What was just a worn cement retaining wall on Broadway in Bangor last month is now becoming a vibrant celebration of birds, native plants, and community spirit. The Maine Audubon Mural, the newest commission by Bangor Beautiful, can be seen on the highly visible stretch of wall near the Family Dollar on State Street. Passed by more than 10,000 people every day, the site is being reimagined as both public art and living habitat.
The project builds on Bangor Beautiful’s tradition of bringing art into the cityscape—people who are from the area can probably call to mind the The Good of the Hive bee mural downtown across from city hall, Bangor Beautiful’s first commissioned mural, or the Wicked Good Time murals surrounding the Waterfront Concerts venue, completed earlier this summer. For this latest mural, they’ve partnered with Maine Audubon to shed light on a sobering truth: since 1970, North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds, largely due to habitat loss.
To highlight what’s at stake, and what we can do about it, the mural series features five iconic Maine birds painted by Eastport artist Alison Brynn Ross: the Common Loon, Black-capped Chickadee, American Kestrel, American Woodcock, and Green Heron. Recommendations for the birds depicted in the mural were provided by Maine Audubon Advocacy & Outreach Manager Nicholas Lund. Each bird is shown within its habitat and food web, and smaller companion murals will be created by students from Bangor and Brewer High Schools, who will also lend a hand in planting native gardens around the site.
The plantings, which will begin in early October, are sourced through Maine Audubon’s native plant nursery, part of the Bringing Nature Home program housed at our Gilsland Farm location in Falmouth. These plants will bring pollinator-friendly, bird-supporting species to the tiered retaining wall that wraps around to York Street. Bangor Beautiful is also donating about 15 street trees for the Broadway corridor, reinforcing the message that habitat restoration can happen anywhere, especially in your own yard!
Work on the mural began in early September 2025 and will be completed by the end of October, thanks to volunteers, community partners, and the energy of local students. The result is more than just a splash of color in downtown Bangor; it’s a reminder that the health of our birds, plants, and people are deeply interconnected, and that even small acts, like planting a native shrub or tree, can help reverse the trend of habitat loss and biodiversity. If you need another reason to visit Bangor this season, a “mural tour” should be on your list—and while you’re here, swing by Fields Pond Audubon Center in nearby Holden to join in on a program or walk the trails to see some of the birds from the mural in real life.
Join us in Bangor at the mural site (89 State Street) on October 18 from 2-4 pm for a public celebration where you can meet artist Alison Brynn Ross and discover ways to contribute to future projects with Bangor Beautiful and Maine Audubon. We’re proud to partner with Bangor Beautiful on this project and grateful for the chance to see the work we do highlighted in such a meaningful way. I hope that, together, we’re showing the public that art can inspire a community to take action for the web of life we all share.
More about the project and its origins here >
