WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wiley Middle is partnering with the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, bringing in an artist in residence to the school.

This week, they’re building a floating wetland garden.

"We're making wetlands to clean the water and preserve food,” said Kamaela Amairs, a student.

Students use zip-ties to fasten burlap to a styrofoam ring.

"It filters the dirt from the bad nutrients,” said Trey Allen, a student.

Then they fill the area inside with dirt and plants native to our coast, creating a mini-biosphere.

"These are all things from North Carolina,” said artist Mary Mattingly. “They're things like bulrush and cattail, and wetland plants that actually  clean nitrates from the water."

Mattingly is not only teaching students about art she creates, but why it's so important to preserve our wetlands.

"They protect our shoreline, so when we destroy wetlands, we have less protection from storms at sea,” said Mattingly. “They do create ecosystems in the water and clean it."

The magnet school's focus is STEAM, which is short for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

"We're using natural living systems to create something that comes from a place of art and activism,” said Mattingly.

The project is part of a unique initiative at Wiley Middle School to bring in partners from the community to teach students about what they do.

"A lot of times with schools, we get really close with instruction,” said Ian Olsen, the assistant principal at Wiley Middle School. “But you have to bring in those important memories and components that kids get to create and use their talents."

"When I was little, my grandmother taught me how to grow my own plants,” said student Jennifer Wilson. “And I think it's really cool that Wiley is doing stuff like this for the environment."

It’s teaching students to protect our earth for generations to come.

"You can help your community and your earth just by doing simple things,” said Amairs.

Once the students are finished building the mini-wetlands, they will release them into a nearby lake as part of a large floating biosphere.