KILAUEA — Nene Awareness Day is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. The event coincides with National Public Lands Day. In celebration of both, free admission will be offered, according to a news
KILAUEA — Nene Awareness Day is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.
The event coincides with National Public Lands Day. In celebration of both, free admission will be offered, according to a news release from the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
“It’s easy to celebrate Public Lands Day at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge,” Sheri Saari said in the release. “Simply come out and enjoy it.”
Saari said this is a great opportunity to spend time with family and discover maritime history while learning more about the Kilauea Lighthouse restoration project.
It is also a great time to learn about native coastal plants and migratory seabirds that soar overhead in the updrafts and winds that blanket the lighthouse point, according to the release.
“This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate community support for the continued ownership, protection and restoration of our public lands,” Saari said.
National Public Lands Day is a celebration of the 655 million acres of forests, parks, refuges and open spaces in America, the release states.
To celebrate the day, people from across the Mainland as well as Alaska and Hawai‘i will be hiking in forests, fishing in streams, and enjoying the wild places shared by all, the release says.
Nene are one of the unique species that reside at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. During the event Saturday, people can find out more about the endangered bird through interpretive tours, exhibits and ranger-led activities throughout the day.
Nene Awareness Day was officially declared by Gov. Linda Lingle in 2003 for the purpose of educating residents and visitors alike about Hawai‘i’s state bird.
“The nene is an icon of Hawai‘i’s past, holding its own on fragments of its original habitat,” said Shannon Smith, refuge manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex. “We’re working with a cadre of committed partners to restore habitat and give this species a real chance to make a comeback.”
Designated Hawai‘i’s state bird on May 7, 1957, the nene has endured a long struggle against extinction.
Conservationists started breeding the bird in captivity in hopes of preserving a remnant of the declining population with the hopes of someday, successfully re-establishing them in their native habitat.
These recent efforts have been successful with more than 800 nene on Kaua‘i and about 1,950 nene statewide, the release states.
Biologists from the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife work together to preserve Hawai‘i’s rare and unique state bird, the release says.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Visit www.fws.gov for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
