Henslow’s Sparrow and Mountain Bluebird by youth artists

Painted: November 10, 2017

Sponsored: In honor of Cecilia & Paul - 9/11/22

About the Birds: Already in serious decline, the furtive Henslow's Sparrow may lose 85 percent of its current summer breeding habitat with climate change, causing the bird to disappear from fields and meadows to the east and south of Iowa. The Mountain Bluebird nests in sagebrush desert, mountain meadows, and alpine tundra, habitats expected to suffer under climate change as well. It could lose half of its current breeding range and also face drought and wildfire.

About the Artists: This mural was created by local youth from Washington Heights—including Gregorio Luperón High School students Sheised Nuñez, Darlin Garcia, Issac Reyes, Emely Rodriguez, Javier Soriano, Ana De La Cruz, and Alondra Martinez, as well as Cristal Castillo, Wildriana Paulino, Jonathan Caceres, and Beyonce Martinez—coordinated by artist Reynaldo García Pantaleón. The group titled this piece, “Vientos Natales,” meaning “native winds” in Spanish. Pantaleón has also collaborated with community groups like Dominica York Proyecto GRAFICA as an artist, graphic designer, and musician, and he has worked as a teacher and instructor with various groups like Palenque (a violence-prevention program for youth), The Dominican Women's Development Center, The Children’s Aid Society, and many schools. 

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