Kaua'i Forest Bird Recovery Project

Aloha!

During this year's North Shore Give Week, we’re asking for your kōkua to protect some of the rarest and most endangered forest birds on Earth— including species that exist nowhere else but here on Kaua‘i. We have eight remaining native forest bird species that are more than beautiful and unique; they are vital to the health of our entire island. As key pollinators and seed dispersers, they help maintain the native forests that safeguard our watersheds, keeping our streams clean and our drinking water abundant and healthy. When we protect our birds, we protect our island’s lifeline.

But these precious species face unprecedented threats from invasive mosquitoes, predators like rats, and shrinking habitat. Their survival depends on immediate, hands-on conservation work happening in the mountains right now.

Your generous donation will directly support essential field operations that keep our team in the forest and our birds alive, including:

Rat Control

• Tools, traps, attractants, and material needed to reduce rat predation on eggs, chicks, and nesting females.
• Continued expansion of traps in critical habitat such as Mohihi, home of the crtitically endangered Puaiohi.

Mosquito Control

• Supplies for mosquito control, monitoring and trapping systems.
• Helicopter support for remote access and aerial bacterial larvicide applications targeting mosquito larvae—one of the key interventions to fight avian malaria.

Camp Supplies & Field Logistics

• Vital equipment such as cots, tents, tarps, cooking supplies, food, and safety gear for multi-day field missions.
• Reliable camp infrastructure that enables crews to work safely in remote, rugged terrain.

Outreach & Education

• School and community programs that build awareness, respect, and stewardship for Kaua‘i’s native bird species and ecosystems.

By donating today, you are making a powerful investment in the future of Kaua‘i’s forest birds and the health of our island’s forests and watersheds. Every dollar helps keep these species from disappearing forever.

2025 Highlights

• Scaling Up Mosquito Control Efforts:
   Large-scale aerial applications of bacterial larvicide continue, and preparations are underway for expanded long-term mosquito suppression using the Incompatible Insect Technique
• Advancing Birds Not Mosquitoes Collaboration:
   We continue working with statewide partners to refine and advance cutting-edge mosquito control strategies, building on momentum from previous years.
• Strengthening Rat Control Networks:
  Additional trap lines added in high-priority breeding areas, with upgraded equipment and monitoring to improve protection for vulnerable species like the puaiohi
  

Mahalo nui for your generosity and your commitment to protecting Hawai‘i’s unique wildlife, forests, and future. Together, we can ensure that the last remaining forest birds of Kaua‘i continue to sing in our mountains for generations to come.