Gunnison Middle School
Pollinator Garden
In the fall of 2022, GMS 7th graders continued their work to take action in their local ecosystem while addressing climate change. Their goal was to increase biodiversity while conserving water. Over the course of several weeks, students designed, and planted, a pollinator garden using mixes of native, drought-resistant wildflower seeds. Will our garden grow? Stay tuned for updates!
What's next? During the fall of 2023, the next group of 7th graders will evaluate our garden design and add their own touch to this ongoing Zero Water Day Project.
Water Walk
During the 2020-2021 school year Gunnison Middle School, with the support of Gunnison High School, Western Colorado University and the Gunnison Conservation District, created the Water Walk, a tour of 5 interpretive signs along the City of Gunnison's VanTuyl trail. Our story, told from students' perspective, emphasizes the value of water and supports the Mountains as the Water Towers of the World initiative. We hope the Water Walk will begin a conversation that sparks further action to protect water in our community and beyond.
The Water Walk is an extension of the Gunnison Middle School Outdoor Learning Lab and sponsored by Gunnison Libraries, the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservation District, the City of Gunnison, the Gunnison Valley Education Foundation and RoShamBo Marketing and Creative.
2021 Project Planning
In the classroom, students discussed and prioritized the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , brainstormed our connections to water, planned sign content and wrote grants to fund the Water Walk interpretive signs.
2021-2022 Project Implementation
Out of the classroom, students planned the placement of signs along the Van Tuyl trail from GMS to the Gunnison River, making the signs accessible to students, community members and visitors of all ages.