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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Guide Hill Station Outdoor Museum Interpretation Design

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A sequence of interpretation panels weaves stories through tussockland, guiding visitors across Guide Hill Station’s landscape. These panels unfold the history and ecology of merino sheep, mountains, wild Pūkaki, lakes, and restoration efforts—bringing the land’s heritage vividly to life.

Oparara Basin Experience Design

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Using a ‘Lost World’ narrative, this design transforms Oparara Basin into a top-tier West Coast experience. Visitors encounter moa silhouettes at the entry, then use augmented-reality storytelling to connect past extinctions with present-day conservation efforts—spurring engagement with native species like whio and kiwi.

Matakana Coast Tracks and Trails Strategy

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The Matakana Coast Tracks and Trails Strategy provides a roadmap for how the community can channel its energy and commitment into creating a truly connected regional network. Through careful analysis and collaborative planning, the strategy sets out a vision for trails that link coast, forest, and community, strengthening both place and people.

Pancake Rocks Punakaiki Storytelling Project

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Wildlab collaborated with DOC and Ngāti Waewae to create a sequence of panels at Punakaiki that blend into the coastal setting with bold, engaging design. Covering geology, wildlife, and cultural perspectives, the panels invite visitors to look closer, learn more, and take part in caring for Paparoa National Park and Aotearoa’s natural world.

Field Notes

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Social Natures

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How do landscapes and people shape each other? From stone walls built after forests were cleared, to regenerating bush reclaiming old farmland, it reveals how places are formed through work, memory, and material. Rather than viewing nature and architecture as separate, it shows them as deeply entwined—built from shared histories, changing relationships, and ongoing conversations.

Forever Wild

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This recent column reflects on how moments in wild places shape who we are. It traces the history of New Zealand’s protected lands and how they came to be, while noting the pressures they face today. It asks us to consider the shared responsibility we all have for ensuring these places remain fully protected both now and into the future.

New Land

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This exploratory map invites us to see Aotearoa’s public conservation lands—covering a third of the country—not as fixed or finished, but as places full of fresh potential. Re-imagined as a newly discovered archipelago, it prompts us to ask how we might live differently within these lands. Could they foster new forms of innovation, economy, and culture grounded in restoration, care, and a deep engagement with nature?

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.

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Our Projects

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