It took just a few seconds for seventh-graders from Greenhills School to make a pile wood chips taller than just about anyone in the class shrink in size.

The class of about 70 students was at Barton Park on the edge of the Huron River Friday morning, helping to put wood chips on the paths that snake through the area. Seventh grade teacher Ann Novak said the activity was a service-learning project that goes along with the school’s science curriculum.

“Chipping the trails helps decrease the turbidity of soil particles that can get into the water and cause some problems with the river,” she said. “So, it hooks with our curriculum and we can do some service for the community and have a good time at the same time.”

The project was completed with the help of the Natural Area Preservation unit of the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department.

The students shoveled piles of woodchips into sleds and wheelbarrows and carried them up the paths, then dumped them and spread them out with rakes.

Gabe Linderman, one of the seventh-graders working at Barton Park, said it was hard work but volunteer work was something he valued doing.

“It’s hard, but it’s fun; volunteer work always feels good,” he said. “I do a lot of volunteer work through the school, I like it.”

The work day wasn’t just fun for the kids, but for the NAP workers as well.

Billy Kirst said he had been a part of the work day for the past five years and always had a good time monitoring the students from Greenhills.

“A lot of people use these paths and we woodchip them with this group and they have a lot of fun and we have a lot of fun running the work day,” Kirst said.

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.