Project Ark’s First NFT Drop in Collaboration with WWF Panda Labs

“Woolly Ridge” and “Endangered Spirits”, an Audio and Visual Experience to Support Conservation

Project Ark
5 min readJun 1, 2021
Combining the mountains with ancestral animals through art

Artist Topher Sipes, with music from Allauras, created the 3D piece entitled “Wooly Ridge” in support of World Wildlife Fund Panda Labs and WWF Romania. With Project Ark’s technological solution allowing us to properly mint 99.8% more sustainable NFTs via Polygon on OpenSea, we are proud to announce the first two NFTs released as a part of our Genesis Drop-in support of the World Wildlife Fund Romania.

Project Ark & WWF Panda Labs Collaboration

Project Ark is supporting WWF Romania in their work centred around one of Europe’s largest network of virgin forests, where the highest populations of wolves and brown bears are, and where WWF Romania has been leading an ambitious bison rewilding initiative. In order to boost rewilding efforts and slow down the decline of these precious European ecosystems, the WWF has been working to provide benefits directly to the local communities who have their hands on these natural resources. Providing the necessary resources for locals to do conservation work instead of making a living from overharvesting natural resources, creating a collective rewards system and fostering more sustainable wildlife management.

Local Romanian hunters and foresters, collecting data about our local environments.
Wildlife Credits Romania 2020 pilot © ©WWF Romania

Drop Details

We will be minting 68 of each NFT, as it represents the current bison population in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the largest herd in that region in almost 200 years!

In honour of the incredible work being done by the World Wildlife Fund in Romania reintroducing the endangered European Bison back into the wilds of the Carpathian Mountains, Topher Sipes and Allauras have created “Woolly Ridge”.

Moldeavanu Peak is the highest Romanian Peak at 2,544 m (8,346 ft)

“Woolly Ridge” uses the topological data of the Carpathian Mountains to create an extraordinary reminder of the intrinsic beauty found in our natural habitat. The Topographical data is part of the Carpathian Mountain range, containing Romania’s highest peak, which was sampled, isolated and extruded into a digital 3D object, then used to sculpt the bison’s bust. The satellite imagery embedded in the Bison is to emphasize the relationship between wildlife, ecosystems and geography.

Accompanied by a Haunting Choir made from Bio Rhythms of Plants

The original soundtrack, titled “The Carpathian Chorus”, has been created by Allauras using an incredible technology called PlantWave. The song incorporates recorded biorhythms from plants and uses those signals to play the Romanian hand drum. The song also utilizes other local Romanian instruments and is mixed in 8D audio to give the listener a more meditative impact.

Be sure to listen with headphones for Binaural Beat effects!

“I’m enthusiastic to combine the imaginative freedom of creative audio-visual collaborations with causes that prioritize win-win solutions for the regenerative resiliency of ecosystems and community stakeholder livelihood. We are challenged to be harmoniously innovative while being reminded of our interdependence with the wild.” — Topher Sipes

Click Below to Find the Carpathian Mountain Spirit

Endangered Spirits by a Music Legend

Our second NFT is titled “Endangered Spirits” with music from Shawn Barry and visuals from Taylor Frost. Shawn is an international music producer and performer who has composed performances for The Lucent Dossier Experience, Cirque Du Soleil and the Earth Harp, Shawn teamed up with featured artists Ronnie “Steppa” McQueen of Steel Pulse and FARAFI to create a world beat soundscape inspired to create art and raise awareness to the plight of endangered animals and their rapidly disappearing echo systems. Shawn created The Endangered Spirit Project as an immersive multimedia experience featuring the voices, rhythms and sounds of the animal kingdom. The music is inspired by the urgent call of endangered species around the world. Taylor uses stark contrasts, bold colors, and inspiring light to create colorful, eye-catching pieces that draw viewers in and evoke feelings of wonder and awe while enhancing the beauty we see so quickly disappearing.

True forces of Nature

“My quest is to immortalize nature’s beauty in a painted form while saving it for future generations to enjoy. I focus on emotional impact by using colours and bold strokes to share my emotional investment with the viewer and, hopefully, inspire in them a piece of my fire for wildlife conservation. Through education and moving artwork, I plan on changing humanity’s perception of wildlife before it’s too late.” — Taylor Frost

The Endangered Spirits album Volume One invites listeners to dance, explore and spread awareness to protect the future of the natural world for all. From Jaguar Mystic to Rhino Rumble, each song brings the listener closer to the wild and our natural reverence for these iconic animals. As a composer for performance troops: The Lucent Dossier Experience, Cirque Du Soleil and the Earth Harp, Shawn teamed up with featured artists Ronnie “Steppa” McQueen of Steel Pulse and FARAFI to create a world beat soundscape. With music and dance, the Endangered Spirits project is created to raise awareness and activate the imagination of audiences young and old alike. Together we are united in this global mission to preserve the planet and all who share it.

You can find both NFTs following the links Bellow:

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