Fourth-grade students at Island School, Kaua‘i, are getting hands-on in learning about the critical importance of endangered seabird conservation, each student becoming a temporary custodian of knowledge and protector in the face of Newell’s shearwaters' struggle for survival. As part of a long-standing partnership with Save our Shearwaters and the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project, these students are getting an immersion education that goes beyond textbooks, pairing classroom instruction with the real-life release of these critically endangered birds, commonly known as ‘A‘o, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. 

In an event outlined vividly by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, four fledgling shearwaters received a send-off to a life at sea by local officials and the eager students witnessing conservation in action, however, the unfortunate truth is that many young seabirds don’t make it out to sea without human intervention, they're often waylaid by the hazards posed by artificial lighting that lead these fledglings to exhaust themselves and fall prey to urban dangers. Jacqueline Nelson, senior program manager with Save our Shearwaters, described the sheerwaters as a species that can "live out on open ocean for years at a time and not touch land if they don’t need to," expressing the specialty of working with creatures bearing such a resilient, though threatened, way of life.

The phenomenon where seabirds, attracted to artificial lighting, become disoriented and subsequently injured or killed is not new to Hawaii, prompting the existence of fall-out programs across the main Hawaiian Islands, encouraging the public to bring affected birds in for essential check-ups and treatment; Nelson explains, "They get a full head-to-toe examination. If they have something going on we can attempt to treat it. If it’s a normal grounded bird, often the turnaround is quick," as mentioned by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. This educational outreach, highlighted in the classrooms by experts from KESRP, is critical in fostering an understanding amongst the young of the natural history and challenges these birds face, as showcased in the students' articulate responses to learned facts about the birds’ life cycles and threats, demonstrating the early seeds of conservation ethos taking root.

It’s not merely about the check-ups but forging a lasting relationship between the youth and their environment, with educators and program managers like Dilek Sahin of Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project and Jacqueline Nelson placing their hopes in these students that they’ll not only retain and act on this knowledge but also diffuse it throughout their communities. “It’s important to let people know that they are facing threats. If we have a connection, it will be more possible to protect them, to facilitate the conservation of this species. We need to help of the public and new generations to find and rescue these birds,” Sahin told Department of Land and Natural Resources. For these advocates, every child who walks away understanding more about the ‘A‘o is another step toward safeguarding the species and a testament to the importance of community involvement in environmental stewardship.