Its Now or Never: Help Save the Kiwikiu
Please help support the efforts to bring awareness and provide assistance to the plight of our most imperiled manu person: the kiwikiu. Kiwikiu is an incredible honeycreeper that is endemic to the island of Maui. At one point their populations flourished and they could be seen all throughout the island (and even on Molokaʻi!). However, in the early 1800s when new diseases and mosquitoes were introduced, kiwikiu were forced into their stronghold deep in the rainforests of Haleakalā. The kiwikiu is currently at the greatest risk of extinction out of all 33 Hawaiian bird species currently listed as endangered. Their population is estimated at JUST 157 individuals and they have been predicted to go extinct as soon as 2026. Hawaiʻi is the endangered species and extinction capital of the WORLD and the most recent species to have fallen victim to extinction was in 2004. This bird, the Po’ouli, was also a Maui native, and its last known specimen died in captivity.
We are at a nexus in Hawaiian bird conservation and it is truly now or never to take action to save the kiwikiu. If we don't take action now to save the kiwikiu they will be the next bird species to go extinct. Please join me and contribute in whatever capacity you can. Share this fundraiser, share this petition to keep the birds in Hawaiʻi, donate a dollar, call a wealthy relative and ask them to contribute, donate an item for the giveaway. For too long we have relied solely on the scientists and conservationists to save the birds, and they simply cannot do it alone. Only as a lāhui (united community), we can make a difference and bring an end to extinction in Hawaiʻi. Check out Birds of Hawaiʻi Past Present on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more information and to keep updated on the latest fundraiser details.
For large donors (anything over $200) I recommend donating directly to the non-profit of your choice and keep the documents for your taxes. All donations to any of these 501C non-profits are tax deductible. Please email your donation receipts to [email redacted] so I can keep track of how much is donated and to qualify for prizes!
The non-profits:
Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (Donate here: Nā Koa Manu Conservation )
Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers (Donate here: KBCC and MBCC )
The Nature Conservancy Waikamoʻi Preserve (Donate here: TNC Hawaiʻi )
The American Bird Conservancy Birds Not Mosquitoes Program (Donate here: ABS Hawaiʻi 1. Click on the link, 2 Click the box for “In Honor or In Memory of Someone”, and then write “Hawaii Mosquitoes” in the honoree text box it will go to the Hawai’i Program’s Mosquito Project).
