Our adopted Kākāpo

In 2015 we painted a large 2.4m2 cube in Aotea Square for Auckland Artweek. The outcome of selling those paintings was to raise funds to donate to a charity of our choice. We wanted to find an organisation who works closely with our endemic birds & found the Kākāpo Recovery programme who are doing great things down in the South Island of New Zealand.

By the 1970s only 18 birds were known to exist. A group of passionate volunteers & Department of Conservation workers began their effort to protect, manage & grow the population after the discovery of a population in 1977 on Stewart Island.

Here we are in 2016 & there are still only 150 birds in existence! Our passion is to use our art to bring awareness to our endemic/native birdlife, to the local communities & the work of the great volunteers who are passionate about the same things as us. We adopted Kuia & will be looking at ways to continue this on a greater level in the future. Our dream would be to paint a large mural down where she lives so fingers crossed someone can help to make that a reality. Also if you would like to support the great work they are doing head to the web address below!

Name: Kuia (old wise woman), Ngāti Kuia Iwi of Maud Island

Hatched: 3 March 1998

Mother: Flossie

Father: Richard Henry