Did you know hummingbirds beat their wings 60-80 times per second? Or that a lion’s roar can be heard up to eight kilometres away? 

A series of panels encouraging people to play and be physically active have been put up in the Invercargill CBD, adding to the colourful and creative offerings already on show. 

The 10 artworks cover 20 panels in total and feature pieces of trivia that encourage people to undertake a corresponding activity. 

They are the brainchild of Sport Southland’s Healthy Families Invercargill team, but had input from the rest of the Sport Southland team. 

Sport Southland chief executive Brendon McDermott said the CBD redevelopment was providing a space to try innovative ways of encouraging Southlanders to be active. 

“The whole art panel trail creates a sense of vibrancy in our CBD as it undergoes its redevelopment, but we are hoping that these physical activity murals will also encourage people to move a bit more as they explore what is happening in the area.” 

It was also hoped the panels would bring people into the CBD, inspire developers to incorporate physical activity in their future development plans, and encourage council and community groups to think differently about how built environments can be utilised to encourage wellbeing through physical activity. 

Invercargill Central Public Relations Manager Amy Hibbs said allowing people to paint the hoarding panels had been a great way to include the community in the changes that were taking place in the inner city. 

“There are a lot of talented people here and it’s fantastic to be able to showcase their art and have it on display. It’s fantastic to see people taking the time to walk around the block and admire the murals. The colourful panels have definitely brightened up the block while demolition and construction are taking place.” 

Waihopai School Junior Syndicate Leader Claire Nimmo said pupils from the junior syndicate had travelled recently into the CBD to see the murals and the redevelopment work and the art works were a great way to engage and entertain the children in between stops to look at the construction work. 

“They really enjoyed the interactive panels such as the ‘jumping like a grasshopper’ one, doing the chicken dance and measuring our wingspan against the albatross.” 

Article added: Wednesday 23 September 2020