April Newsletter 2024

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Earth Day Celebrations!

Plastics that we have found in the stomachs of some of our mōlī / Laysan Albatross patients.

We got to celebrate one of our favorite days this month, Earth Day! We joined other conservation groups and west Kaua’i students at PMRF’s Earth Day event. This year’s theme was “Planet vs. Plastics.” We were able to teach the keiki about our program and the ways in which plastic pollution impacts Hawai’i’s native birds. Here at SOS, we have unfortunately found plastics in the stomachs of some of our patients upon necropsy (post-mortem) exams as well as in regurgitated food. The consumption of these plastics can lead to malnutrition and malnourishment. Let’s all do our part to decrease our waste production, clean up the ‘āina, and use reusable alternatives to plastic!

We hope that no matter how you spent Earth Day, you took some time to appreciate the ‘āina and the ways we are all connected to our environment and each other.

Patient Spotlight

Our koloa duckling patients huddled together on one of their first days in care.

This month we admitted a few tiny patients, koloa maoli / Hawaiian Ducklings! These ducklings were found on a beach on north shore right after we had a major storm blow through. They were all placed in one of our incubators together with plenty of food to support their quick growth. After a few days they were moved into a larger enclosure with supplemental heat to give them more space to run around! Soon they will outgrow this area and will be able to move into one of our outdoor spaces with a large water feature. These koloa will be with us until they are old enough to fly out on their own (roughly 2 months).

Each duckling has a colored temporary band on their leg so we can tell them apart.

While having ducklings in care is a lot of work (and food!), housing multiple koloa together positively impacts their development in care. Having conspecifics helps to encourage natural behaviors and eating habits. With koloa at such a young age, it also helps them learn to recognize others of their own species!

Vocab Alert: Conspecific means a member of the same species!

Behind the Scenes

Some of our current nēnē / Hawaiian Goose patients in our completed waterbird aviary.

The waterbird aviary we updated you on in February is officially on our permits and in use! This aviary is our largest enclosure at our facility - and boy do the patients love the space! The back raised platform holds a water feature for ample bathing, swimming, and preening opportunities for our waterfowl!

At SOS, we keep a lot of greenery in our waterbird housing to mimic their natural environment as best as we can (more plants to come!). A big shout out to Kaua’i Invasive Species Committee (KISC) for donating native plants to help keep our enclosures green! One of the donated loulu palms (Hawai’i’s only native palm) has already been planted in the new waterbird aviary. We still have big plans for the rest of the beautiful plants donated to us from KISC. A few upgrades for our other enclosures perhaps?! 😏

Mahalo nui loa to KISC for their support and all of the amazing work they do. Additionally, we'd like to shout out our volunteers who are always helping us upgrade our enclosures! Our volunteer, Carol, has been working hard to plan out our plant placement to ensure both our wildlife and plants thrive in our enclosures.

Conservation Corner

Kīpahulu Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area

Kīpahulu ‘Ohana, Inc, a nonprofit organization in East Maui, has become the third Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) in Hawai’i. It follows Hā‘ena on Kaua‘i and Miloli‘i on Hawai‘i Island. Learn more about the role of CBSFA in maintaining Hawaiian culture and customs through land management.

Lahaina Fire Impact

As Lahaina continues to heal and rebuild, researchers are looking into the impact the disaster may have on Maui’s waters and corals.

SOS is an Unincorporated Nonprofit Association and fiscally sponsored by the Hawai'i Wildlife Center, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt, non-profit organization.

As the only Federal and State permitted wildlife facility on Kaua‘i, Save Our Shearwaters provides life-saving care to Hawai'i’s native birds in need. When you donate, you help us continue to rescue, rehabilitate, and release native wildlife. Mahalo nui loa from all of us at SOS (our feathered friends included)!

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April Newsletter 2024

Earth Day Celebrations!

Patient Spotlight

Behind the Scenes

Conservation Corner

7370 Kuamoʻo Rd

Kapaʻa, HI 96746

(808) 635-5117

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