Vibrant New Murals Fly Into New York, Courtesy of Audubon

Mural by Yukiko Izumi at Stockholm Street Garden in Brooklyn. (Photo: Tom McNamara)

Earlier this fall, a flock of birds descended upon New York City, flying through the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. The arrival of these birds, however, isn’t literal. They came to the city in the form of murals, thanks to the National Audubon Society’s Mural Project.

Since its launch more than 10 years ago, the project has produced 142 total murals around New York, with the goal of centering the birds most vulnerable to extinction from climate change. For the project’s most recent iteration, Audubon once again collaborated with NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program, Gitler &_____ Gallery, and local artists, unveiling 21 murals in GreenThumb community gardens throughout the city. Each work features a climate-threatened bird and native plants that birds depend on for food and shelter in small urban greenspaces, much like those helmed by NYC Parks.

“Climate change threatens two-thirds of all bird species in North America, and many of these birds stop by New York City during migration or leave here seasonally or year-round,” Jennifer Bogo, VP of content at Audubon, said. “These murals remind us that people and birds share the same spaces, and we both need them to be healthy for us to thrive.”

Complete with bold color palettes and striking compositions, these new murals not only encourage engagement, but also offer an artistic edge to the natural environments in which they now live. For Brooklyn’s Ten Eyck Garden, for instance, artist Vanesa Álvarez Díaz showcased a Northern waterthrush, perched delicately upon a tree branch and surrounded by a field of flowers, including foxgloves, goldenrod, and wild petunias. Marthalicia Matarrita, on the other hand, gravitated toward Baltimore orioles, both perched beside one another amid a cluster of native purple coneflowers and sunflowers.

Though most murals lean into realism, some are a little more stylized. Perhaps embodying this best is Yukiko Izumi’s mural of Blackpoll warblers, situated in Brooklyn’s Stockholm Street Community Garden. The composition is doused in contrasting colors, juxtaposing bright yellows and reds with deep blues, almost resembling an editorial illustration. Just like the flowers framing the mural, the warblers also assume sleek, graphic forms, as if emerging from a picture book. Equally playful is Carla Torres’ House Wren, located in Lydia’s Magic Garden. Here, the wren peeks out from milkweed blooms, rendered in minimalist brush strokes. Even with its more simplistic approach, Torres’ mural is direct in its visuals, immediately grabbing one’s attention.

“Gardens across the city have now been enhanced with vibrant new murals celebrating natural diversity and bringing attention to climate-threatened local birds and the local plants they rely on,” Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, NYC Parks commissioner, added. “Thanks to this partnership with Audubon, volunteers and visitors to these cherished neighborhood spaces can learn about our city’s abundant natural ecosystems while they garden and connect with their neighbors.”

Seven murals have been added in the Bronx; five in Brooklyn; four in Manhattan; and five in Queens. The full list of new murals can be found on Audubon’s website.

The National Audubon Society recently unveiled 21 new murals across New York City, as part of the Audubon Mural Project.

Mural by Vanesa Alvarez Diaz at Ten Eyck Garden in Brooklyn. (Photo: Elias Williams)

Mural by Talisa Almonte at Dolorinda Lisante Community Garden in the Bronx. (Photo: Sydney Walsh)

Mural by Will DeNatale at Garden of Eden in the Bronx. (Photo: Cynthia Liu)

Mural by Kristy McCarthy (D. Gale) at Melrose New Generation Community Garden in the Bronx. (Photo: Cynthia Liu)

These murals can be found in community gardens in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens, and were all produced in close collaboration with local artists.