Saturday, Oct. 25, was National Make a Difference Day, and a group of local Mancos students and art-minded volunteers converged on the town's ordinary bear-proof trash cans and made them works of art.

In all, there are seven bear-proof containers on Mancos' Boyle Park, Grand Avenue and Cottonwood Park.

The resulting day of service turned the ordinary trash cans into something extraordinary.

This event was sponsored by the Mancos Creative District. Local artists partnered with the town, volunteers and Mancos students to paint the bear-proof containers.

Each container had a different theme. On Grand Avenue, one has a Mesa Verde influence; in Boyle Park, one near the old Mancos Jail has a cowboy theme, one at the playground has flowers and birds, and one at the farmers market site has veggies.

The project was mentored by the Durango Dumpster Beautification Project, which is headed by Debra Greenblatt.

"It was a beautiful sunny day enjoyed by all involved," said Rena Wilson, president of the Mancos Chamber of Commerce and organizer of the Mancos Make a Difference Day.