Birmingham to unveil mural celebrating rare local fish

The Center for Biological Diversity plans to unveil a 15-by-30-foot mural in Birmingham, Alabama this week that celebrates the watercress darter, an endangered fish native to the metropolitan area.

The mural is part of a national series of art that highlights threatened wildlife around a particular city. For example, a mural in Sandpoint, Idaho, depicts the mountain caribou, one in Minneapolis, Minnesota shows the monarch butterfly and a planned mural in Knoxville, Tennessee will portray the pink mucket mussel.

Artist Roger Peet, from Portland, Oregon, developed the mural project and works with local artists to complete each one. Throughout this week, he will be working with Birmingham’s Magic City Mural Collective and Center for Biological Diversity Scientist Tierra Curry. The mural will be painted on the wall of Lake Cottage Books, which will be opening soon.

The artsits’ subject, the watercress darter, is protected under the Endangered Species Act and its habitat range is now just five limestone springs in the Birmingham metropolitan area. The mural is meant to increase public awareness about the small, colorful fish and increase efforts to protect it.

The mural will be unveiled on from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday.