Mural Brightens Underpass on Carlisle Trail

Tucked beneath a stretch of I-81 in Carlisle, a new Sprocket mural by artist Suzanne Rende brings a splash of nature to cement bridge piers on the Letort Spring Run Nature Trail.

The piece, called “Pillars of Nature,” features birds, a fish, a chipmunk, a bumble bee, a butterfly, and native plants. Its installation was organized by the Letort Regional Authority, using a grant from the Dickinson College Center for Civic Learning and Action. Residents and trail users suggested the wildlife featured through a survey.

Rende speaks highly of her experience painting the piece.

“Although the highway above me was loud, it also provided shade and acted as an umbrella,” the York-based artist said. “I love being surrounded by nature, so I enjoyed working on the trail very much.” 

She had several animal sightings while painting the 24-foot pillars.

“One morning, a heron glided just above the water from upstream to downstream as far as I could see,” she says. “I also saw deer and spotted a muskrat swimming.”

The design process was the longest part of the project. Rende started “with a seemingly endless list of suggested flora and fauna” from those surveyed. 

“I sifted through each suggestion and researched if it was native to the area, keeping in mind the shape of the piers, before adding it to the list of possibilities,” Rende said. “Once the list was narrowed down to twelve, I sketched the design for approval, learned to operate a boom lift and got out my paint brushes.”

She completed the painting in September 2025.

In addition to nature, Rende found humans on the trail, many of whom admired her work.

“It’s always fantastic to hear the positive feedback,” she says, noting that painting a large public mural can be overwhelming.

“No matter how many murals I have painted, I always feel a huge sense of accomplishment and relief when they’re complete,” she says.