Hawaiian Honeycreeper Mini Prints - Fundraiser
Hawaiian Honeycreeper Mini Prints - Fundraiser
I am donating 100% of the profits of these prints to the following Hawai’i bird conservation programs:
Friends of Hakalau Forest, rewilding and keeping a key ecosystem and habitat intact on Hawai’i Island.
Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project, habitat restoration and conservation of the the I’iwi, Puaiohi, ‘Akikiki, and ‘Akeke’e on Kaua’i Island.
Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, habitat restoration and conservation of Kiwikiu, ‘Akohekohe, ‘i’iwi, Hawai’i ‘Amakihi, ‘Apapane, Maui ‘Alauahio and ‘Alala on Maui Island.
Birds, Not Mosquitos, a collaborate group of government and private conservation organizations working to save Hawaiian forest birds from avian malaria spread by invasive mosquitos.
These mini print are 8"x8" and will fit perfectly in standard frames. Hand signed and open edition. High density, archival inks are used on heavy weight, all-cotton, hot pressed paper, creating a smooth, very long lasting print.
Background: The endemic birds of Hawai’i are in serious danger with the majority of the honeycreepers being critically endangered, with a number of them expected to go extinct by the end of the decade. Their biggest threat are invasive mosquitos that infect the birds with avian malaria. Climate change is allowing these mosquitos to move into higher elevations, the only refuge these birds have. But there is hope!
There’s a program that started last year that will use Wolbachia bacteria, very commonly found in insects, to prevent male mosquitos from reproducing with wild females. By having regular releases of these males, the program will act as “birth control” for the mosquitos, reducing the numbers of birds they are capable of infecting and allowing the birds time to recover. This is a proven solution that has been utilized in 7 other US states and other countries. But because it needs to be an ongoing program and many of the habitats are high elevation and hard to reach, funds are needed to get it off the ground.