Capital Kiwi

The kiwi is central to New Zealand’s identity. Not only does it hold a special place as a national taonga, as Kiwis we also owe it our name.

Unfortunately, its lofty status hasn’t protected this sacred bird from the threat of introduced pests. Stoats in particular have forced its numbers to dwindle, with no kiwi currently living in the wild anywhere in the Wellington region. Capital Kiwi‘s mission is to support the return of kiwi to the area and encourage locals to become advocates of the project. They needed a website to help tell their story and engage Wellingtonians.

Delivering a platform inspired by belief, mana and Pōneke.

To inspire trust and build support from locals, Capital Kiwi‘s new website is designed with science and progress front-of-mind. A dynamic map on the homepage highlights the number of traps laid over time, documentary style photography is used to bring the project to life, and labels resemble scientific tags. Working together, the aesthetic helps to instil belief that our national bird roaming the capital‘s backyard is no pipe dream.

Prominent image and quote blocks show the people behind the project, like Iwi, volunteers, landowners and supporters, bringing out their voice to encourage participation and communicate Capital Kiwi‘s inspiring mahi.

A renewed interest in kiwi, by Kiwi.

The new website has seen a 234% increase in new users year-on-year and a 549% increase in total page views. Local interest is especially notable, with most users visiting from Wellington – welcome evidence of burgeoning support for our most famous bird.