Native Plant + Pollinator Mural at Sweetsir
‘Native Plants & Pollinators’ mural at Sweetsir Elementary School Merrimac MA funded by Pentucket Foundation for the Arts as part of their ‘Natural Restorations: Tri-town Mural Project’. The mural celebrates native flora and fauna, connects to the school’s science curriculum, highlights growth, botanical belonging, and the importance of collaboration in education and child rearing. I designed and painted the mural (while 6-7 months pregnant with my second child) and created an accompanying ID guide. The guide has been made available to the teachers to use in their curriculum.
Jen Solis, local writer, summarized my design concept well: “Four small butterflies are designed at the average heights of children in prekindergarten through second grade so students can document their own growth during their time at school. And the two large adult butterflies leaning towards one another [monarch & swallowtail] represent the need for support and collaboration while raising and educating children.”
In the background there are silhouettes of native plants I photographed around the school, and in my own home in Merrimac. The Little Wood Satyr butterfly is painted from a reference photo, as I identified the being while scouting the native plants growing alongside the school. Multiple Monarch and Swallowtail butterflies flitted by while I painted the mural in summer (I kept a list of sightings!). The Mourning Cloak and Spring Azure butterflies overwinter in adult form (as fully grown butterflies in New England winter) and serve to remind the importance of ‘leaving the leaves’ to create overwintering habitat. A number of keystone species, which support the most wildlife, are featured as well as other pollinator species.
Special thanks to Sue Stasik, Pentucket Foundation for the Arts co-chair for weekly visits including delicious snacks and beverages and to all the awesome people who stopped to chat about the work along the way. I am grateful to the Sweetsir School for their support of the project and complete trust in the design and work!