NEDERLAND — Nederland residents may notice a new addition to their daily commute, as a vibrant new mural has suddenly appeared across the face of Nederland Feed and Pet at 74 Highway 72. It showcases a warm and familiar scene of mountain living, but also promotes a powerful message in the slogan it highlights to those traveling Highway 72. 

“Home Sweet Mitigated Home,” the slogan reads, a fitting catchphrase to capture the reality of home ownership in the mountains. It's also the name of Wildfire Partners’ latest campaign. 

“These murals should remind our residents that mitigating your home against wildfires is a necessary, achievable, and empowering part of living in Boulder County,” said Jim Webster, program manager for Wildfire Partners. “Together, we can build steps into routine home maintenance to make our entire community more resilient.” 

Wildfire Partners has served Boulder County and the Nederland people through their wildfire mitigation-focused programs since 2014. Their informative presentations, collaborations with the Nederland Fire Protection District, and support with the Lincoln Hills and TEENS, Inc. program TeamWorks, have helped to organize and manage successful neighborhood mitigation efforts, and to make mountain homes safer in the face of wildfire.

The aim of this new campaign is to encourage home mitigation as a normal part of life in the mountains. Recent studies showcase the sharp increase in wildfires in Colorado, and the US Forest Service ranks Boulder County as one of the “top 10 most at-risk areas for wildfire in the Rocky Mountain Region."

“Our goal with these murals is to build that community pride and empowerment around wildfire resilience,” said Katie Palubicki, Wildfire Outreach Program Coordinator, in an interview with The Mountain-Ear. The intention was to make home mitigation as normalized as home maintenance, in an effort to make all of Boulder County more resilient.

“The whole campaign is essentially to shift the narrative away from that fear-based response and to make it feel a little more approachable and remind folks that their home is more than just four walls," Palubicki said. "It’s a place that you want to protect.”

With support from Boulder-based nonprofit Street Wise Arts, a collaborative effort resulted in the perfect concept, locations, and artists for the job of reating these murals. 

Artist Taylor Shaw tackled the Lyons mural, located on the backside of the South Creek Fly Fishing building on Broadway between 4th and 5th Avenue. It focuses on a downtown vibe, in a distinct abstract style.\

The Nederland Feed and Pet off of Highway 72 is home to this mural by Colorado-based artist Rachel Dinda.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

Rachel Dinda created the Nederland mural, located right on the front of Nederland Feed and Pet. It highlights a cozy home in an iconic mountain vista.

“We’re lucky to have snagged her for the Ned mural,” Palubicki said about Colorado artist Dinda, who works in health and human services full-time. “I think she really captured the mountain community vibe. And she’s doing this in her off hours, so it’s very impressive with the speed she was able to get it done with as well.

“And that location is such a prominent spot,” Palubicki said about Highway 72 in Nederland. “Folks coming in from both directions can see it, and it gets so much tourist traffic from other parts of the county.  We do really want to show appreciation for the business owners that allowed us to put these murals up because they’re doing something very important for the community."

Both murals feature the words “Home Sweet Wildfire Mitigated Home,” and though each has a distinct style, there are subtle similarities in how each depiction of Boulder County living shows homes that are perfectly mitigated. 

“Go out, take a picture of the mural or with the mural, and tag Wildfire Partners on either Facebook or Instagram,” Palubicki said. The first 20 people to post a photo with the murals on social media, while tagging Wildfire Partners and sharing the mitigation steps they’ve taken at home, will receive a tote bag and stickers featuring the mural designs.   

"We’re hoping to spread the message more organically,” Palubicki said. “Wildfire mitigation isn’t really a one-time event; we’re hoping these murals remind homeowners that this is just a part of regular home maintenance every year. It starts with cleaning gutters, raking, trimming vegetation—and we do have rebates available that can help financially offset the cost of some of those mitigation items on their lists.”

From now until October 8, Boulder County residents may be eligible for a rebate of up to $500 from Wildfire Partners by completing one of the approved mitigation actions.

For more information about the rebates offered by Wildfire Partners, call 303-441-1420, email info@wildfirepartners.org or visit the website at: wildfirepartners.org.