Growing Together: Ellis Students Help Restore a Highland Park Hillside
Rocky clay, muddy boots, curious questions, and 40 new trees - it was a morning that brought The Ellis School's motto, Esse Quam Videri ("To be, rather than to seem"), to life in a very tangible way.
This fall, members of the Upper School Environmental Club and the Class of 2032 traded their usual school-day routines for a muddy hillside in Highland Park. Working alongside local community partner Tree Pittsburgh, students rolled up their sleeves to help restore a damaged slope, putting their care for the environment and their community into action - one tree at a time.
It wasn't glamorous work, but that was part of what made it meaningful. The students showed up ready to dig, learn, help one another, and leave their corner of Pittsburgh a little better than they found it.
A Hillside Ready for a Second Chance
Just below the Highland Park Bridge, along Washington Boulevard, sits a hillside that drivers pass by everyday without a second look. At its far end, near the park sign visible from the bridge, the slope was ready for some care. Water line work had disturbed the slope, and recent rains had left the ground washed out. Tree Pittsburgh is now helping the landscape recover by planting a variety of native trees. Once the restoration is complete, the hillside will be home to more than 200 new trees.
For the Ellis students, the work began with an adventure of its own. Starting near the Highland Park pool, the group hiked a half mile down wet, muddy terrain to reach the planting site. The clay was heavy, the rocks were plentiful, and the footing was less than ideal. But the students were there to do a job, and they embraced the challenge.
The next time you drive off the Highland Park Bridge into the park, look toward the hillside. Among the young trees taking root are some planted by Ellis students - a lasting reminder that caring for a community means doing the work, even when that work gets a little messy.
Many Hands, One Purpose
Nine members of the Upper School Environmental Club each led a small group of seventh graders, with four Ellis advisors and Tree Pittsburgh staff working alongside them. Together, they planted native tree species selected for the site's wet conditions. Most of the trees were two to four years old and had started their lives at the nursery at Tree Pittsburgh's headquarters.
Planting each tree took patience and teamwork. Students dug into the rocky clay, carefully removed each tree from its pot, loosened and trimmed the roots, and placed it in the ground with nutrient-rich topsoil. They then spread mulch around the base and added a protective wire cage to help each young tree thrive.
Every step mattered. The students weren't simply learning how to plant a tree; they were learning what it takes to nurture something over time. Restoration requires care, persistence, and a willingness to do the small, sometimes difficult things that make lasting growth possible.
In many ways, the process offered a fitting reflection of Esse Quam Videri. The students weren't there just to talk about environmental stewardship or the importance of community involvement. They were there to practice both - working together, getting their hands dirty, and making a real contribution.
Muddy Boots, Open Minds
The work was challenging. The hillside was slick, the clay was stubborn, and moving equipment and mulch down the slope was no small feat. Still, the students met the morning with enthusiasm, taking turns digging holes, hauling buckets, trimming roots, and, of course, stopping to investigate the worms they uncovered along the way.
One seventh grader even planted trees in her kilt and polo, a memorable reminder that sometimes the best learning experiences don't leave much room for keeping clean.
The questions came just as readily as the hard work. Students asked Tree Pittsburgh staff how the equipment made it down the hillside, who would care for the trees after the volunteers left, and why certain species were chosen for the site. They wanted to understand not only what they were doing, but why it mattered.
That curiosity was part of the experience, too. Living out a commitment to the community begins with being willing to learn - to listen to others, ask thoughtful questions, and recognize that meaningful change often depends on the knowledge and efforts of many people working together.
Just as meaningful were the connections formed between Ellis Middle and Upper School students. Side by side, they shared shovels, offered helping hands, and got to know one another beyond the classroom. Through a common purpose, students across grade levels discovered the value of working together and contributing to something larger than themselves.
Putting Our Values into Action
For Ms. Jackie Prepelka, Middle School Spanish Teacher, who has led the field trip alongside Mr. Jack Gaddess, Upper School Spanish Teacher, for the past few years, the experience offers a meaningful opportunity for Ellis students to connect their learning with the needs of their local community.
"It's such a great way for us to be out in our local community, build connections, give back, and learn more about local conservation efforts," Ms. Prepelka shared.
The morning reflected the heart of Esse Quam Videri: a commitment to living one's values through action. Environmental stewardship wasn't simply a concept discussed in a classroom. It was something students practiced with every hole they dug, every bucket of mulch they carried, and every question they asked.
At Ellis, learning extends beyond knowing what matters. It means taking responsibility, showing up for others, and finding meaningful ways to put those beliefs into practice. On a muddy hillside in Highland Park, students experienced firsthand how even a small contribution can become part of something much bigger.
Tree Pittsburgh will continue monitoring the site to see which species thrive. In the years ahead, the trees planted by Ellis students will grow, their roots settling deeper into the hillside and their branches reaching toward the sky.
And as those trees grow, they will stand as a reminder of a morning when Ellis students put their school's motto into action - not through words alone, but through their willingness to work, learn, serve, and care for the world around them.
Because Esse Quam Videri is more than a motto. It's a way of being. And sometimes, it begins with muddy boots, a shared shovel, and a tree planted for the future.
Envision Her at Ellis
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