This year boxes in Cromwell, Roxburgh, Ranfurly and Clyde will be decorated.
At the Half Mile Reserve in Alexandra, Dunedin artist Pearl Barry lent her illustrative skills to an ecological cause close to her heart while quite literally drawing attention to Central Otago's reptilian wildlife, namely the McCann's skink.
The little lizard brought Barry back to Central Otago, where she had been carrying out her research at the University of Otago for a master's of science in ecology at Otago University, which she is due to finish in November.
"When I learned about the Chorus Cabinet art programme, I instantly knew I wanted to participate.
"As I scrolled down the list of available cabinets, I chose the one I felt most drawn to, a cabinet near the Half Mile Reserve in Alexandra.
"My master's research at the University of Otago led me into the mountains and gullies of Central Otago, where I had encounters with some of the six gecko species and 11 skink species native to the region."
The McCann's skink is a fairly common skink that can be found where there is good shelter to hide from invasive predators such as mice, rats, cats, stoats, and hedgehogs, or where trapping is taking place.
As an artist and ecologist, Barry said she was always looking for creative opportunities to make ecological knowledge accessible to communities where it mattered most.
"My hope is that the mural inspires curiosity about the native animals and plants of Central Otago, and that folks who pass by it stop and explore Half Mile Reserve to witness its transformation into a haven for native wildlife."
McCann's skink has large, stable populations (and are listed as "not threatened" by the New Zealand Threat Classification System), but only thrive where introduced predators are scarce.
Barry’s was the final mural of the 2023 round.
The other three appeared on cabinets in Cromwell, Galloway and Roxburgh.
The cabinet art programme is no labour of love and artists are paid from $600 to $1700, depending on the size of the cabinet.
The cabinet art initiative began in 2010 with a test pilot in Auckland to try to reduce the amount of vandalism to telecommunications cabinets.
It proved so successful it was extended throughout the country.
On average 170 murals are completed each year.
