Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre has launched a new brand for the Pūkaha Rabbit Alliance: Ringa Atawhai me te Ringa Ahuwhenua.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) “Jobs for Nature” project works in the 3220ha buffer zone around the Pūkaha reserve to control a burgeoning rabbit population, coordinating neighbours and landowners, DOC, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Horizons Regional Council.
Rabbits are the main prey of ferrets and feral cats in particular, whose numbers are being driven to record levels within the reserve, resulting in increased threat to taonga species such as kiwi and kākā.
The te reo Māori programme name Ringa Atawhai me te Ringa Ahuwhenua means ‘conservation and farming hand in hand’. This is the sentiment of the Pūkaha Rabbit Alliance, and was put forward by Manahi Paewai, kaumātua Rangitāne o Tāmaki Nui a Rua.
Bek’s clever use of negative space has created a striking logo.
As she notes, “Negative space logos are intriguing but they’re often not a practical solution. In this case it was clear from the outset that the negative space was useful for adding another dimension to broaden what the logo communicates.”
“I researched New Zealand wildlife most affected by ferrets and stoats including photographs of birds at all stages of flight, take off, landing, walking or foraging. The shapes of kākā wings in flight gave the most opportunity to work with the negative space. The choice of pose for the rabbit was for clarity, but also steers away from cute and cuddly.”
“In the finished design, the positive space shows wildlife at play enjoying a predator free environment while the negative space ‘deletes’ the rabbit from this environment.”