Several UCCS students collaborated with Catamount Institute in April to help clean the Kathleen Marriage Garden in Sondermann Park, establishing a budding partnership that’s mutually focused on supporting outdoor education and sustainability efforts.
As part of the 2026 UCCSlead day of service, the students – including the entire UCCS Pre-Dental Club – and UCCS Facilities staff Michael Bohm and Joshua Hudson joined the cleanup efforts to help clear the garden area of branches, debris and weeds. A second day of collaboration is planned for the near future for students to go back and help add native plants to the garden.
Catamount Institute, founded in 1997, is dedicated to connecting kids with the outdoors and providing education, hands-on learning and opportunities centered around the environment and sustainability. In addition to the Kathleen Marriage Garden, the institute owns a large section of land near Woodland Park that is being turned into the Catamount Institute Mountain Campus, a 145-acre swath of land that will serve as a hub to further the organization’s environmental and educational goals.
“The Day of Service at the Catamount Institute is a wonderful example of what can happen when UCCS students, faculty, staff, and community partners come together around a shared purpose,” said Polly Knutson, Director of Sustainability Programming and UCCS Farm. “This partnership creates meaningful opportunities for students to engage in hands on service, build connections to our community, and develop a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship. We are grateful for the Catamount Institute’s leadership and are excited to continue growing this relationship to expand learning, service, and impact for years to come.”
Along with the Sondermann Park cleanup, Knutson expects further collaboration with Catamount Institute and noted that the Woodland Park location offers a range of potential opportunities for doing so. With options like outdoor exploration and research and educational programs, the Office of Sustainability hopes to merge student curriculum and hands-on learning with the Catamount Institute Mountain Campus. As part of that future collaboration, UCCS community members will soon have the chance to share input and suggestions on what opportunities and educational possibilities they’d like to participate in and see established.