Starting this August, Greenbelt will launch the Glow Mural Project, a unique nighttime art experience that blends glow-in-the-dark murals, hands-on community science, and native plant restoration across four of its North Shore properties. This innovative public art project will run from August 12 through October and is made possible with support from a Creative County Initiative grant from the Essex County Community Foundation.
To celebrate the launch of this project, Greenbelt will host a free “Star Party” on August 12 at Donovan Reservation in Hamilton, 8:15 – 9:45pm, in partnership with the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club. Visitors of all ages are invited to stargaze and engage with the glowing art installations. Participation in this after-hours community event is free, but advance registration is required.
A Collaborative Effort
Working in collaboration with local artist Jenn Houle, Greenbelt will install glow-in-the-dark murals on large paving stones at the following locations, each depicting nighttime pollinators and dark-sky scenes designed to inspire curiosity and deepen connection with the nocturnal ecosystem:
- Seine Field (Gloucester)
- Ordway Reservation (West Newbury)
- Donovan Reservation (Hamilton)
- Vineyard Hill Reservation (Hamilton/Topsfield)
At each site, visitors will be encouraged to use their phones to participate in the Globe at Night community science program — contributing real data that helps researchers understand how light pollution affects moths, bats, bees, and other essential pollinators. Participants will receive a passport-style brochure with instructions and earn a prize for completing all four sites.
The goal of the Glow Mural Project is to use site-specific public art to raise awareness about the impact of light pollution on native pollinators, engage the community in meaningful scientific data collection, and create lasting habitat through native plant restoration across Essex County.
Following the summer data collection, each mural site will be seeded with native pollinator-essential flowering plants in collaboration with The Monarch Gardener, leaving a lasting habitat for pollinators. The murals will rotate to new Greenbelt properties each year, expanding this effort across Essex County.