A few more exciting stages in the Maine Audubon Mural adventure took place in October!
On Thursday, October 16, Bangor Beautiful and Maine Audubon hosted seven classrooms (about 140 students!) from Fairmount School in Bangor for a chilly, all-day planting spree (photo above) along the mural’s upper shelf facing York Street. These aren’t just any plants—they are native plant species meant to transform the area where the mural is located into a habitat that will help support local wildlife for years to come.
Additionally, 15 street trees were planted on the median (photo at right) and along the sidewalk, demonstrating a practical application of both conservation horticulture and applied ecology principles in an urban setting. This effort focuses on strategically planting native species throughout the city to restore urban forest canopy and enhance biodiversity. By prioritizing native species like oaks and other regionally appropriate trees, the mural planting not only beautifies streetscapes and public spaces but also creates essential habitat for native insects, birds, and wildlife that depend on these plants for survival. The re-treeing recognizes that urban trees are infrastructure—living systems that support the ecological health of the city while providing shade, reducing urban heat island effects, and connecting residents to nature in their everyday environments.
In the days following the planting, student-created art blossomed around the paintings of the five featured iconic Maine birds (which were created by artist Alison Brynn Ross). About 40 2-foot-square panels of artwork were affixed to the wall, and visitors can now see intricate depictions of each bird’s food webs: the insects, reptiles, fish, plants, and even small mammals that sustain them. These vibrant illustrations, created by the talented students at Brewer High School, Bangor High School, and Cobscook Experiential Programs, serve as a powerful reminder of how interconnected our ecosystems truly are.
A celebration marking the mural’s completion took place on Saturday, October 18. Attendees gathered to enjoy live music, stroll the length of the wall, and chat with East Machias based mural artist Alison Brynn Ross as she added the finishing touches to the mural. As I’ve been documenting the painting, planting, and celebrating over these last several weeks, it has been heartwarming to witness the community’s overwhelming support of the project. Volunteers of all ages jumped in to help paint and plant, donors contributed through Bangor Beautiful, passing drivers and cyclists honked and waved. Each visit to the mural was a display of community pride in real time.
One final piece remains: the installation of new signage from Bangor Beautiful highlighting the project, artist, and collaborators, along with educational signage about the native plants at the site—made possible through a generous donation from Maine Audubon’s Penobscot Valley Chapter.
Bangor Beautiful has done another fantastic job of transforming an otherwise unremarkable section of Bangor into something, well, totally beautiful! We are grateful that this organization chose to spotlight Maine Audubon’s mission for its latest project, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how these native plants and trees continue to fill in and grow up over the years at the mural site. If you live in or are visiting the Bangor area anytime soon, the Maine Audubon Mural is a must-see!
