WildLab

WildLab is a group of designers and researchers committed to growing a world where people and nature thrive together.

We collaborate with community groups, iwi, farmers, business, and government agencies. Together, we create regenerative landscapes, strategies, experiences, and communication tools that connect them and their partners with te taiao and nature.

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Te Araroa Map Series and Toolkit

Be among the first to explore Te Araroa in a whole new way. This new six-map series brings the whole trail together, beautifully designed for walkers, section-planners, and everyone who’s part of the Te Araroa journey.

$58.00

Southern Faces - An Introduction to Rock Climbing in Ōtepoti Dunedin

Southern Faces is a comprehensive climbing guidebook for Ōtepoti Dunedin, created to fill a 25-year gap in local climbing information. Designed and edited by WildLab's very own Riley Smith, the project brought together climbers, designers, mana whenua and scientists to produce an accurate and visually engaging resource. It combines detailed route descriptions, maps and access notes with essays and photography that highlight the region’s geology, ecology and climbing culture.

$48.00

Southern Faces Tees - Pinnacle

Tees feature Dave Brash’s original topos from his 2000 classic Dunedin Rock - cheers Dave!. These shirts are a tribute to the cliffs, climbs and community that continue to shape the climbing story of Ōtepoti. There are three awesome designs to choose from!

$48.00

Southern Faces - Tees

$48.00

Our Projects

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Kiwi Ranger Programme New Zealand

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Kiwi Ranger is a hands-on education programme designed by WildLab to connect tamariki and their whānau with the natural world through playful, site-specific activities. From tasting honeydew to sculpting driftwood and exploring barefoot, each location offers a unique, sensory experience. The programme ran at 16 sites and was the nationwide pilot for DOC's Kiwi Guardians initiative.

Waitui Farm: Growing a Forest Future

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Waitui Farm explores how residential development can actively contribute to native forest restoration, reconnecting Geraldine to the Southern Alps via ecological corridors. By integrating biodiversity goals into land-use planning, the project demonstrates a regenerative approach to rural-urban design.

Seaview Vineyard Landscape Restoration Strategy

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WildLab and Yealands Wine Group devised a landscape strategy across 250 ha, planting native vegetation to boost biodiversity, restore coastal, riparian, and hillside ecosystems, support seed dispersal, enhance amenity value, and strengthen brand storytelling through ecologically rich design.

Taranaki Tracks and Trails Strategy 2040

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The Taranaki Tracks and Trails Strategy 2040 sets a long-term vision for how journeys through the region can connect people with the mana of Taranaki. By grounding design in cultural narrative and ecological values, the strategy offers a pathway for tracks and trails to inspire, connect, and transform communities and visitors alike.

Field Notes

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New Zealand’s ‘Arc of Influence’: The ‘Clean, Blue, Green’ Country

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New Zealand is often imagined as a handful of islands in the Pacific—but its territory is now mostly ocean. This study explores how mapping can reshape our sense of national identity, proposing a shift from “clean green” to a more expansive “clean, blue, green” vision grounded in conservation and connection.

WildLab Field Guide to Designing Great Storytelling Panels

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For over a decade we’ve been designing storytelling panels that connect people with nature. This guide shares the principles behind our work—how good design and strong stories can inspire, build connection, and help communities bring the values of Te Taiao to life.

The Story of the National Parks of Aotearoa New Zealand

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In September 2017 we brought the story of the national parks of Aotearoa New Zealand to Beijing, China. It was hosted at the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture, and shows the ways the National Park idea has evolved over the last 130 years in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Behind the Image

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This column, some years back for Wilderness Magazine, takes a look at our love of pristine wilderness photos—those calendar shots with no people, no huts, no mess. But behind every image is someone swatting sandflies, hauling gear, and eating tuna from a foil pouch. Maybe it’s time we showed that too

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