Suspended high among the Rotorua Redwoods, Ruru is a sculptural lantern installation designed by David Trubridge & Marion Courtillé-Heays. Honouring Aotearoa’s only forest-dwelling owl, the Morepork, this grand 8-metre-wide sculpture soars 9 metres above the forest floor. As both a celebration of native wildlife and a call to conservation, Ruru merges storytelling, sustainability and spatial design within a beloved New Zealand tourism destination.

To create a large-scale project at the Rotorua Treewalk experience that celebrates native wildlife and reflects the values of conservation and connection to place. The work needed to connect with the forest environment and with existing lighting installations, whilst withstanding the outdoor conditions of the forest.

The Morepork, or Ruru, was chosen for its cultural and ecological significance. Known for its haunting night call, Ruru is iconic in Māori mythology and a powerful symbol of guardianship. This installation also needed to visually echo the feather motifs of previous Trubridge designs in the Treewalk, creating cohesion across the forest canopy.

• Feather-inspired panelling that mirrors existing Treewalk lights.

• Natural materials (Tricoya wooden panels) and stainless steel to withstand Rotorua’s geothermal climate.

• Strategic scale and placement (8m wide, 9m high) to ensure visibility and wonder, without disturbing the ecosystem.

• Constructed from Tricoya (durable exterior-grade MDF) and stainless steel with integrated LED lighting.

• There were many demanding design considerations which required us to work closely with the Treewalk technical crew, an arborist,  a local engineer and electricians.

• Engineered to balance lightness in form with structural integrity. The internal steel structure and suspensions were designed by us and certified by an engineer. They were built by Ross Mackay in Hawke’s Bay.

• In the back of the body is an access to an electrical box where all the wiring terminates. Here are also two endless pulley systems for when the waterproof LED strips in the wings need replacing.

• Installed in partnership with the Redwoods Treewalk team, requiring logistical coordination and custom mounting within the canopy. 

• To preserve the forest understory, Ruru was carried into the forest by hand and assembled in situ. Then the whole bird was hoisted into place and attached to its suspensions and power cable.

• Seamlessly blends into the forest lighting scheme, joining a lineage of bird-inspired lanterns first introduced in 2016.

The Ruru installation integrates cultural, environmental, and economic regeneration through a blend of art, storytelling, and conservation. Inspired by the Morepork or Ruru, a bird significant in Māori mythology, the artwork serves as a guardian figure at a significant area of the treewalk. By embedding indigenous narratives into public art, Ruru fosters cultural awareness and deepens the connection to Aotearoa/New Zealand’s heritage, allowing visitors to engage with both story and place.

Environmentally, Ruru was designed and installed with ecological sensitivity, using weather-resistant materials and hand-assembled methods to protect the forest. In partnership with Wingspan, a native bird conservation trust, it goes beyond symbolism to support real-world biodiversity through education and direct funding from the Treewalks ticket sales.

• Ruru is now a pivotal visual feature of the Treewalk experience.

• Acts as a symbol of environmental stewardship through a partnership with Wingspan, a native bird conservation trust.

• A portion of Treewalk ticket sales goes directly to Wingspan’s rehabilitation efforts.

• Featured in social, tourism and conservation media, Ruru has boosted interest and reinforced the Treewalk’s identity as a place of ecological storytelling and immersive design.

“Each element of Ruru’s design, from its feather patterns to its structure, connects it visually and materially to the existing installations — bringing the essence of New Zealand’s native birds into the forest canopy.”