As part of the process of putting the artwork together for our merino range we became aware of the real need that exists in New Zealand to protect some of our “at risk” endangered species.
It was staggering to learn that 40% of the bird species alone in New Zealand are at risk of extinction.
The use of the wide range of animals that fall into this category as art for our merino range strengthened our resolve to try and make a difference. The two ways we felt that we could help were to put some money in to support programmes in place that were working and secondly to draw attention to the issue.
Every story we read made us more committed. A favourite of mine was the Fairy Tern, a bird we chose for our merino range for summer 2017/18. It is a story of the dedication of local volunteers that has seen the species numbers grow incredibly.
So, we developed the “wanted alive not dead” theme. This year we are intending to modify the theme with some fresh art but still focusing on endangered native species.
We have supported the Fairy Term Trust, Kakapo Recovery - run in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and the Endangered Species Foundation.
A recent television series focused on the future path for New Zealand. I loved the enthusiastic commitment of young New Zealanders to hold on to what is good in New Zealand.