Island Conservation
Kristy Lapenta, a Kupu AmeriCorps intern doing education and outreach for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Marine National Monuments of the Pacific, shares her experiences from a month spent on Midway Atoll. By: Kristy Lapenta In June 2017, I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge for work. This was […]
Albatross return to Midway Atoll to begin the breeding season. Conservationists are hopeful these threatened seabirds can be saved from predatory invasive species. Albatross are philopatric seabirds, which means they return to their natal breeding colony every year to nest and raise new chicks. Midway Atoll is home to the largest Albatross breeding colony in the […]
Research highlights the value of island restoration and the importance of long-term monitoring for the prevention of seabird extinctions. Though seabirds are named and well-known for the ample time they spend in and above the ocean, they also depend on the land, with islands being especially significant. Through migration, foraging, and nesting, seabirds bring sky, […]
A tsunami strikes Hawaiian islands with globally important seabird species; scientists can study its effects to better understand imminent ecological threats presented by sea level rise. Earthquake-generated tsunamis can cause sudden flooding in coastal areas and islands. Damage to human health and infrastructure caused by past tsunamis is well-documented–but what happens to the affected region’s […]
Revisiting conservation success stories is an important way to celebrate accomplishments even when there is more work to be done. Conservationists always have more work to do, but giving pause to remember and celebrate victories is important and rewarding. Today, we’re sharing five conservation success stories to help spread and amplify the joy of conservation. 1. […]
Wisdom the Laysan Albatross, the world’s oldest known bird producing offspring in the wild, has recently hatched yet another chick on Midway Atoll. Laysan Albatross flock to the wildlife refuge on Midway Atoll every year to nest. Among them is Wisdom, who shocks the world by hatching young well into old age. Each year, her […]
By Karen Poiani, CEO, Island Conservation In a speech at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference in Washington D.C., President Obama spoke to the importance of one of the world’s most effective biodiversity conservation interventions: the removal of invasive alien species from islands. This testimonial for island restoration was made in the context of the United […]
A story of change and recovery on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, a novel environment. By: Wieteke Holthuijzen Located at the far end of the extensive Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of the most remote atolls in the world—more than 1,500 miles north-west from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Home to the world’s […]
World’s oldest Laysan Albatross, Wisdom, returns to Midway Atoll to nest. “Wisdom” is the world’s oldest Laysan Albatross. At age 66, she far exceeds the expected lifespan of 20-40 years. To the surprise of biologists, not only is she living long, but she is also still hatching chicks year after year. We were excited about […]
This week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week! Did you know that invasive species like rats prey on native bird and reptile eggs? Seabirds need nesting sites that are free of invasive species in order to successfully raise their young. Wisdom, the 65-year-old Laysan Albatross, has found a safe place to raise her chick and […]