Audubon Mural Project and NYC Parks Celebrate New Murals at Community Gardens

NEW YORK—Today the National Audubon Society and NYC Parks announced 21 new murals at GreenThumb community gardens in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. Each mural was designed through a collaborative process with partners Audubon, Gitler &_____ Gallery, and NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program and NYC Parks GreenThumb. Painted by New York City-based artists, the murals depict 24 climate-threatened birds and more than 30 different native plants that birds depend on for food and shelter in small urban greenspaces like community gardens.

These murals are part of the Audubon Mural Project, a public-art initiative drawing attention to birds vulnerable to extinction from climate change. By featuring climate-threatened birds alongside the native plants they rely on, the murals highlight how community gardens create vibrant urban spaces that support both birds and people. Since 2014, 142 murals have been painted across New York City and beyond, depicting 210 bird species on walls, doors, and other surfaces.

“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 live here seasonally or year-round. These murals remind us that people and birds share the same spaces, and we both need them to be healthy for us to thrive,” said Jennifer Bogo, Vice President of Content at the National Audubon Society. “We’re proud to bring the Audubon Mural Project to GreenThumb community gardens through NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program, and we thank community gardeners for providing essential support for birds.”

“Our GreenThumb gardens reflect the beautiful diversity of our city, providing New Yorkers of all backgrounds with shared spaces to grow, learn, and build community. Now, gardens across the city have been enhanced with vibrant new murals celebrating that natural diversity and bringing attention to climate-threatened local birds and the native plants they rely on,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “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. We’re grateful to our partners at Audubon, Gitler & ___ Gallery, and all of the participating artists and volunteer gardeners for helping bring these beautiful murals to our community gardens.”

“We are thrilled that this project has enabled us to collaborate with local Community Gardens–something we have long wanted to do,” said Nicholas DiLeonardi, Assistant Director, Gitler &_____ Gallery. This effort has both continued to raise awareness of climate-threatened bird species, and established a direct connection between artists and gardens that we hope will live on for years to come.”

Here is a full list of the new community garden murals:

Bronx (7 murals)

• Garden of Eden (Concourse Village)–Hermit Thrush by Will DeNatale
• Townsend Garden (Tremont)–Brown Creeper by Frank Parga
• El Coqui Liberation Community Garden (Melrose)–Blue-winged Warbler by Geobany Rodriguez
• Jardin la Roca (Melrose)–Great Crested Flycatcher and Yellow-rumped Warbler by Kristy McCarthy (D. Gale)
• Melrose New Generation Community Garden (Melrose)–Yellow Warbler by Kristy McCarthy (D. Gale)
• Bronx Sunshine Garden (Crotona Park)–Chestnut sided Warbler by Andrea Amanda
• Dolorinda Lisante Community Garden (Melrose)–Tennessee Warbler by Talisa Almonte

Brooklyn (5 murals)

• Citizens for a Better Community Garden (Bedford-Stuyvesant)–Rose-breasted Grosbeak and American Tree Sparrow by Farid Hadechini
• Ten Eyck Garden (Williamsburg)–Northern Waterthrush by Vanesa Álvarez Díaz
• Stockholm Street Garden (Bushwick)–Blackpoll Warbler by Yukiko Izumi
• Concerned Residents of Barbey Street (East New York)–Eastern Kingbird by Misha Shipman
• Green Gems (East New York)–Swamp Sparrow by Peach Tao

Manhattan (4 murals)

• Lydia's Magic Garden (East Harlem)–House Wren by Carla Torres 
• Pleasant Village Community Garden (East Harlem)–White Crowned Sparrow by Erin Harley
• St. Nicholas Miracle Garden (Harlem)–Baltimore Oriole by Marthalicia Matarrita
• Dias y Flores (East Village)–Gray Catbird by Pelumi Adegawa

Queens (5 murals)

• Paradise Community Garden NY (Jamaica)–Dark-eyed Junco and Blue-Winged Warbler by Cern
• Discovery Community Garden 1 (Jamaica)–Woodcock by Majo San
• Discovery Community Garden 2 (Jamaica)–Towhee by Majo San
• Phoenix Gate Community Garden (South Jamaica)–White-throated Sparrow by Maggie Rodriguez
• South Jamaica Infinity Garden (South Jamaica)–Sharp-shinned Hawk by Jessie Salinas

Full details are available at Audubon Mural Project and NYC Parks Art in the Parks. Check the NYC Parks’ GreenThumb page for garden open hours. Visit Audubon’s Native Plant Database to find the best plants for the birds in your area.

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About Audubon
The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

About Gitler &_____ Gallery
Gitler &_____ is a fine arts services company dedicated to promoting artists and producing artworks from across the globe. Work is brought to light through pop-up shows, performances, public interventions, corporate collaborations, and traditional exhibitions. The company presented more than 70 exhibitions during the run of its Harlem gallery space (2014-2019), and has overseen the production of over 150 public art murals, mosaics, and sculptures–most notably the Audubon Mural Project, of which it is a co-founder. For more information, visit www.gitlerand.com. 

About NYC Parks GreenThumb
Established in 1978, NYC Parks GreenThumb is proud to be the nation's largest urban gardening program, sustaining more than 550 gardens and supporting 20,000 volunteer gardeners throughout New York City. GreenThumb gardens create hubs of neighborhood pride and provide myriad environmental, economic, and social benefits to the neighborhoods in which they thrive

About NYC Parks Art in the Parks 
For nearly 60 years, NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program has brought contemporary public artworks to the city’s parks, making New York City one of the world’s largest open-air galleries. The agency has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. Since 1967, NYC Parks has collaborated with arts organizations and artists to produce more than 3,000 public artworks by 1,500 notable and emerging artists in more than 200 parks. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/parks/art.