Penguin warning signs a real community project
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“These signs have been a real community project; there are so many groups who have made it possible.” Artist Chris Finlayson describes the new penguin warning signs that he designed using ideas and text from children at the Golden Bay Kindergarten.
Fulton Hogan erected the signs at Pohara on Tuesday and the kindergarten children, including some who have graduated to primary school in the meantime, visited the area to see the results of their ideas, see photo below.
The signs came about because, earlier in the year, kindergarten head teacher Biddy Leigh took in a penguin that had been killed on the road to show her students.
“The children were appalled,” said Biddy. “It was a risky thing to do, because we don’t like to upset our children unnecessarily, but they started asking about how this kind of thing could happen and how we could prevent it. One of them suggested that a sign would be a good idea. They’d seen the good signs on our roads that Chris has made. We decided to write to Chris using the ideas that the children came up with, and he came in to the kindergarten the day after he got the letter. The children were very impressed that an adult would take their ideas so seriously.”
Chris talked to the children about how they felt and what they thought should go on the signs.
“The first message they wanted communicated was, ‘stop squashing penguins’,” said Chris. “That makes perfect sense, so I went down and set up some signs straight away that said exactly that. I didn’t want the kids to think that no one was listening to them.”
“Then we started the process of designing, making and erecting four new official signs. It’s a complicated process. In the end, with the co-operation of Forest and Bird, the TDC, the Golden Bay Community Board, DOC, Manawhenua ki Mohua and Fulton Hogan, the job’s been completed. I think it’s great that the children’s ideas can be turned into community action.”
Neil Wilson
