Field Trip: Audubon Mural Project Tour

Join Leigh Hallingby as she leads Bedford Audubon to tour THE AUDUBON MURAL PROJECT. This project is an effort to create murals of over 300 birds, mainly in the northern Manhattan neighborhoods of Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights. This is where the great naturalist John James Audubon lived the last 10 years of his life from 1841 – 1851. All of the birds being painted have been identified by national Audubon as being threatened by climate change. So the project is designed not only to help us appreciate the beauty of the birds, but also to make us aware of the challenges that they face and to inspire us to become advocates for them. The murals range from lovely panels that fill in a former window to spectacular paintings covering the entire side of a building. In addition to seeing at least 30 murals during the walk, we visit John James Audubon’s impressive gravesite in the Trinity Church Cemetery.

About Leigh Hallingby: Leigh is a licensed New York City tour guide who specializes in Harlem, Morningside Heights, and the Upper West Side. She is passionate about exploring all five NYC boroughs and beyond on foot, mostly through organized walking tours. Leigh is retired from a 36-year career as a non-profit librarian. She loves doing research about the neighborhoods in which she gives tours and sharing the information about them with attendees. Leigh is a feminist, collector, genealogist, and lover of arts, culture, and travel. After residing in the suburbs of NYC for many years, she now loves living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.