Bird Lovers Flock to Admire the ‘Railing Wall’

Scientists, students or environmentalists who have sought out the Amigos de Bolsa Chica have often had difficulty locating the organization’s office along an industrial park.

But Executive Director Adrianne Morrison hopes that will change with Saturday’s unveiling of “The Railing Wall,” an 18-by-39-foot mural which depicts the rich variety of birds and habitats that exist in the 530-acre Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach.

More than 60 people gathered at the organization’s headquarters Saturday morning to officially dedicate the mural, which they hope will draw more visitors and students to their office. The group has won significant battles to preserve the salt marsh against developers, but the need to educate the public is still strong, Morrison said.

“Only 8% of California wetlands still exists,” Morrison said. “And wetlands are so important for biological reasons. They purify water, provide flood control and oxygen equivalent to rain forests, and are the beginning of life for the food chain.”

In the mural, clay-colored bluffs and purple mountains overlook the lowlands where exotic birds nest amid sand dunes and mud flats. A pair of pelicans fly in from the west, and a graceful egret--white feathers, luminescent with pale pinks and blues--prepares to land. Hidden in the tall blades of grass at the center of the mural is the mural’s namesake, the endangered clapper rail.

When Morrison first considered how to make the building more visible, she considered something as simple as a giant arrow. But she decided to ask Sunset Beach artist Neill Ketchum, 50, an active member of Amigos de Bolsa Chica, to paint a mural.

The artist had shown Morrison a children’s book she was writing called “The Secret Bird of the Marsh,” which was based on the birds of Bolsa Chica. Ketchum first considered a modest-sized painting based on illustrations from the book, but the idea kept growing bigger and bigger.

The mural took more than two months to complete and was finished Dec. 31. Ketchum spent at least 213 hours working on the mural, and was assisted by a crew of 15 artists.

“At first, I was absolutely terrified since I had no experience with murals,” said professional wildlife artist Robert Richert, who painted the long-necked egret.

One of the youngest contributors, Jose M. Garcia, 17, hopes his paintings of the pelicans mark the beginning of an artistic career. “I can’t believe that they considered me good enough to help them,” said the Santa Ana High School senior.

The mural touches upon only a fraction of the species in the preserve.

During the winter, over 200 species of birds inhabit the wetlands. Birds fly from Alaska to spend the winter or to rest before heading on to South America.

At least five endangered species reside in the marsh, including the brown pelican, Belding’s savannah sparrow and the California least tern. As wetlands have been drained and developed, these birds have been stripped of homes and food.

The organization says it has about 1,100 members, half of whom live in the Huntington Beach area. Their office provides a reference library on biology, environmental agencies, wetlands and the Bolsa Chica wetlands, and also sells nature-inspired gifts.