Local grebes will be seated on hand-painted platforms in the next nesting season thanks to 15 young artists.

Central Art Space art teacher Jenny Sutherland said she was contacted by local grebe expert John Darby who suggested some local children brighten up some platforms before they are trialled at Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea this coming spring.

Fifteen children aged between seven and 15, all students at Central Art Space, got together last Saturday (March 26) to transform the plain wooden platforms into pieces of art.

“It was a really nice way to get the children to use their artwork to do something for their community,” Jenny said. “I think they will be like jewels in the lake.”

Maxim Kivilev and Sophia Kivileva.

John has been instrumental in helping grow the local southern crested grebe population by introducing the nesting platforms and fostering local interest. 

He hopes by involving local school children they will develop a continued interest in the grebes.

The first test will be to see how the grebes respond to the bright and colourful platforms, which will be new and unfamiliar to the birds.

“There’s a chance it may offend them,” Jenny said. “We had to be careful that nothing that was painted looked like eyes.”

The children were well aware of the local grebes because John had given presentations about them at local schools, Jenny said.

“They are a really creative bunch of young people and they were really keen to do something that was in the community and would be seen by young people,” she said.

PHOTOS: Supplied