Some of Stockport’s most precious birds and insects have been featured in a new mural, which has been commissioned by Groundwork Greater Manchester.
The underside of the bridge on Great Underbank, outside Merseyway Shopping Centre, has been transformed in to a ‘daytime to nighttime’ scene featuring some of Stockport’s most unusual and rare species that can all be found in the local area.
The artwork has been created by one of Greater Manchester’s best known street artists, Stockport’s very own Russ Meehan, also known as Qubek.
The first bird you can see, at the daytime end, is the black and white head of a Willow tit. Stockport and the wider Greater Manchester area are among the last UK strongholds for this rapidly declining species, which favours the wet woodland habitats of Stockport’s river valleys. There’s also a Purple Hairstreak butterfly, which can be found up in the canopy of oak trees in Stockport’s mature woodlands, such as in Etherow and Marple.
The scene then turns to dusk and nighttime as the bridge reaches the air raid shelters. Here you can spot a Common Pipistrelle bat, the species most frequently recorded in Stockport’s parks and gardens, a Tawny Owl, and a Lunar Hornet Moth, a striking species that can be found in the borough’s woodlands.
Groundwork has been working with local communities in Stockport for the past three years rewilding the town centre, planting over 50,000 bulbs, enhancing green spaces, and creating spaces for people to sit down, relax, and connect with nature. The mural also marks the recent launch of Nature For All – the local nature recovery strategy for Greater Manchester.
The mural is the latest addition to Stockport Town Centre, which is undergoing the UK’s largest town centre regeneration. Backed by a £2bn investment, the transformation is delivering thousands of new homes, jobs and public spaces, while celebrating the character and identity that make Stockport unique.
Stockport’s new mural was commissioned by Groundwork Greater Manchester in partnership with Stockport Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and has been funded by the UK Government.
Lucy Stowell-Smith, strategic lead for urban nature at Groundwork Greater Manchester, said: “Art is a wonderful way to help people notice and appreciate the local wildlife that is living alongside them and this stunning mural celebrates all that has been achieved in recent years to green the town centre and encourage nature back.
“Over the last few years, our Wild About Stockport project has had a huge impact with more planting and biodiversity improvements across the town centre and this artwork will continue to inspire local people to explore, protect, and enjoy the beautiful green spaces we now have in Stockport.
“The location of this new overhead mural is perfect as it identifies the creatures and insects that can be seen flying above us. It also sits right next to Caitilin Marie Atherton’s excellent bottle top mural, so it feels like the creatures have flown up from one mural to another.”
