A mural by Stephanie Rozzo is now helping visitors to Monterey understand what the city’s natural landscape looked like over 400 years ago.

A 2011 graduate of CSU Monterey Bay’s science illustration program, Rozzo was commissioned to create a 12-foot by 5-foot mural that was unveiled recently between Old Fisherman’s Wharf and Fisherman’s Shoreline Park on the city’s recreation trail.

The centerpiece of the mural is a Coast Live Oak tree. The massive tree provided shelter and a navigational beacon for native people, Spanish explorers and seafaring merchants, according to a news release from the city. Landing ceremonies were held under the oak to celebrate the discovery of Monterey Bay in 1602, and the founding of the Presidio in 1770.

In the mural, the oak is surrounded by native flora and fauna and Junipero Creek, which emptied into the bay.

Rozzo is a portrait and scientific illustrator who specializes in plants, animals, people and geology. Her work has been featured in museums, textbooks and other publications including National Geographic magazine.

She studied native plants and trees to get the proper view of what the area looked like four centuries ago.“I researched everything I could and tried to make it as accurate as possible,”she told the Monterey Herald. “It was a little idealized, but I think that adds to it and makes it a little more fun.”