Friends of Hakalau Forest 2023 Endowment Fundraising Campaign!

Ku Kia‘i Manu * Ku Kia‘i La’au * Ku Kia‘i Hakalau

“Stand with the birds, stand with the forest, stand with Hakalau”

Our 2023 Endowment Campaign kicked off this fall with a goal to reach $1.3 million since the 2015 inception of the fund, which is administered by the Hawaii Community Foundation.

Thanks to your generous support and donations during these last few months, we’re thrilled to report that we have reached 89% of our goal as you can see from our thermometer. Our campaign ends on December 31st so we need your help over the next three weeks to raise the balance, $138,899. EVERY donation, big or small, helps.

Mahalo nui loa for recognizing that a stable and robust endowment is essential to provide a reliable source of funds for the foreseeable future to support the many necessary conservation activities and to reduce the threats to survival of our forest birds.

The challenges that Hakalau Forest and its neighboring habitat (and the endangered birds and plants) face are increasing every year, so the faster we can reach our long-term goal of $3.5 million in the Endowment, the sooner we can achieve our intentions to help with the vital management needs of this incredible place. Your gift will ensure our endangered birds have a future for generations to come.

We are so very grateful for your continued support – please help us reach our 2023 GOAL!

SAVE THE DATE:

Annual Meeting January 20th at 10am HST

at the UH Hilo Science and Technology Building

Featuring: Context of ‘Place’ in the ‘Āina Mauna

by Peter Young

More information in early January.

Nation Leading Walk for the Wild Redux

For the Second year in a row, Team Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR way outdistanced the other 46 Refuge Friends Teams around the Nation in celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week with a special 5K Walk for the Wild.

Twenty-three percent of the Nation’s “Wild Walkers” were treated to a spectacular day guided by two dozen natural history experts along the Pua Akala Track of the Hakalau Forest NWR. Walkers boots were cleaned by Pat Hart’s UH Hilo LOHE Lab under the watchful eyes of and with materials provided by JB Friday from the ‘Ōhi‘a Love (ROD) initiative.

Ten natural history exhibitors also unpacked the mysteries of Hakalau’s forest and its over a dozen threatened and endangered native birds and plants. Over a half dozen Refuge Service personnel were on hand to mix with Walkers and to proudly talk story regarding the Treasures of Hakalau’s forest under their protection. All for FREE!!! Nothing can compare to this experience, which began at the 6,500 foot elevation off the Mana Road.

None of this would have happened if it weren’t for the 80 or so Friends volunteers, herded by Dick Wass, Day of the Event Coordinator, Patty Kupchak, National Registration Coordinator and co-honcho with Susan Miyasaka on exhibitors, publicity, and volunteers. Cathy Lowder covered the Friends’ Tent gathering place, Don Wier and Pippa Swannell managed the parking of 190 cars. Layne Yoshida gate crews handled single lane comings and goings through two gates, and Jack Jeffrey wrangled our expert guides.

Leah Messer, the Refuge’s Volunteer Services Coordinator, interfaced with us at every turn and in every way. Bruce Dempsey, Refuge Maintenance Chief, prepared the grounds and ensured that support services were in place. Tim Cusack, Service Pacific Basin Security Chief was not only a visible force on site , but he also teamed with volunteer Dr. Judith Lively to provide EMT support. Laura Beauregard, Acting Pacific Basin Chief of Refuges and Monuments, flew in from Honolulu to walk with all of us on behalf of the Service.

Eldridge Naboa, Nanea Valleros, and Lahela Camara beautifully lead us in oli and protocols to obtain permission from the forest to enter. And on this beautiful day, Springer Kaye, the Refuge’s Acting Manager, was there for everyone sporting the biggest smile in this special forest!

Once more, as I watched the Walkers depart, each face was smiling, hands were waiving, and each and every one sent their mahalos as they left our special forest. Reward enough and then some for me as your Walk Team Leader, Ken Kupchak. Mahalo to each and every one of you, whether you be walker, volunteer, or staff- see you and your many new Friends again next year as we try for a NATIONAL THREE PEAT!

Research News

Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) StoryMap

Produced by the Rapid 'Ōhia Response Team

Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death (ROD) continues to devastate our native ‘ōhi‘a forests here in Hawai‘i, but the disease is much less severe in forests that are fenced and protected from feral animals than in adjacent forests that are not. These new Arc GIS StoryMaps show seven examples on Hawai‘i Island where we have healthy forests inside protected areas and forests with high ROD mortality outside. Feral animals wound ‘ōhi‘a trees by breaking branches, stripping bark, and digging up roots, and the fungi that cause ROD enter into these wounds. Even if ROD is present in a forest, fencing it, removing the animals, and protecting it can dramatically decrease the amount of wounding and the amount of disease in the forest. In contrast to the forest in the photo below, only one tree has been confirmed dead of ROD at Hakalau Forest NWR.

‘Ōhi‘a forest on Mauna Kea with a high population of feral cattle and has been decimated by ROD.

Photo by Brian Tucker. 

FOHF Panel Discussion at the Hawai'i Island Festival of Birds

After a long absence, the well-loved 2023 Hawai`i Island Festival of Birds was held on October 21st at the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo under the leadership of the Hawai`i Wildlife Center in partnership with the Conservation Council for Hawai`i. Guest speakers presented on a wide range of native bird and conservation topics. Local hula halau told the stories of Hawai`i’s endemic birds throughout the program.

Dr. J.B. Friday did a masterful job of moderating a three-person panel with the theme of "restoring habitat." Jack Jeffrey talked on the history of how the habitat at Hakalau Forest has been restored; Dr. Rick Camp talked about the current status of the native forest birds at the Refuge, and Dr. Katherine McClure talked about the threat of mosquitoes. 

The Festival’s Bird Fair included vendors with native-themed items, educational booths, craft activities and games. Not only were the Friends $1 ,000 sponsors, courtesy of an anonymous donor, but it also exhibited with an interactive display and a video loop , courtesy of Jack Jeffrey, of native forest birds. Friends stickers and publications were also distributed. The booth was manned by our amazing volunteers who sold almost 50 t-shirts. The total attendance at the

Festival was around 600-700 people, double the amount projected by management.

Mahalo to Patty Kupchak for organizing the booth and engaging attendees interested in learning more about FOHF, Jane and Howard Mayo for taking care of all the t-shirt sales and Cathy, Beth DeYoung and Bill Stormant for helping to sell the t-shirts. Beth and Bill also jumped in to help inventory the remaining t-shirts.

Refuge Update

USFWS

As the holiday season draws near, Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is alive with a flurry of activities!

We are thrilled to extend a warm aloha to our newest KUPU members, Korey Medeiros Jr. and Melanie Franze, and to welcome back MacKenzie Fugett for another year.

Melanie Franze (Left): Born and raised in Southern California, Melanie brings a fresh perspective to Hakalau Forest as a UH graduate in Psychology. Despite this being her inaugural year in conservation, Melanie is most at home outdoors and her passion for healing the land is immediately apparent.

Korey Medeiros Jr (Right).: Hailing from Hilo, Korey is a graduate of UH Hilo with a degree in Business Administration. Beyond his work at the refuge, Korey’s passion is diving, bodyboarding, fishing, and ranching.

MacKenzie Fugett: Returning for her second year at Hakalau, MacKenzie is from the east side of Kauai. Having transitioned from her prior work with the LOHE Lab, MacKenzie's passion for native species restoration and identification is a driving force in her work. Outside of her commitment to conservation, she enjoys spending time at the river and has a love of surfing.

Our Biologist, Eldridge Naboa embarked on a two-week leadership training experience at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in West Virginia. Since his return, Eldridge has been keeping a watchful eye on the Nene nesting season which is well underway. Currently, there are six active nests so we could be welcoming several new families just in time for the holidays. 

Meanwhile, Bruce Dempsey organized several ATV/UTV training courses over the past month. He trained several individuals including our new interns, Forest Service personnel, and individuals from the Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance. Bruce's dedication ensures we always have a skilled and knowledgeable team ready to tackle the many challenges we encounter on the refuge.

Our Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) members Jason Austin and Adam Gruis have been focused on the revitalization of the old greenhouse (left image below); their efforts (right image below) have set the stage for further improvements to be completed by contractors early next year.

In October, the Walk for the Wild, went off without a hitch thanks to the tireless dedication of the Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR. USFWS staff from Oahu came to participate and lend their assistance including Nanea Valeros (External Affairs) and Laura Beauregard (Emergency Coordinator), pictured below.

A couple groups of dedicated volunteers planted 759 mamane in the upper portion of the Pua Akala unit in mid-November. An additional 600 plants are set to be planted in the coming month.

Additionally, a group of dedicated folks organized and accompanied by our regional Historical Archeologist Lou Ann Speulda-Drews and Zone Archeologist Alton Exzabe completed repairs to the Pua Akala cabin windows as well as a few other items.

Finally, as we approach the end of the year, we've kicked off volunteer sign-ups for 2024, eagerly anticipating the return of familiar faces and the addition of new ones. We are looking forward to a safe and productive 2024 at Hakalau Forest!

Hawaiian Hydrangea?

Marcia Stone

Volcanosnatives.com

Yes! Hawai’i has its very own hydrangea. It’s called kanawao, or pu’ahanui, along with a few other names across the islands. Although it doesn’t look exactly like the ornamental hydrangeas we see around cooler, moister parts of our islands with their big blue bombs of flowers, they do share some similar characteristics. Like its domestic counterpart, kanawao has large, leathery leaves which are deeply etched. And its flower heads are also large. These flowers come in various shades of blue, pink and cream, similar to the colors we see in the non-native hydrangea. Kanawao’s flowers are either male or female, depending on the plant. If the female flowers are fertilized by a nearby male plant, then the resulting fruit will be red to maroon in color.

Kanawao with pink flowers

The scientific name for our native hydrangea is Hydrangea arguta. It was formerly known as Broussaisia arguta. In 2015 a new taxonomic treatment was published by scientists who decided to drop Broussaisia as a genus, which only had one species as its representative, and put kanawao into the larger genus Hydrangea. It has now joined up with over 100 other species in its new genus, right along the the big blue bombs all over upland gardens.

Hakalau Forest T-Shirts Make Great Holiday Gifts!

Just in time for the holidays, the Hakalau Forest T-Shirts will be restocked mid-December! Be sure to click the link below to order shirts for you and your loved ones today!

We have men's and women's sizes in long and short-sleeved styles.