Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 6, 1 June 1988 — Naturally Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Naturally Hawaiian

A Hawaiian Affair By Patrick Ching Artist/Environmentcdist Most of us are somewhat familiar with the problems that threaten Hawai'i's native ecology. The loss of habitat along with the introduction of foreign plants, animals and diseases have contributed heavily to the demise of many native species. Over 50 percent of the endangered or extinct birds I in the United States are endemic to Hawai'i. The problems that face native ecosystems today are in most cases related to human disturbance of a onee pristine group of islands. Ironically, most of these problems cannot be resolved without the concentrated efforts of people here and abroad. In many cases, like in that of the 'o'o bird, the damage that has been done is irreversible. An individual bird is all that remains of what was onee a proud family of Hawaiian Honeyeaters.

So what ean we do to protect Hawai'i's native | ecology? I At the risk of sounding trite, "the key is education". In order to preserve native plants, animals and ecosystems, the public must first be made aware of their existence and then of their plight. Today, with the realization that we are quickly I losing mueh of our natural resources and heritage, Hawai'i, along with the rest of the world , is entering an age of renewed environmental consciousness. In recent years, efforts to educate the public about Hawai'i's native wildlife have been spearheaded by state and federal departments as well as nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Although it is great that there are increasing efforts to preserve Hawaiian wildlife, only a small percentage of those actively involved are native Hawaiians or longtime residents. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that the efforts of nonresidents and newer residents are not weleome; on the contrary, I believe that they have formed the nucleus of Hawai'i's environmental renaissance. It does eoneem me to think, however, that the rest of the world may be more in tuned with Hawai'i's environmental problems than some of us are. The message I am trying to convey is that Hawaii's people should take a more active role in the preservation of our own natural heritage and by doing so help to conserve that whieh makes Hawai'i unique. If you would like to get involved with preserving and/or exploring the Hawaiian wilderness, you may want to contact one or more of the following organizations: The Bishop Museum, The Hawai'i Audubon Society, Moanalua Gardens Foundation, The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i, Makiki Environmental Education Center, The Conservation Council for Hawai'i, Ho'omaluhia Botanic Garden, Friends of Foster Garden and the Kilauea Point Natural History Association on Kaua'i.