Painted to represent its history and bridging cultures
One such animal is the school's African Tortoise. Having outgrown her reptarium, Brother Jack created an outdoor habitat with a cave for protection and a tree for shade. [The tortoise (a female) is brought in at night during the colder months.]
This habitat was functional, but as a key visual in the school's courtyard, would benefit from some TLC.
And TLC is just what happened over the weekend of October 2nd and 3rd.
With the coordination and artistic talents of Brother Martin, the tortoise's habitat took on a new life.
Brother Martin designed two illustrations: one acknowledging the tortoise's African heritage with bright, vibrant colors and shapes; and one to reflect her new home in Tucson, Arizona with local cacti and hills.
Because African Tortoises, like their Sonoran Tortoise cousins, will associate red, orange, and yellow colors with berries and food, Brother Martin chose a cool-toned palette for the interior desert-theme illustration.
With the help of parent volunteers, staff, and family members, the enclosure panels were cleaned, prepped, and painted over the two days.
San Miguel's African Tortoise seems very happy as she walks around, inspecting her new interior decorating. And the students enjoy the brighter, more inviting focal point during their day.
"We are thrilled we were able to create a beautiful habitat for our African tortoise," San Miguel High School President & CEO Dave Mason said, "and is especially poignant considering our Twin School is located in Kenya, Africa." For more information on our sister school, the Child Discovery Centre, in Nakuru, Kenya you can visit this page.
