A Mural Rooted in Science: Warner Middle School and Westminster High School Students Collaborate on Bolsa Chica Wetlands

June 8, 2026

In the Westminster School District, student learning takes shape in community partnerships, environmental stewardship, and creative collaboration. This spring, that vision came to life on the walls of Warner Middle School, where students from two campuses worked together to create a mural that celebrates the natural world, scientific inquiry, and the power of cross-school connection.

Warner Middle School's Honors Science and Art students recently joined forces with the Advanced Placement (AP) Art students from Westminster High School to design and paint a mural depicting the ecosystems of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. The completed work features stylized representations of the local plants and wildlife native to the wetlands, alongside images of students and a Wildcat in scuba gear, a nod to the school's identity and the spirit of hands-on environmental exploration that defines Warner's science program.

The mural was unveiled at Warner's Open House on May 20, giving families, staff, and the broader school community a chance to celebrate the finished work together and hear the story behind it.

"We wanted our students to see themselves as both scientists and storytellers. Working alongside Westminster High School students gave them a sense of what's possible when two schools come together around something they both care about," said Kenneth Lopour, Principal of Warner Middle School.

The collaboration brought together approximately four Warner Middle School students and more than twenty Westminster High School students, creating an uncommon opportunity for younger and older learners to work side by side on a shared creative vision. The partnership, bridging Westminster School District and Huntington Beach Union High School District, reflects the kind of community connection that forms when schools look beyond their own boundaries.

The subject matter carries particular significance for Warner students. Since 2002, Warner has partnered with Get Inspired Inc. on active restoration work, and since 2012 has also partnered with the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, together engaging students in efforts to rebuild populations of White Seabass, Giant Kelp, Green Abalone, and Pismo Clams.

The mural, while a separate initiative from those restoration projects, grew directly from the culture of environmental awareness and scientific stewardship that has been cultivated at Warner for more than two decades. In choosing the Bolsa Chica Wetlands as their subject, students honored the very ecosystems their school community has long worked to understand and protect.

"Watching students raise and release white sea bass is a lot like teaching. We guide their growth, nurture their curiosity, and help them develop a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship before eventually sending them into the world to make an impact of their own. Though their time with us is short, the mural they created is a lasting reminder of their presence, their growth, and the difference they made in our community," said Renee Balboa-Canullas, Science teacher at Warner Middle School.

“Our mural celebrates the beauty and resilience of ocean life while honoring the hands-on restoration work our students are doing to protect California’s coastal ecosystems. It serves as a daily inspiration that the next generation has the power to rebuild and restore the world around them.” said Travis Garwick, biology teacher at Warner Middle School.

This project joins a growing body of student-created public art across the district. Last year, Johnson Middle School unveiled a mural honoring the Munemitsu family and the landmark civil rights history embedded in Westminster's own land, a work created through the district's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program in partnership with Influential Walls. 

These murals reflect a shared belief across Westminster School District that the communities and environments surrounding our schools deserve to be seen, understood, and honored. 

"What we are seeing across our campuses is students who don't just learn about their communities, they contribute to them. The collaboration between Warner Middle School and Westminster High School is a powerful example of what happens when we create space for students to express what they know and what they care about. This mural is a reflection of Warner's commitment to science, to the environment, and to the kind of education that stays with students long after they leave our classrooms," said Gunn Marie Hansen, Ph.D., Superintendent of Westminster School District.

Westminster School District remains committed to creating the conditions in which students don't just receive an education, they shape it.

To learn more about WSD programs and partnerships, visit the district's website.