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The colorful flying insects adorning the mural near 64th Street and Becher Place in West Allis could soon be joined by real-life counterparts — if a local group achieves its goal of transforming the area into a prairie pollinator garden.
A pocket prairie pollinator garden is a small-scale garden that uses native grasses and wildflowers to provide habitat and food sources for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Organizers with the East Allis Neighborhood Association have proposed turning the entire mural area into such a garden. They’re seeking volunteers to help plan, plant and maintain the space, and are asking the community to show support for the project at an upcoming meeting at the West Allis Public Library.
The city would need to approve the plan. Mayor Dan Devine, city administration officials, the Common Council and the West Allis Forestry Department have been invited to participate in the discussion, which is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at the library, 7421 W. National Ave., in the Constitution Room.
The meeting will include discussions on fundraising, as well as planning for landscaping and signage to help launch the project, organizers said.
Jon Cervantes, a member of the East Allis Neighborhood Association, said the proposed garden would build on existing pollinator beds already installed near the mural, which include native plants and butterfly houses.
Cervantes said the group is working to gain approval from the city’s forestry department, which has raised concerns about long-term maintenance.
“We need to convince the forestry department that it’s a worthy project,” Cervantes said. “They’re worried that everybody has that excitement at the beginning and then won’t follow up on taking care of it.”
He also added that community support will play a key role in determining whether the project moves forward.
The “Flight of Beauty and Unity” mural was created by John Kowalczyk in 2021. It shows species of moths from all over the world in flight together. “The flurry of wings create a calm sense of motion and weightlessness that dance across the wall,” Kowalczyk told the Milwaukee Journal at the time.
For more information, contact the West Allis Public Library at (414) 302-8503 or visit its website. Information about the East Allis Neighborhood Association and how to donate to the project is available on its Facebook page or by emailing eanawestallis@gmail.com.
Adrienne Davis is a south suburban reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
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