Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 5, 1 May 1991 — NaturaIly Hawaiian [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

NaturaIly Hawaiian

by Patrick Ching artist/environmentalist

A Hawaiian affair

Most of us are somewhat familiar with the problems that threaten Hawai'i's native eeology. The loss of habitat along with the introduction of foreign plants, anima!s and diseases have contributed heavily to the demise of many

native species. Over 50 percent of the endangered or extinct birds 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 human help. In many cases, like in that of the 'O'o bird, the damage that has been done is irreversible. The last sighting of an 'O'o bird was in 1984 on the island of Kaua'i. So what ean we do to protect Hawai'i's native ecology? 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 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, onIy a small percentage of those actively involved are native Hawaiians or lifetime 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 tune 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 of Hawai'i, Ho'omaluhia Botanic Garden, Friends of Foster Garden, the Kilauea Point History Association (Kaua'i), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service or state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

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