As the second semester at High Tech High Media Arts (HTHMA) in Point Loma greets Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, seniors are making their mark through a variety of final group projects. One group in particular is creating a community movement to restore San Diego’s natural ecosystem in hopes of changing the world forever. Thanks to six students in John O’Reilly’s environmental science class, America’s Finest City may be poised to shine a little brighter. The group is rounding up San Diegans of all ages and backgrounds to work side by side in gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Earth. Participating students chose a topic for their project connecting with carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and global climate change. The project spearheads an event that is to occur within the next month and will seek to restore native plants and trees in San Diego that act as carbon dioxide reservoirs. “It is really important that people plant trees today and are educated about deforestation because (this) is a huge problem that adds to climate change,” said Katie Smith, a HTHMA senior and participant in the project. San Diego is home to more native plant species than any other county in the nation, according to the California Native Plant Society (CNPS). Climate, geography and geology play prominent roles in the diversity, but the ecosystem has been disrupted and damaged over time. According to the CNPS, the major agent of destruction has been wildfires caused by human actions. Trees help rid the earth of carbon dioxide that is absorbed during photosynthesis. When burned, trees release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and add to the “greenhouse effect” — a gradual warming of the earth many experts believe is caused by manmade emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons and methane that have a lifetime of about 20 to 100 years. “My dreams for this project are substantial because I am striving to bring San Diegans together on one day to reflect on the impact that we have had on our beautiful planet, and I want to make a difference for the better,” said Smith. “I think this would be an amazing way to replenish our world and possibly make up for a lot of the mistakes we have made,” she said. “Planting one tree only takes an estimated time of 30 minutes. So if 30 people would take 30 minutes out of their day and come help, we could really make an impact.” In addition to Smith, the HTHMA group includes five other students: Andres Navarrete, Brooks Crittenton, Charles Jackson, Kayla Morales and Norma Balderas. This is the last big project of the school year and will count for a large portion of the group’s grade. Though grades are important, the students said they are more motivated by the simple act of giving back. The group has high hopes for the event but the students need donations to make the project a success. Local nurseries are being called upon in hopes of donating native plants or trees. “We are very low on funding for this project, as almost all of the project is run by students, so any donations would be greatly appreciated,” said Morales, chairperson for the group. “We came up with our idea almost instantly, all of us. “We wanted to do a project that the rest of the community would be able to be a part of, so lending a hand or donating funds, native plants or trees would be ideal,” she said. “I personally feel that with our economy the way that it is today, we need to become a closer community anyway.” HTHMA is a school serving about 370 students in grades 9 through 12 at the High Tech High (HTH) village of schools. Founded in the fall of 2005, HTHMA implements all HTH design principles and focuses on a strong liberal arts and sciences foundation enhanced through the media arts. For more information call (619) 398-8620, or visit www.hightechhigh.org/schools/HTHMA.