse, the remainder of the structure will be left for use by the elementary and high school.

The Main Street clean up effort was coordinated through the Portland-based nonprofit SOLV. A SOLV representative visited Wallowa to meet with alt ed instructor Colby Knifong and ensure that the students had all the resources they needed for their litter removal and beautification efforts.

The students and their teacher were encouraged by the widespread community support they received for their work.

They also made special mention of Wallowa School District superintendent John Nesemann. Without his efforts to keep their school open this year none of these projects would have been possible, they said.