The interlacing of conservation efforts and emergency response was highlighted in recent recognition and grants provided to Hawaiian wildlife teams. More than two dozen firefighters from the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, as well as staff from the Maui Bird Conservation Center, were awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior for their exemplary performance in battling the wildfires that threatened native forest birds. According to a statement obtained by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the efforts included frontline defense against an Olinda fire in August 2023, which could have devastated local avian populations.
Simultaneously, on the conservation research front, the Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP) recently received a substantial grant earmarked for battling avian malaria, a disease decimating the Hawaiian honeycreeper population. As reported by The Maui News, the NSF and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation contributed a combined $644,758 to support the KFBRP's continued research efforts, critically important as the specter of extinction looms over several honeycreeper species.
Dr. Lisa 'Cali' Crampton, Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project Program Manager, illustrated the significance of the funding, "We are very excited to be involved in this effort to use top-notch science to help us advance conservation of critically endangered forest bird species through reduction of mosquito-borne disease," as per The Maui News. These projects, borne out of a partnership between the NSF and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, are facilitating crucial advancements in conservation science and practice.
Furthermore, the value of field application to protect these species was underscored by David Smith, Division of Forestry and Wildlife Administrator, "This grant builds on the strong multi-partner collaboration already in place to combat avian malaria as the single-largest threat facing native forest birds, like the honeycreepers," as reported by The Maui News. The primary focus of the grants is to refine methods such as the Incompatible Insect Technique to suppress mosquito populations that transmit the deadly avian malaria.
The U.S. Department of the Interior's recognition of the Maui Bird Conservation Center and Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s actions during the wildfires serves not only as an acknowledgment of their proactive measures but also shines a light on the connected nature of conservation and emergency response. “The Department of the Interior’s Citizens Award for Exceptional Service recognizes outstanding performance by a private citizen, organizational partner, or volunteer who has contributed significantly to the bureau’s mission,” Earl Campbell, field supervisor of the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, was quoted in a Department of Land and Natural Resources release. He praised the combined efforts that ultimately protected both the birds and their habitat.
