Dunedin artist's painting features on new habitat stamp

The work of a Dunedin artist, Karen Baddock, features on the 2018 New Zealand Game Bird Habitat Stamp which is being released today.

The stamp raises money to protect wildlife habitat and is released every year to mark World Wetlands Day on 2 February.

Sales of the stamp raise enough revenue to allow around a hundred thousand dollars a year to be spent on improving and protecting wetlands and other habitat.

The habitat stamp is produced by NZ Post for Fish & Game and the illustration of the bird which features on the stamp is specially commissioned.

This year’s bird is the mallard duck and the work of artist Karen Baddock, who is renowned for her wildlife and landscape works.

Karen lives near Brighton just south of Dunedin and says she drew her inspiration for the painting from her own pond.

“We’ve got mallard ducks on our pond so they are a part of our rural lifestyle here,” she says.

She grew up surrounded and inspired by the natural settings of her family farm in Otago and says she has a “passion for painting birds as realistically as possible.”

Karen Baddock spent nine years as a graphic artist before turning to self-employment through painting. In addition to her art, she also runs a bed and breakfast.

2018 marks the 25^th anniversary of the habitat stamp programme.

Fish & Game says New Zealanders can help protect remaining wetlands and rebuild more by buying the latest habitat stamp. 

While every game bird hunter buys a habitat stamp when they purchase their hunting licence, Fish & Game policy manager Robert Sowman says anyone can buy one.

“The habitat stamps are a great way of helping protect wetlands, so anyone who wants to do their bit for the environment can buy a stamp and be secure in the knowledge the money is going to do good,” he says.

Visit wildlife-art.co.nz