The connected article provides an overview of a restoration project that extends activities past rehabilitation to include long-term monitoring, continued stewardship and community support. The restoration site at Evergreen Middle School in Hillsboro, Oregon was originally an English ivy desert, covered entirely with Hedera helix. Eighth grade students and two teachers, aided by the district’s facilities personnel, removed the ivy and root stock, added commercial top soil, planted native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants with a follow-up planting in the spring. The restored area, laid out with a clear scientific design, creates an outdoor field laboratory. This long-term experiment facilitates student understanding of scientific methodology and ecological concepts. Furthermore, the outdoor laboratory permits ongoing monitoring where forthcoming science classes add to a long-term dataset so children may analyze change at the site over time.