Ōmaha Shorebird tea towel collaboration

Partway through 2025, I was invited to work with the Ōmaha Shorebird Protection Trust (OSPT) on creating a tea towel design that brought attention to the birds that make up the diversity of the spit. The Ōmaha Spit is 60km North of Auckland and forms a barrier between the ocean and Whangateau Harbour. It is important for a range of native shorebirds for food and breeding. Specifically, the threatened New Zealand dotterel and variable oystercatcher, whose fledgling rates are dangerously low, mostly due to human interference during the breeding seasons, cats and other predators.

https://www.omahashorebirds.co.nz/

I was very happy to be part of this project, and the visit to the proposed sanctuary was memorable. Seeing the birds so close on the beach in this special place is such an asset to the community. Living in the forest, native birds surround me, and we have a new Tui fledgling visiting us for a swim and drinks from the little pot we leave out on the deck for the birds. I think at times we take nature for granted. We must not; we will suffer if we don’t exercise our ability to protect, and I believe it plays a major role in creating comfort and a sense of belonging to the larger, living world. 

Birds don’t only exist in trees.

When it comes to forests and gardens, our birds are less vulnerable to humans, and we accept that birds live in trees and mostly leave them alone.

However, we view the beach as our playground, our right to access as we please. This makes a real challenge for the tiny creatures that nest and feed on the shoreline. The OSPT are working very hard to educate the community and garner financial support to protect this small oasis of birdlife. 

Well-being is not the same as ‘free will’.

I discovered a recent study from Japan that assessed the impact to urban residents’ noticing nearby birdlife and butterflies. (Soga, 2025)

The study deals with the growing disconnect between people and nature and its effect on humans. Noticing nature is not a passive activity; it involves observing and being totally involved in the present moment, which helps to restore the brain’s ability to concentrate in an overstimulating world. It’s ironic that by learning more about human health, we discover just how important nature is, and the preservation of it. Perhaps that’s the same as saying we realise we have taken it for granted? This article highlights that the ‘noticing’ of nature is a key factor in shaping how we engage with it. It’s the start of taking action to protect it. So perhaps those who notice nature more are the ones who do the most to protect it? Perhaps also we can say they are happier people? We can, according to this study. They found that individuals who were more likely to notice birdsong and sight birds tended to have less depression and feelings of isolation.

 The study also involved butterflies, and those who noticed butterflies reported stronger pro-conservation attitudes.

There are many studies like this that prove the benefits and importance of engagement with nature, but when it comes to protecting nature in urban areas, there are sacrifices to make. That’s when we find it hard; it goes against our idea of freedom or free will, so relying on that alone to dictate actions is not necessarily good for us.

Taonga – the real meaning of ‘treasure’

For the first time in my career as a designer and artist, a typo slipped through to the bulk print. At this stage of checking for me, the colour is my biggest concern as I need it to match the approved artwork. Anyhow, it happened, and a solution was found to fix said typo – the word Taonga, spelt incorrectly as Toanga. Absolutely, my accident. Nobody noticed in the final checks, but still, I felt full responsibility. It made me reflect on what that word really means. Treasure, something valuable, a prized possession that can be a tangible item, it also could be intangible, the value placed on a language, person or place. With Ōmaha Spit, is the Taonga the birds or the place? Or both? What about the people who are working so hard to protect it? The stories of Ōmaha, memories passed down through generations, it’s all of those things.  It’s intrinsic to the identity of the area.

My deeper self knows all of this, but the hustle of life sometimes gets in the way, and you forget. We do need constant reminding, and my own reminder was through a typo, painful, but a moment that will be added to the treasure of life itself.

Let’s protect our shorebirds together; it’s a success story. 

Support the trust by purchasing a tea towel. Please fill out the order form from the link below. You may collect your order on one of the designated collection days in Ōmaha or have it posted to you. Thank you.

Soga, M. (2025). Noticing nearby wildlife at home is associated with enhanced mental health and pro-conservation attitudes. Tokyo: Biological Conservation.