Hawaiian Honeycreeper Conservation 1
The evolution of Hawaiian honeycreepers is an outstanding example of how the Hawaiian islands became home to many species of unique life. About three million years ago, it is suspected a storm from North America led a small flock of finches to Hawaii. These new colonists touched down in a land with many different environments, many different types of food, and few competitors. They spread out over the islands and began evolving in different ways. Some developed long, curved bills to extract nectar from flowers, and others evolved short, stout bills for crushing hard seeds.
When Polynesians voyagers arrived millions of years later they found over fifty unique species and subspecies of honeycreepers – all descended from that one original group. Then in 1826, the first mosquitoes arrived in Hawaii aboard a whaling ship beginning the spread of avian malaria to native birds…
In these two videos you will follow scientists as they learn how the endemic ‘Amakihi is bucking the extinction trend through evolution.
Part Two – Hawaiian Honeycreeper Conservation 2
Mission Blue – Stephen Palumbi
Stephen Palumbi’s talk on the Mission Blue voyage can be summed up – If the Ocean ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. He shows us a tight and surprising link between the ocean’s health and ours. He shows us how toxins at the bottom of the ocean food chain find their way into our bodies. His work points a way forward for saving the health of the oceans and the health of humanity.
Stephen Palumbi received his Ph.D. from University of Washington in marine ecology, and is a professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. He has contributed a wealth of scientific literature on issues such as the genetics, evolution, and conservation of sea urchins, whales, cone snails, corals, sharks, spiders, shrimps, bryozoans and butterfly fishes. A primary focus is the use of molecular genetic techniques in conservation, including the identification of whale and dolphin products available in commercial markets.
Canoe Plants and Olena
‘Olena was one of the plants brought to Hawai’i by early Polynesians in their voyaging canoes. Its common name is Turmeric, and it is a member of the ginger family. The Hawaiians used the bright orange rhizome to make a golden yellow dye to color kapa cloth, and utilized the astringent and antibacterial properties of the plant for medicinal uses.
‘Olena (Curcuma longa) grows in moist forested valleys, up to altitudes of 3,000 feet. After a dormant stage during the winter, new leaves rise up from the rhizome in the spring. The leaves grow directly from the underground root without any stem, and are about 8 inches long by 3 inches wide, with the plant rising to about 2 to 4 feet high. At the end of summer, cylindrical flower cluster rise separately from the leaf stalks, and pale yellow and white flowers blossom. But, it is the rhizome of the ‘Olena which was precious to early Hawaiians.
In ancient Hawai‘i, ‘Olena was mixed with sea water and used in religious ceremonies to purify objects, people, and places, and infuse mana (power). The dark yellow or orange rhizomes were also used as a dye for malo (male loin cloths) that were reserved for ali‘i (chiefs and royalty). And ‘Olena-scented kapa was placed on the hula altar as a symbol of enlightenment.
Medicinally, the roots were pounded and pressed to extract a juice that was helpful in earaches (pepeiao ‘eha), bladder problems, and clearing sinuses. The astringent qualities of ‘Olena are also useful in cases of tuberculosis, bronchitis, colds, and asthma (hano). Its use enhanced the immune system by purifying the blood.
Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair 2010
The Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair is an annual four day event celebrating the agricultural community “From the Ground Up”. This is the event of the year for many kama’aina – with rides, games, entertainment, every kind of local food you can imagine, agricultural displays, floral displays, cooking demonstrations, petting zoo, 4-H displays, and fantastic island fun.
Thursday, August 26, 6:00 pm to 12:00 Midnight
Local food, 4H Lamb and Goat Shows, Agricultural Exhibit Tent, Blackout BINGO, 4-H Petting Zoo, Growing Orchids, Tsunami Taiko Drumming, Growing Your Own Anthuriums, Wallis & Shana Punua Live Polynesian Show, Hypnotist.
Friday, August 27, 6:00 pm to 12:00 Midnight
Local food, 4-H Beef Steer & Hog SHOWS, Blackout BINGO, Tropical Flower Arranging & Design Show, Hypnotist, Kauai Cattlemen’s Association Beef Promotion, 4-H Petting Zoo, Smokey the Bear & Sparky the Fire Dog, Magician, US Air Force Band of the Pacific.
Saturday, August 28, 12:00 Noon to 12:00 Midnight
Local food, KGEFCU’s Keiki Talent Competition, Kauai Grown Chef Cookoff, Farmers Market Promotion, Pie baking contest, Watermelon eating, Taro eating contest, Aloha Dance Studio Performance, 4-H Petting Zoo, Healthy Baby Contest, Growing Bonsai, Livestock Awards, 4-H Beef Steer, Lamb, Hog & Goat Auction, Smokey the Bear & Sparky the Fire Dog, Magician, Fruit & Vegetable Auction, Hypnotist, Live Music with The Quake.
Sunday, August 29, 12:00 Noon to 11:00 pm
Local food, 4-H Petting Zoo, Blackout BINGO, Hypnotist.
2 Mile Challenge
The United States has the highest bicycle ownership per capita in the world – but it’s at the bottom of the list for using them. Combine this with the fact that forty percent of everyday travel in the US happens within 2 miles of where people live – and you have the basis for the 2 Mile Challenge.
The idea is simple – with 4 out of every 10 trips from your home being to the library, a coffee shop, grocery store, or even to work lasting two miles or less, why not take your bike. Each of us has a great opportunity to cut back on car trips without sacrificing much time or expending too much effort. Realizing a great opportunity to help fight climate change, Clif Bar created a game to see how many car trips could be replaced with a bike instead.
They are awarding a $25,000 grant to each of three nonprofit organizations helping to lead the charge. All you have to do is register, choose a team, and start pedaling your bike to earn points. By inputting your address in to the handy map widget they built, you can see just how wide a two mile radius around your house is, and how many everyday trips fall in this range. If 1 million people replaced a 2 mile car trip once a week with a bike ride, CO2 emissions could be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. The more people out there swapping cars for bikes equals more fun and more impact towards fighting climate change.
Hawaiian Birds – Amakihi Conservation
‘Amakihi originally occurred from sea level to uppermost forested regions on all major islands, but after the arrival of humans, the clearing of native forests, and the introduction of competitors, predators, and diseases, their occupied range decreased.
The Greater ‘Amakihi, which was found only on the Big Island, became extinct early in the twentieth century. The population of the Kaua‘i ‘Amakihi (Hemignatus kauaiensis) which originally occupied the entire island of Kaua‘i, was decreasing by the 1890s as low-elevation native forests were cleared, and exotic ungulates, predators, and avian diseases were introduced. But on a positive note, the population was estimated to be 10,750 in the 1970s and increasing to more than 15,000 by the 1980s.
Mosquito-borne avian diseases were believed to prevent most native bird species from permanently residing in native forests at low elevations on most islands. Additionally, the predation on eggs, nestlings, and adults by rats, feral cats, owls is a serious threat. Even though avian malaria and avian pox are known to cause direct mortality in Hawaiian honeycreepers, some populations appear to have developed a resistance to the malaria parasite, allowing them to survive at low elevations.
