A colorful, flight-friendly mural adorns the once-bare windows of the Plains Art Museum along 1st Avenue North in downtown Fargo, North Dakota—windows where urban bird strike injuries and deaths have long been an issue and concern of the museum’s staff. This summer a group of passionate teens and adults are hopeful that through art and advocacy, they will no longer have to worry about the fates of the birds flying nearby because of their latest art installation, Flight Without Fear.

Over a two-week period during the summer, 16 teens from the community gathered for Buzz Lab Teen Collective at the Plains Art Museum to learn, create, and advocate. The teens, who are passionate about the environment as well as art, learn through activities, presentations, and hands-on engagement with contributors from the museum, local organizations, and community members. The experience culminates in the teens working collectively as they develop an artistic project and inspiring advocacy materials with support from their committed facilitators.

The dedicated program leader of Buzz Lab and Plains Art Museum’s Community Engagement Manager, Alatera McCann, explains that Buzz Lab “…provides opportunities for students of varied ages and school districts to socialize, learn, and create together. As facilitators, we provide resources, tools, and guidance for the students to lead the conversation and engagement in the community.”

At a reception to celebrate the teens’ accomplishments at the end of the program, one participant shared about Buzz Lab’s impact and the group’s hopes for the message they are working to spread through their reception, public mural, and advocacy materials: “I really love finding this group of like-minded people that I can work together with…I had not really thought about window strikes that much before Buzz Lab and I hadn’t given that much thought to light pollution either and I learned a lot! I really hope that coming here and listening to this inspires you to help our birds, plants, and pollinators.” Laid thoughtfully on the tables at the reception were charming zines, hand-illustrated written books, that shared more information about nighttime pollinators and migrators, providing clear information, detailed illustrations, and suggestions for supporting nature at night.

Environmental changes are all around us. Inspiring a new generation to act together is essential to make substantial and sustainable improvements that protect natural environments and wildlife. Chelsea Steffes, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Plains Art Museum, reinforces Buzz Lab’s powerful model to learn, create, and advocate, stating, “It teaches teens how to come together, collaborate, and use their power to work towards a common goal.”

Many organizations and individuals supported Buzz Lab’s mission over the two-week period, including Audubon Great Plains, whose Coordinator of Outreach, Kelly Tebben, was invited as a contributor to the collective, presenting on “Flight at Night.” Many moths and birds accomplish incredible feats of pollination or migration in the darkness of night. Learners harnessed their new knowledge and creativity, crafting moths and testing their pollination prowess using Glo Germ powder, a sticky powder that glows under UV light and can mimic pollen. Then, students explored the role moths play in providing nutrition for many bird species, in addition to pollinating plants. The final topics of discovery were the incredible nighttime acts of many migrating bird species, including the daunting challenges faced by migrating birds across varying landscapes. There was an emphasis on actions that anyone can take to protect and advocate for migrating birds: turning
out or limiting unnecessary lights at night, applying window-strike deterrents, and supporting natural habitats across all flyways.

The culminating artistic endeavor, Flight Without Fear, explores the threat posed to birds by windows; researchers now estimate that collisions could kill over a billion birds per year in the United States. The
mural’s dual purpose is to save birds by disrupting the confusing reflections presented in the windows and also to engage the public in learning about the importance of bird-safe glass.
The collective explains, “We included the Western Meadowlark, North Dakota’s state bird, whose prairie home has been nearly eliminated by our cities and farmlands. The white-throated sparrow has the highest death rate from low-rise windows in the country. The background is dotted to break the reflection. Many bird species travel at night and are therefore distracted by city lights; it is no coincidence that a staggering majority of window strikes happen during migration season: the months of April, September, and October. Employing bold colors and a powerful composition, this mural is a call to take action to let the beautiful birds that soar through our skies truly fly without fear.”

To learn more about Buzz Lab Teen Collective, visit the Plains Art Museum’s webpage.