PERU — A new mural was unveiled Saturday morning to kick off Dairy Days at Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum.
Painted by local artist Greg Badger, who recently painted the museum’s new sign, the mural features a sunset over the museum’s garden with bees, butterflies and bright flowers.
“We had our local artist Greg Badger here who did this wonderful mural for us representing the pollinators and the north country, to help and save the pollinators and do our part,” Karen Babbie, Museum coordinator said.
Badger is a Peru local who teaches at Peru Middle school and has created public art at Hayworth Mason Park in Peru, as well as a mural in Champlain, which depicts the town’s history led by the canal boating industry.
“We are so honored to have such a talented artist as Greg to help us put this point across about ‘Saving the Pollinators,’ and to be part of this endeavor to make sure we help the country and keeping our farms and vegetables alive,” Babbie said.
A theme of Badger’s public art is highlighting historical locations and stories.
The message of the mural is to celebrate the importance of pollinators, preserving and expanding their environment.
“Not only is this mural functioning to highlight one of the most vibrant features inside the museum, it also brings awareness to an important issue we face globally,” Badger said during his unveiling speech. “The pollinators in this mural are beautiful but they are also threatened by our actions and inaction.”
Badger hopes the mural raises awareness to the problem and inspires action within the community, calling for the preservation of pollinator habitats like gardens and lawns.
“We must not only protect the habitats of pollinators but expand them. Plant pollinator gardens, raise your mower deck ,or don’t mow or rake at all,” Badger said.
Inside the museum, “Preserving our Pollinators,” a featured exhibit, explores the roles pollinators play in the environment.
“We have our preserving pollinators exhibit, which encourages better practices for our pollinators,” Lee Ledesgma, Museum executive director, said. “Not mowing lawns, or mowing on the highest setting, planting flowers or wild grass, this is good for the bees, and other bugs.”