FARMINGTON—A tiny bird is part of a wildlife ecosystem that connects Argentina with Utah. The Phalarope flies 2,500 miles to fuel up on brine flies at the Great Salt Lake before continuing their migration along the Pacific flyway. A wildlife mural being painted on the walls of the conservation hall at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay depicts the many unique birds that migrate to the Great Salt Lake.

Artist Franco Cervato Cozza traveled from Cordoba, Argentina to the United States and painted his first mural in California then he came to Farmington. 

“The Mono Lake Committee saw my mural and asked me to come here,” he said. “It’s a symbol of the birds traveling from Argentina and the three biggest salt lakes where birds go. The U.S. and Argentina care about lakes because that’s where the birds live.”

An American Wigeon in flight – just one of the many beautiful birds that frequent the area of the Great Salt Lake. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle.

Cozza said he makes sketches on a computer in Argentina but went off-sketch here. “I like to improvise. It's very fun. Providing a wall is new for me. I work eight hours every day and then rest. It’s a lot.” 

Images taken by Brandon Jones, a local wildlife photographer and center volunteer, are projected onto the wall then Cozza sketches them in. If he makes a mistake he fills it with more paint. “If I mess up I just add another layer.”

After he completes this project he’ll head to Santa Cruz, California to paint a mural on three walls there. “You’ll be able to see it from the road,” said Cozza. “It’s difficult because of the water, rain and sun. More people can see it but it’s the hardest place to work.”

Cozza said if it rains he stops working. “I go to my room for a few hours then come back. It can rain and then 20 minutes later you have sun again. If the rain ruins it – I paint it again.”

A Cooper’s Hawk scans the landscape for its next meal in Cervato Cozza’s wildlife mural. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle.

“The mural is a great creative outlet to educate the public,” said Ashley Kijowski, Eccles Wildlife Education Center Coordinator. “People can look at the beautiful mural and learn about it. It includes each of the important habitats.”

There’s 350,000 acres of wetlands on the east/northeastern side, she said. “The state manages about 48% of those wetlands and two thirds of the wetlands are managed by state, federal and nonprofit agencies that all work together to create a wildlife habitat.”

The Great Salt Lake is more than just a lake, said Kijowski. “The Great Salt Lake wetlands provide forage, nesting and resting habitats. There are 12 million birds that come here each year.”

What Argentina and Utah have in common is the Great Salt Lake, she said. “It provides so much of the birds’ food, brine shrimp and brine flies. There are billions and billions of them. The birds come here and fuel up to complete their migration. Some nest here because there is so much forage.”

Kijowski has worked at the center for 10 years, nine of those as a biologist. “It was really fun as a biologist to be out on the lake but being able to show people what it is and to watch Franco paint the mural on the walls is so cool. It’s a dream job.”

Cozza said he enjoys this project because it’s about the ecosystem, and the symbol of birds. “I like traveling and having new experiences about the ecosystem and the people are nice here. It’s been a good experience. This is my favorite place.”

The Eccles Wildlife Education Center is open Tuesday – Saturday from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. There are two miles of trail system that is open every day. The center also offers summer programs and seminars. Follow them on Facebook for event information at Eccles wildlife education center.