Desert Sonoran Trail and other Environmental Projects

       News on the Desert Sonoran Trail 

Morristown School decorated 164 grocery bags donated by Bashas’ of Wickenburg for the Earthday bag program.   The entire Morristown school participated in this Earth Day 2010 Bag decorating.  We had kindergarten through 8^th graders using the Earth Day theme on their bag.  The 7^th and 8^th started a school competition collecting and recycling aluminum cans.  Our school participated in the Project Plant a Bulb (GEPlantABulb.com); we received 100 flower bulbs from the General Electric Company.  This “earth week” Miss Perry’s class learned about the environment; they read many good books such as, Ibis A True Whale Story by John Himmelman, The Wump World by Bill Peet, The Wartville Wizard by Don Madden, and Oil Spill! by Melvin Berger.  Her first grade class garden is growing many flowers and some radishes this year.  Scroll down for information on prior years's Earthday projects.   

           The Grand Hikers returned this Fall to Morristown School to assist student in maintaining the trail.  The Grand Hikers have been assisting with Trail up keep for over six years, coming twice a year to make it a special outdoor place for students to learn.

Arizona Public Service donated and will help students plant two trees on April 24, 2009. This is the third Arbor Day donation by APS to the Morristown School. The last two were placed on the Trail.  The school is looking forward to a continued relationship with APS on the Trail.

APS employees also have contributed information to the school about conservation.

This environmental trail is open to the public. maps may be obtained at the school office. The Grand Hikers donated a beautiful red fairy duster Grand Hikers donated a beautiful red fairy duster plant that was planted in the butterfly garden a few years ago. 

Grand Hikers may accompany students on a field trip to an off site trail in the Spring.

This picture is of the three peaks of the mountain range you can see on the horizon. The signs describe what you are seeing.

Click Trail presentation if you would like to see a beautiful slide show with background music of the school's trail, created by students. If you have dial up connection, you will want to minimize since it takes a considerable time to load. T 1 and DSL only takes about 3 to 5 minutes.

The School Bench is also part of the environmental projects on campus.

Featured at the 2003 Art Show was the Bench  created by students with the help of artist, Juanita "MS Nita" Hull-Carlson.

Ms Nita also features The Bench On her web site. This has remained a point of interest at the annual art show. 

Ms Nita came back in 2010 to work on Mosaic Plaques with students, utilizing the principal of reuse, recycle to place "cool junk" into Mosaics with a message. Click on Arizona Public Schools Make a Difference to see a great article on the residency.

Thanks to Miss Perry for again organizing the school wide project to provide student created bag designs to Basha customers.
 

2007 Bags:  

Here are prior years' bags        

Miss Perry states: We decorated 125 bags! About our project: Morristown is a small rural school between Phoenix and Wickenburg. Every year the students and teachers look forward to the Earth Day Grocery Sack Project. I get the bags from Wickenburg

See some of other prior years' bags by clicking here.

About past projects, Miss Perry stated "About our project: Every class at Morristown School participated in the Great Grocery Bag project. The manager at Basha's in Wickenburg went out of his way to get big bags for the students. This made the artwork easier for the younger students. We had a great time doing the bags and if it makes one person think about our earth, it was worth it. This is one of the largest cooperative Internet Projects."

Action For Nature
This web page provides resources and ideas for children to begin preserving their own environment. There is a curriculum that goes along with this program. A copy of the curriculum was donated to Morristown School and is available for use by teachers.