Nature was at the forefront of Sunday’s “Painted Wings and Wild Things” day-long celebration in Mendota.

Reimagine Mendota, a community-focused, non-profit organization, dedicated a pair of murals in downtown Mendota.

“These murals reflect that our community values the natural area where we live, and can help us learn about and appreciate the beauty we’re surrounded by,” organizer Amy Brewer said. “This just goes to show that Mendota shows up big for projects and big for each other.”

At 728 Main St., Audrey Carver’s finished work was dedicated first. Carver was tasked with showcasing native flowers and the Eastern Meadowlark songbird.

“I just wanted to make this a nice ‘Welcome to downtown Mendota’ project,” Carver, a Minnesota native, said. “I’ve been doing murals since high school, and focused on them full-time for the last two years.”

After a lengthy planning period, Carver completed the mural in just eight days despite the hectic weather last week.

At 725 Washington Street, an unfinished mural from Justin Suarez was dedicated. Suarez was tasked with displaying the animals and plants residents can see at Lake Kakusha and Lake Mendota.

“I’m very passionate about nature and conservation, so this was a fun project to take on,” Suarez, a New York native, said. “I’ve volunteered at conservation sanctuaries and really made this a large part of my life.”

Progress on Suarez’s mural project was halted due to the need to relocate the site and last week’s extreme weather; however, Suarez said he hopes the mural can be completed in just over a week.

These murals were funded by a matching grant from the National Endowment of the Arts.

Following a Community Heart and Soul survey taken in 2023, the mural project became a goal of Reimagine Mendota and the City of Mendota.

The city established an Arts Commission and with two years’ worth of its $20,000 budget and donations from members and organizations in the community, Brewer said that the commission was able to match the $25,000 needed for the grant and to make Sunday afternoon possible.

“The vibrant colors and local plants and animals will help liven up our town and bring energy and interest,” Reimagine Mendota member Michelle Wade said. “These murals also can be a reminder of how well our community pulls together to get something done.”

The mural dedications weren’t the only celebrations of the day.

Along with the painted wings, there were plenty of activities for residents to learn about and interact with.

Beginning at 9 a.m., residents were able to experience a birding hike and nature journaling exercise at Lake Kakusha, and interact with many of the features seen on the fresh murals.

Candy and Steve Ridlbauer of Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab and Education held an exhibit at Veterans’ Park with live hawks and owls for attendees to learn about their diet and habitat, complete with faux birds, real wings and artifacts of the animals.

Also at Veterans’ Park was a live bird imitation dance from the Ballet Folklorico de Colores, a Mendota-based group that showcased imitations of birds from different regions of Mexico.