WILD CYCADS: PROTECTING THE WORLD’S MOST THREATENED PLANT SPECIES

CONSERVATION, DIGITAL MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS | MARCH 12, 2022

We enjoy learning new things in nature, especially about the dinosaurs of the plant world.

The Wild Cycad Conservancy approached LoveGreen to develop a brand new website for them. The brief? To tell the story of the most threatened group of plants on earth. The Wild Cycad Conservancy was founded in 2019 to protect wild cycads in South Africa. They bring cycad conservation experts together from across the world, to prevent extinction of these incredible plants. The WCC is involved in a number of projects in South Africa, including important cycad research.

A digital foundation for the WCC: A new interactive website

With a new logo and branding in place, we used these elements in the design of the website. The colour palette consisted of a variety of natural greens (with a cooler grey/blue undertone) connecting with the actual greyish greens of the cycads in the wild, where they grow and survive in extreme conditions. We used a BIG AND BOLD font, mostly in black and a dark green colour.

Branding elements in action

Inspired by the logo design, we introduced circles into the design of the website, as well as lines and colour blocks that pop, and let the pictures really stand out. Interactive elements play a role to better tell this story of a species in peril. So we added easy-to-read counters, animations and hover effects – highlighting the number of species already lost, and the number on the brink of extinction..

Our target audience included local plant lovers, researchers, as well as international partners. So we worked to keep the text readable and clean, with text breaks to highlight certain themes, while using capitals for headers to draw in those bold elements and calls to action.

Why cycads?

From an ancient lineage, the cycad species evolved and adapted to life in forest, savanna, grassland and semi desert habitats. They have incredible resilience – but despite this, they are now one of the most threatened groups of organisms on earth, and about 70% of all cycad species face some risk of extinction.

Find out more about these special plants here.

The final product: A website that tells the story of the ancient cycad world, the enormous threats to them, while highlighting the important work of the WCC, their amazing projects and partners.

VISIT THE WILD CYCAD WEBSITE

“LoveGreen came highly recommend from a conservationist friend. They did not disappoint. The team is committed to the client, understands nature as well as the technologies used. They delivered a website that is informative, aesthetically pleasing, cost effective and perfect for the Wild Cycad Conservancy.”

– Wynand van Eeden

Heather is our content writer. She enjoys helping our clients formulate their message and loves to run her way across beautiful mountains, to explore new places and is always ready for an adventure.

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