Olentangy Orange Middle School eighth graders gave back to the community on Friday.

Teachers and students wanted to show their appreciation for Orange Township for allowing students to use its pool on their last day of school, Orange Middle School history teacher Christine Snivley.

“We’ve been planning this all year,” she said.

About 340 students worked at various locations throughout the county including the Delaware County Fairgrounds, the historical society’s Barn at Stratford, Oak Grove Cemetery and an estimated 60-acre site of a future park acquired by Preservation Parks.

“Students were presented with all of the service opportunities and selected their top three choices,” said Kristin Marconi, social studies department chairwoman.

The Preservation Parks’ site had about 85 students plant new trees and take a tour of the wooded areas. Park staff were already planting 250 trees in the area. Chris Roshon, Preservation Parks’ natural resources manager, said the area was a soybean field about two years ago.

“It’s great to have people here to explore the [future] park and reforest this pasture,” he said.

A tree sits waiting to be planted at at Preservation Parks of Delaware County’s site for a future park, off of Autumn Applause Drive in Lewis Center on May 12.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/05/web1_DSC_0049.jpgA tree sits waiting to be planted at at Preservation Parks of Delaware County’s site for a future park, off of Autumn Applause Drive in Lewis Center on May 12. Brandon Klein | The Gazette

Orange Middle School student Truman Heilshorn, center, shovels dirt onto a new tree next to fellow eighth grader Camryn Flores at Preservation Parks of Delaware County’s site for a future park, off of Autumn Applause Drive in Lewis Center on May 12. The Olentangy middle school had about 340 eighth graders working on service projects throughout the county.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/05/web1_DSC_0168.jpgOrange Middle School student Truman Heilshorn, center, shovels dirt onto a new tree next to fellow eighth grader Camryn Flores at Preservation Parks of Delaware County’s site for a future park, off of Autumn Applause Drive in Lewis Center on May 12. The Olentangy middle school had about 340 eighth graders working on service projects throughout the county. Brandon Klein | The Gazette