While most individuals associate social action to urban issues, 50 Pepperdine students took to the foothills for creating change. These freshman students are enrolled in Pepperdine University's Social Action and Justice Education Program (SAJE), at the university's Malibu Campus. The class grooms students to become life-long contributors in giving back to their world. Recently, they spent the day with Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) caging, mulching, and watering approximately 100 trees in Wild Walnut Park at Headwaters Corner.

"The trees were planted at a recent arbor day event," explained Debbie Bruschaber, Project Manager for MRT, a non-profit land trust dedicated to protecting the Santa Monica Mountains. "Once the trees are planted they need to be maintained until they are self sustaining. It's great when volunteers help us with their continual care."

With the growing environmental concerns SAJE Professor Dr. Lee Carroll wanted her students to do something ecologically related. "The recent announcements regarding global warming is leading us to develop more ecologically-related projects," she said regarding her curriculum, which is part of the Humanities Department.

When the students arrived and Bruschaber set the agenda for day, discussing how they were going to be developing the land, the students of the new millennium only related the term development to-but what else- building. She gave them new perspective on 21 st century ecologically. "With centuries of human impact, the mountain landscape is not natural in populated areas and cannot sustain local flora and fauna. Essentially we need to build back the native habitat and create a self-sustaining system. It doesn't happen overnight," she explained, "but by your volunteering today, it will happen."

Dr. David Holmes, also a SAJE professor, accompanied the students and grabbed a shovel to participate in the project. "I do research focused on the 60s when idealism in young people was very strong. This was an opportunity to revisit the concept and get kids thinking in that direction again."

Freshman Greta Miersma thought it was amazing what they managed to accomplish before breaking for lunch. "We all know how one person can make a difference but the power of many is incredible!"

"It was a great day of giving back," determined freshman Ashlyee Hickman. "I did something to make the environment more livable and it planted the seed in all our minds that we can make a difference, even for a tree."