A living archive of ecological attention

Designing ways
to stay curious
outside.

I’m Cullen, an experience designer studying Environmental Science at AUT. I’m usually outside hunting for Aotearoa’s wildlife, and what I find ends up in my design, photography and stories, in the hope it helps people care more about the places around them.

Explore my work →

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SPECIMEN 014
Carex testacea
37°02′S, 174°46′E
OCT 2026

THE WALK HOME, AFTER RAIN

01 / A small introduction

Design is how I got here. The outdoors is where I’m going.

After several years designing interfaces, I’m retraining to work closer to the natural world. Time spent birdwatching, photographing wildlife and learning plant names showed me where I want to go next. I’m now building my knowledge of ecology and ecosystems, and I want to use my design background to help people notice the life around them and get outdoors.

More about my approach ↗

02 / Selected work

Design shaped by time outside.

Digital experiences, wildlife photography and field guides that get people noticing, learning about and looking after nature.

Cullen photographing a blue mushroom beside a forest boardwalk

Ka tū au hei kaitiaki

Wildlife photographs celebrating the beauty and diversity of Aotearoa.

An A24 rat trap being placed in the forest

Making room for birds

Setting A24 traps in Pureora Forest to help native birds breed safely.

Birdwatcher using binoculars on a forest track

Kōtare: look closer.

A bird-led app for finding sanctuary species across Aotearoa.

A small banded bird perched on a wooden rail

Birdwatching in Te Hāruhi

A slow look at coastal birds, bush and sanctuary life.

Native forest parakeet perched on a branch

How to Birdwatch Ethically

A small guide to looking with care, patience and respect.

Binoculars and field guides prepared for an outing

Small Ways of Seeing

An outdoor drawing session for beginners.

View all work →

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03 / From the field journal

On learning the names of things, slowly

Some names arrive like doors. Others take a season of returning. This week I met a fern I’ve passed for years, and discovered it had been waiting for me to ask.

fernlearningfield notes

Read field note →

04 / Taxa