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"Water Color" Equals Colorful Conservation
One girl's water conservation project turned into a come-one, come-all collaborative painting of rain barrels.
Groups of students contributed their artistic talents to a water conservation project during a painting event on March 8-9. “Water Color,” a project devised by Ashley-Rose Lynn as part of her final project for the Tucker Fellows program, beckoned to students to lend their help painting rain barrels. A junior, Ashley-Rose has not made a decision yet about the final destination for the barrels, but she says they will either be auctioned off with profits going to the WASH program that provides water in third world countries or used on the GPS campus, possibly in the GPS Garden.
As with much that defines the all-girls education at GPS, several other groups joined in to collaborate on the project. A team of environmental science students made the painting a part of their class project, and members of the National Arts Honor Society outlined designs on the white barrels to look like giant coloring books for girls to fill in with donated paint. Ashley-Rose says that her River Fellows advisor, Ms. Couch, came up with the idea of rain barrels and ordered them a few months earlier but help was needed to get all of the barrels ready. “Like destiny, there was a team of environmental science girls who wanted to be involved, and with the help of NAHS girls, we had the outlines ready for painting,” said Ashley-Rose.
“Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water. They collect rainwater which can then be used for gardening, and I'm ecstatic to be able to get the student body involved in a hands-on service project that helps both the environment and those denied access to clean water. I couldn't be happier with the active student participation displayed!” said Ashley-Rose.
The Tucker Fellows program is a two-year program designed to prepare future leaders to have an effect on the conservation of the Tennessee River. One year is spent engaged in interdisciplinary scholarship and experiential learning about the many issues impacting their local watershed as well as learning about the historical, ecological, political, economic and aesthetic significance of the Tennessee River. While continuing to learn about the river’s watershed in the second year, fellows focus on leadership skills, choose a focus, and work with local experts, scientific literature, and policy to become more knowledgeable about their topic.
By the end of the program, fellows propose solutions to watershed problems and become lifelong advocates for clean, healthy watersheds in the Chattanooga area and beyond. 
