While Santa Cruz County has an abundance of public murals featuring everything from sea life in honor of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to crate label murals paying tribute to the agricultural region of south county, a unique piece has become a cornerstone of Boulder Creek in the San Lorenzo Valley. Home to old-growth coastal redwood trees, this mountain town has an unofficial mascot: Albert the white peacock.   

At over 1,200 feet, the mural covers the side of a prominent building on Highway 9 through town, Albert is featured standing prominently among redwood trees bathed in sunlight. Albert became a symbol of Boulder Creek and resiliency, in particular following the CZU Fire in August 2020 when the San Lorenzo Valley was decimated by the destructive blaze. This albino peacock lived in a quiet residential neighborhood where locals kept an eye on his welfare as he made his way around the streets for what locals estimate was three decades.