In the city of South Beloit, which sits along a vibrant riverfront on the border of Illinois and Wisconsin, two murals and a glittering mosaic now highlight the region’s diverse avian residents—and the challenges they face. The works were created in partnership with the Audubon Mural Project and spearheaded by Jennifer Kuroda, president of the Sinnissippi Audubon chapter based in nearby Rockford. Kuroda, who has helped bring a bevy of other murals to northern Illinois, worked with Nature at the Confluence , an 80-acre nature preserve and environmental learning center, and received funding from the city and an Audubon in Action chapter grant to bring the artworks to life.

The three installations—one located in the city’s downtown, and two onsite at Nature at the Confluence—feature a range of plants and birds that can be spotted in the region, from migratory Whooping Cranes to songbirds like the Eastern Meadowlark.…