If you’re interested in supporting local organisations that are good for people and the planet this silly season, this guide is for you!
HUHA
HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) is a charitable trust committed to teaching empathy and empowering communities to advocate for and help animals across Aotearoa. Every year HUHA rescues, rehabilitates, releases or rehomes thousands of domestic and wild animals in need!
Give the ‘Gift of life’ this holiday season. We helped design these donation gift cards, which will go towards keeping a rescue animal warm, fed, and safe! HUHA has your furry friends covered too. Check out their Santa Paws Dog and Cat gift packs.
Keep an eye out for their 157 acre sanctuary opening soon on the Haywards Hill in rural Wellington.
Browse their online shop here: shophuha.co.nz/
Wellington Apothecary
A botanical factory, natural therapy clinic, herbal dispensary, and alchemist's delight, The Wellington Apothecary is sure to please the holistic wellbeing enthusiast in your life.
Their beautiful product offering ranges from botanical skincare, to aromatherapy essential oils and perfumes, to herbal tea blends, remedies, and tonics. For the hands-on person, Wellington Apothecary’s workshops ought to hit the spot! Create a bespoke perfume, or your own tea blend - like we did for StudioC!
We may be biassed but we think these guys make the best tea. We had the pleasure of collaborating with them to create StudioC’s very own creativiTEA, which includes akeake and horopito harvested from the bush surrounding our Studio.
Sachets of our tea blend were gifted as a wee thank you to some of our collaborators at StudioC’s Bush Meetup in August.
Browse their online shop here: wellingtonapothecary.co.nz/collections
Or pop in store and say hi: 110a Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne
Zealandia is one of our favourite clients, and the place to be for Wellington’s nature lovers!
The ecosanctuary in the heart of Pōneke is home to a lush forest full of rare native wildlife. Gift a tour to explore Zealandia by day or night. Keep an eye out for our botanical signage guiding you through the ecosanctuary.
Their shop is stocked with gifts for the whole whānau. You’ll find goodies for tamariki, foodies, artists and art appreciators, bird watchers, and gardeners - to name a few. We’re particularly fond of their water bottles featuring our illustrations!
Gift a membership to join the community who have helped bring over 40 different species back to Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Members help Zealandia protect rare and endangered native species, not to mention the many member perks like unlimited free entries!
Browse their online shop here: shop.visitzealandia.com/
Visit Zealandia here: 53 Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington
Ngā Manu Nature Reserve
Another favourite nature-based client is Ngā Manu Reserve, which protects one of the last remaining lowland swamp forest remnants on the Kāpiti Coast. They also provide critical captive breeding programmes for many endangered native wildlife.
We’ve loved helping them redesign their visitor experience, which will start to be rolled out next year. Watch this space for exciting things to come!
Their kiwi night encounter makes a great gift for someone on your list who wants to get up-close with our most iconic bird species. A truly unique koha for kids and adults alike.
Browse other options for gifting and donating on their website: ngamanu.org.nz/get-involved/
Wellington’s Homeless Women's Trust
Wellington Homeless Women's Trust and their house Te Whare Nukunoa provide transitional housing and support services to wāhine experiencing homelessness in the Wellington region.
Gift a donation that will go towards improving the lives of wāhine struggling in our community. These wāhine are determined to make positive changes in their lives to become independent and find a place of their own to call home.
StudioC worked with WHWT to create a series of illustrations that showcase the services they provide for wāhine. This includes support, whakawhanaungatanga (building and fostering positive relationships), manaakitanga (hospitality), health, and empowerment.
These illustrations will be used to raise awareness of these services by the general public.
Here is the donate page: whwt.org.nz/make-a-donation
Instagram @te_whare_nukunoa
Forest and Bird
New Zealand’s leading independent conservation organisation, Forest and Bird work to protect and restore our land, freshwater, oceans and climate.
Making a purchase through their online shop helps to raise crucial funds to defend our wildlife and wild places for generations to come. Perfect for the conservationist, young or old, find a range of books, calendars, puzzles, diaries, artworks, clothing and more!
You may have come across some of the cute bird illustrations we’ve created for Forest and Bird, like these kitted-up native birds cheering on the Warriors.
Find out more here: forestandbird.org.nz/
Special mentions
While we haven’t yet collaborated with the following awesome organisations, we think their mahi deserves a special mention.
The Good Registry
Co-founded by three passionate Wellingtonians, The Good Registry provides online gift cards and gift registries with a good twist!
Purchase a Good Gift Card so your loved ones can have the joy of giving to causes they care about. The recipient uses their card to donate to any one of The Good Registries' 65 partner charities. A great option for corporate or individual gifts!
It feels good to receive and good to give, each gift is both with the Good Registry.
Find out more here: thegoodregistry.com/
Nisa
‘Nisa’ means women in Arabic. The organisation was founded in 2017 to create employment opportunities for women from migrant and refugee backgrounds.
The journey began in a small workshop on Kent Terrace with a team of four making women’s underwear. Today, 20 talented wāhine create beautifully crafted, sustainable women’s underwear, men's briefs, activewear, swimwear and merino socks.
Read Nisa’s full story and shop their range here: nisa.co.nz/
Hopper Refill
Located near the top end of Cuba Street, Hopper is a sanctuary where you can go to slow down and stock up on everyday essentials.
Shop for all your pantry and household needs locally sourced and plastic-free.
Find hand-crafted, ethical and eco-friendly Christmas Crackers, each hiding a special and useful gift inside. Featuring a world-first design, the cracker itself can be turned into an adjustable crown. And what’s more, this year’s sales will support The Capital Kiwi Project, whose mission is to restore a large-scale wild kiwi population in Pōneke - how awesome!
Their range of New Zealand made products make for thoughtful gifts. Or opting for the humble gift voucher is a great way to please the foodie in your life.
Find out more here: https://www.hopper.nz/home-split
Or pop in store and say hi here: 11 Hopper Street, Mt Cook, Wellington
Kia pai ngā hararei, enjoy the holidays!
From the StudioC whānau to you and yours.
