Whilst strolling Red Moort Reserve you can expect to smell the sharp sweet scent of eucalyptus leaves or hear distant chirps of native birdlife, all whilst shrugging off the cold crisp morning air.
On this peaceful reserve located just out of Albany, special things are happening. A team of conservationists from Bush Heritage Australia are working towards their vision of restoring a heavily cleared landscape and encouraging wildlife back to the area. Red Moort Reserve is home to the newly built Michael Tichbon Field Station that houses over 100 staff and is where all ecological research now takes place. A collaborative space where knowledge and research can be shared.
Publik has designed interpretative signage that address’s the past, present and future plans of this off-grid facility and the reserve it is built upon.
Working closely with the Healthy Landscapes Manager, Simon Smale, Publik gathered topics for the signs and organised how this information ought to be communicated. It was agreed that the signs should read as a timeline. Starting from the very beginning, when the land was under Noongar care, and at full health. Then continuing on to the arrival of Europeans and the heavy farming of the land that lead to mass fragmentation. The topics to follow address the efforts made to reverse the effects of agriculture and restore the land.
A site visit to the field station provided an opportunity to take a closer look at the environment and what visual cues could be used and translated into the design language of the signs. Unique angles and shapes created by support beams from the field station are a dominate design element which became a key feature in the form of the signs. Each sign’s scale and angle are a direct reflection of the timeline and the health of the land.
The layout of signs was carefully curated to have minimal impact on the views seen from the Field Station with each sign angled away from the facility. Signage materials and colours were chosen taking cues from the property and the build, accompanied by an earthy palette reflecting the Bush Heritage brand and the property.
The suite is an opportunity for all those who visit the field station to stop and contemplate the past, present and future of this reserve. It’s a space for visitors to learn and be inspired by the amazing tenacity of the Bush Heritage team and what they are doing for our land and wildlife all over Australia.
