CRITTER STACK | FORTLANDIA 2021

Designed for inclusion in the 2021 Fortlandia exhibit at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Critter Stack is a fort that aims to inspire both play and education in its young users. The fabrication and installation was a successful collaboration between Colorspace, The Wildlife Society at Texas State University, and Adamson Brothers Design.

Cultivating an appreciation for biodiversity amongst children is important for developing their support and understanding for conservation throughout life, particularly for those living in urban and suburban environments where encounters with “the great outdoors” may be sporadic or rare. The rise of the Anthropocene has brought with it a general decline in animal species - from mammals to birds, reptiles to insects - making the need to expose children to wildlife of all forms from an early age that much more critical.

The Critter Stack Fort takes inspiration from the concept of a habitat stack (also known as an insect hotel, wildlife stack, or log pile), which is the careful (or untidy) arrangement of loose woody material with the purpose of creating intentional opportunities for wildlife - from beetles and small invertebrates to pollinators like bees and even bats - to find needed food and cover while also offering the opportunity for people of all ages to observe this microfauna activity.

By integrating natural stacked materials within and on the installation, The Critter Stack invites Fortlandia attendees to consider life forms smaller than themselves and to take a closer, respectful look at the wilderness that we can help support outside our front doors. Children are also invited to crawl right up and into the installation and imagine what it is to become a little critter themselves, encouraging fluid interaction as both participant and observer. Different crawling heights, angles, and climbing supports, as well as a variety of tactile textures, invite physical engagement amongst different age groups.