Endangered Species Depicted in Mural

California’s endangered species are the subject of a new 600-square-foot mural unveiled Friday at Arminta Street Elementary School.

The brightly colored scene depicts sea lions, bighorn sheep, peregrine falcons and other native wildlife living in California’s four primary habitats. It is the first painted by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps’ Clean and Green Program as part of a citywide project called “15 Murals in 15 Districts.”

“We are very excited that we are the first school to have its mural complete. The timing was perfect,” said Arminta Principal Marcia Cholodenko. The mural covers the wall of a bungalow that was recently installed to allow the school to meet state class size requirements, she said.

“This is beautiful for the children to look at. Otherwise they would be looking at a big ugly beige wall,” she said.

Los Angeles artist Juan Carlos Ortiz, who goes by the name @syl’m, was hired to design and paint all 15 murals. He conceived the Arminta painting after meeting with the school’s fourth- and fifth-grade teachers, who requested something that would tie into their students’ California studies.

“They wanted to focus on nature and animals that are threatened, so I sketched a few ideas and we came up with this,” Ortiz said.

Though Ortiz drew the initial sketch and painted the details, a large team of students from Arminta and Sun Valley Middle School did the rest.

“I think it was so important for them to participate in the process,” Cholodenko said.

“It gives the students a sense of pride and ownership.”

Program coordinator Carlos Campero said the 15-mural project is funded by a Proposition A grant as part of the corps’anti-graffiti program. Proposition A, a $540 million county bond measure, was passed by voters in 1992.

Among Valley elementary schools that will receive murals through the program are Hubbard Street in Sylmar, Lemay Street in Canoga Park and Fair Avenue in North Hollywood.