Old Ephriam, the Grizzly Bear Courtesy & © Logan City, Chris Petersen Artist

White-faced Ibis along the Little Logan River Courtesy & © Logan City, Chris Petersen Artist

Art Tells a Story in Merlin Olsen Park

Logan City teamed with Utah Wildlife Federation, Utah Wildlife Walls, Utah Cutthroat Slam, the Western Native Trout Initiative, the Bridgerland Audubon Society and Cache Anglers. They engaged Chris Peterson to tell local wildlife stories on the walls of the Merlin Olsen Park pedestrian tunnel under 200 East. Bridgerland Audubon supported the project both financially and by recommending key subjects. We can read and listen to these topics as presented on Wild About Utah, a production of Utah Public Radio, Bridgerland Audubon and others:

• Cutthroat Trout
• VanZanten, Chadd, A “no-trouts-land” on the Logan River, Wild About Utah, December 5, 2016, https://wildaboututah.org/a-no-trouts-land-on-the-logan-river/
• Leavitt, Shauna, Recovery of Native Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in Right-hand Fork, Wild About Utah, March 12, 2018, https://wildaboututah.org/recovery-of-native-bonneville-cutthroat-trout-in-right-hand-fork/
• White Faced Ibis
• Strand, Holly, Important Bird Areas, Wild About Utah, October 21, 2008. https://wildaboututah.org/important-bird-areas/
• Grizzly Bear
• Strand, Holly, The Bear Facts Old Ephraim, Wild About Utah, June 17, 2008 https://wildaboututah.org/the-bear-facts-old-ephriam/
• Boling, Josh, Old Ephraim, The Infamous Northern Utah Grizzly, Wild About Utah, August 7, 2017, https://wildaboututah.org/old-ephraim-the-infamous-northern-utah-grizzly/
• Fireflies
• Bills, Christy, Fireflies, Wild About Utah, May 15, 2019, https://wildaboututah.org/fireflies/
• Monarch Butterflies
• Liberatore, Andrea, Monarch Butterflies, Wild About Utah, September 13, 2012, https://wildaboututah.org/monarch-butterflies/
• Barth, Amanda, Monarchs, Wild About Utah, December 14, 2020, https://wildaboututah.org/monarchs/

Watch this page as we unveil more about the Art of Chris Petersen and the wildlife depicted on the Merlin Olsen Park Wildlife Tunnel walls.
https://www.celebrateutahwildlife.org/

Monarch Butterflies Courtesy & © Hilary Shughart, Chris Petersen Artist	White-faced Ibis along the Little Logan River Courtesy & Copyright Logan City, Chris Petersen Artist
Native Cutthroat Trout Tail Courtesy & © Logan City, Chris Petersen Artist	Native Cutthroat Trout Head Courtesy & © Logan City, Chris Petersen Artist

October 30, 2024 Social

[/caption]The public was invited to attend a social at Merlin Olsen Park recognizing the new wildlife mural painted by Chris Peterson on Wednesday, October 30th, from 5:30 to 6:60 PM.
The social was held at the 200 East pedestrian tunnel in the park. Hot chocolate and donuts were served. [updated from Logan City]

Allen, Corbin, Reel nice: New Logan-city mural features 70-foot trout, Old Ephraim and more, HJNews, October 31, 2024, https://www.hjnews.com/news/local/reel-nice-new-logan-city-mural-features-70-foot-trout-old-ephraim-and-more/article_217fdb08-9739-11ef-b552-fb4db2d93894.html

Schill, Charlie, Logan City sets outdoor social to celebrate new artwork by mural artist Chris Peterson, Cache Valley Daily, October 25, 2024, https://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/logan-city-sets-outdoor-social-to-celebrate-new-artwork-by-mural-artist-chris-peterson/article_5e93a642-92e7-11ef-8992-1b95c4a1602e.html

Casper, Clarissa, Logan City seeks downtown property owners interested in funding for murals, HJ News, May 23, 2023, https://www.hjnews.com/news/local/logan-city-seeks-downtown-property-owners-interested-in-funding-for-murals/article_aa3e8138-f8e3-11ed-9ac1-4789b6b85c93.html

Logan City: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=991898666298778&set=a.239630524858933

Utah Wildlife Federation: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=934193215409374&id=100064561129476&_rdr

View the tunnel art by Chris Petersen:
https://www.celebrateutahwildlife.org/

“Utah Wildlife Federation -Utah Wildlife Walls muralist Chris Peterson and I agree that the impact will be much greater if the east-facing walls are included in the mural project, and he has asked for species suggestions – I had initially contacted him with the idea of Plants for Birds, showing the birds and butterflies, etc. which benefit from native plants in the home landscape, but the more detail and species, the less impactful from a distance, and the higher the price tag. Then I tried recalling the various species we thought might be suitable candidates as a mascot for the Logan City Forestry Division, and then I may have had a eureka moment: how about the White-faced Ibis, the very reason for the Cutler Reservoir and Marsh Important Bird Area of Global Importance (thanks in no small part to Bryan Dixon and Kim Sullivan), a legacy project of BAS[Bridgerland Audubon Society] and IBA partners, including PacifiCorp and the Bud Phelps WMA.” [Hilary Shughart, Mar 13, 2024]