Young Wellingtonians will be treated to an immersive adventure in Central Park this November, blending the virtual with
the real world to help rescue NZ’s wildlife from predators.
Kaia the Kākā is an imaginative fusion of technology, nature, creativity and strategy exploring new ways for young people to become
innovative thinkers and engage with the idea of a nature rich world.
Using a smartphone and Facebook messenger, players can help Kaia - a virtual Kākā - who’s looking to set up her nest in
Central Park. Players can interact with Kaia, taking photos through the app and answering special challenges to rescue
her from advancing predators. Aligned with the Predator Free NZ initiative, Kaia the Kākā is a collaboration between
Nature Through Arts Collective, Enspiral, artists Kemi Niko & Co and Lift Education. It is supported by the NZ National Commission for UNESCO, Wellington City Council and Wellington
Community Trust.
“We hope to inspire and engage young people and their families, whanau and community to reconnect to their city’s
natural world through this unique, augmented ‘on-foot’ journey”, says Nature Through Arts Collective co-director Nikki
Wright “We’re drawing on children’s love of game and their natural skill in technology to awaken environmental curiosity & interest.”
The adventure also combines urban nature with unique artworks created by Kemi Niko & Co who created the city’s popular ‘Miniature Hikes’ series.
Enspiral’s Damian Sligo-Green knew from the start that the project held potential. “We realised that by combining
creativity, storytelling and nature-immersion in just the right way, we could create a magical and lasting experience
for young people and adults alike. We’ve only just started to scratch the surface of what’s possible and we’re already
planning the next iterations with bigger narratives and new technology at a grander scale.”
The project builds on the success of the Collective’s recent pilot, the Imagine My City 100 Day creative challenge, a community based project aiming to ignite the imaginations and dreams of young people for a neighbourhood full of
nature.
Kaia the Kākā is a free to play beta-journey open to the public from Saturday 11th of November and runs through to the
10th of December.
For more information, contact the team:
Nikki Wright | 027 2263517 | naturethroughthearts@gmail.com.
Damian Sligo-Green | 0275102520 | damian@enspiral.com