Birds of the Germantown Greenway (2026)
Birds of the Germantown Greenway (2026)
Artist: Jennalyn Speer
Medium: Paint on Concrete
Location: Kimbrough Greenway Trailhead , 8108 Wolf River Blvd, Germantown, TN 38138
Description:
This mural highlights the birds of the Germantown Greenway. A black-crowned night heron leads more than 150 bird species, depicted in silhouette, that have been documented along the Greenway. Of these, 107 species have been recorded within a small patch of forest at the Riverwoods State Nature Area, where the tunnel leads.
The heron holds a land stake in its beak, marked with the tunnel’s coordinates. Flowing orange tape winds through the composition, echoing the shape of the Wolf River and inviting reflection on land and water use, as well as themes of human ownership, dominance, and responsibility.
Some birds call Germantown “home” year-round. Others use the Germantown Greenway as summer nesting grounds or as an annual stopover during migration. Each year, birds travel north in the spring to their breeding grounds and return south in the fall to winter in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Most of these remarkable travelers weigh less than an ounce.
Because most bird species migrate at night, this nocturnal scene pays homage to the extraordinary abundance of life that depends on this small but vital patch of land along the Wolf River in Germantown.
To learn more about the birds represented in this mural please click HERE.
This project is funded by the Germantown Public Art Program
Artist: Jennalyn Speer
Jennalyn Speer’s art aims to celebrate, educate, and raise awareness about bird conservation to promote a deeper biological, cultural, emotional, and spiritual connection to the natural world. Rooted in her Christian faith, she finds God’s creation and the life of Jesus to be the primary motivators for her creativity, viewing environmental stewardship as a profound spiritual calling.
Speer earned her MFA in Painting and a Museum Studies certificate from the University of Memphis. She also holds undergraduate degrees in Fine Art and Elementary Education from Freed-Hardeman University.
