We are Hiring!
Join our team!
We are looking for:
Kauai Mosquito Research/Control Field Supervisor
and
Seasonal Outreach Assistant
All details and how to apply here: https://kauaiforestbirds.org/employment/
Donate or Walk with KFBRP at the 2026 Kauaʻi Charity Walk!
KFBRP is excited to be a part of the 2026 Kauaʻi Visitor Industry Charity Walk on
Saturday, May 2 at 7:00 AM at Vidinha Stadium!
This event is a great way to support our efforts to protect Kauaʻi’s endangered forest birds—and enjoy a fun morning walk through Līhu‘e with friends,’ohana and fellow conservation supporters.
Here’s how you can help:
1️⃣ Donate to support our Charity Walk team.
2️⃣ Register to walk with us! The $50 registration includes a t-shirt and breakfast.
3️⃣ If you’re walking, invite friends and ‘ohana to support your efforts through the event’s online tools.
The best part? Every dollar raised will be matched—dollar for dollar—by the event’s proceeds!
It’s a powerful way to make twice the impact for Kauaʻi’s native species.
Mahalo for standing with us and helping to protect the birds that make our island home so special.
Community Volunteers Needed for Citizen Science Project: Mosquito Monitoring on West Kaua‘i
The Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project is launching a Citizen Science Mosquito Monitoring Project and is seeking community volunteers living between Kalaheo and Kekaha to participate.
This pilot project will run from April through May 26, 2026, with an additional session planned for Fall 2026.
Why Monitor Mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes are a key factor in the transmission of avian malaria, a disease that affects native forest birds. Understanding which mosquito species are present, where they occur, and how their populations change over time is essential for informing conservation strategies and mosquito control efforts on Kaua‘i.
Community participation allows us to expand monitoring efforts across a wider geographic area than would otherwise be possible.
What Volunteers Will Do
Participants will:
- Set up a small GAT Trap outside their home or yard
- Use non-toxic, hay-infused water to attract mosquitoes
- Leave the trap out for 3–4 days each week over a one-month period
- Return collection cards to the project team in Kaumakani
The traps are safe, simple to use, and require minimal time commitment. All volunteers will receive training and guidance from project staff. For more information on the traps, please watch this video.
Project Goals
This project aims to:
- Identify mosquito species and relative abundance
- Map mosquito distribution across West Kaua‘i
- Track seasonal and spatial changes in mosquito populations
- Provide data to support mosquito control and conservation planning
- Foster community engagement in local science and conservation
Who Can Participate
Residents living between Kalaheo and Kekaha are eligible to join.
Get Involved
If you are interested in contributing to this community science effort, please fill out the interest form.
Mahalo for your interest in supporting conservation through community-based science.
DINE FOR A CAUSE – ALL FEBRUARY LONG
We’re excited to share that we have been selected as the nonprofit recipient for proceeds from Table 53 at RumFire Poipu!
By dining at Table 53, you’re directly supporting efforts to protect Kauaʻi’s native forest birds and their habitats. It’s an easy (and delicious!) way to give back.
Call RumFire (808-742-4RUM) to make your reservation and request Table 53, and dine knowing your meal is making a difference.Mahalo for supporting bird conservation on Kauaʻi!
GIVING TUESDAY AND BEYOND
🌿 Giving Tuesday: Two Ways to Support Kaua‘i’s Native Forest Birds
We’re excited to be a part of two Giving Tuesday fundraisers this year — North Shore Give Week and Give Big Hawai‘i — both supporting our mission to protect the last eight remaining native forest bird species on Kaua‘i. Your contributions power our most urgent conservation work, including mosquito control, predator management, and habitat protection in remote native forests.
Our forest birds are essential to the health of Kaua‘i’s watersheds, helping maintain the native forests that provide clean, reliable water for our communities. We are deeply grateful for your support in safeguarding their future.
Join us this Giving Tuesday and help keep Kaua‘i’s forest birds alive.
🐦 2025 Wings & Woodlands Art Exhibit
YOU ARE INVITED!
Kaua‘i Society of Artists Gallery | Kukui Grove Center
Exhibit Dates: November 8–14, 2025
Opening Hours: 11/8 – 10am-3pm, 11/9 -11/13 – 12-6pm, 11/14 12-3pm
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7 at 6 PM
Celebrate Hawai‘i’s manu through art! The Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project and Birds, Not Mosquitoes are teaming up with the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project and Trees for Honolulu’s Future to showcase the beauty and importance of Hawai‘i’s native birds.
🌿 Special Events
Friday, Nov 7 | 6 PM – Opening Reception (FREE!) – SIGN UP HERE
Join us for refreshments, a blessing, and the first look at this year’s inspiring bird art.
Saturday, Nov 8 | 10 AM–3 PM
• 10 AM Kahili Pa‘a Lima Workshop with Kumu Kaeo – $100 – SIGN UP HERE
• Kaua‘i Cultural Artists Guild Vendors on site
Sunday, Nov 9 | 1 PM
• Ni‘ihau Shell Earring Workshop with Hi‘ipoi Kanahele – $100 – SIGN UP HERE
Monday, Nov 10 | 4–6 PM
• Seabird Art Class – Free – SIGN UP HERE
Tuesday, Nov 11 | 4 -6 PM
• Sip & Paint with Kumu Kehaulani – $55–$65 – SIGN UP HERE
Wednesday, Nov 12 | 4–6 PM
• Forest Journaling Workshop with Kim Rogers – Free – SIGN UP HERE
Friday, Nov 14 | Exhibit closes at 3 PM
(Art pickup begins at 3 PM)
🌈 Keiki Art Contest: “WeTrees!”
Keiki in grades K–8 are invited to create art celebrating the importance of trees — vital homes for many of Hawai‘i’s birds. Select Kaua‘i entries will be featured in the Wings & Woodlands Exhibit.
Email artcontest@treesforhonolulu.org
E kū`ē i ka make loa – Resist Extinction
A collaboration to honor culture, art, and Kaua‘i’s forest birds
We are proud to launch our newest T-shirt campaign: E kū`ē i ka make loa – Resist Extinction. This shirt represents more than a conservation message—it embodies the coming together of cultural knowledge, artistic vision, and community action.
Finding the right words
Language carries power, and it was important that this campaign reflect that. We partnered with Kumu Keahi Manea of the Ka Imi Naauao o Hawai`i Nei Institute, who consulted with Kumu Koki Williams to find the most resonant way to express “resist extinction” in Hawaiian.
Three possible phrases were shared:
-
E kū`ē i ka halapohe
-
E kū`ē i ka nalowale loa
-
E kū`ē i ka make loa
Together, we chose E kū`ē i ka make loa—“stand against the finality of extinction.”
Art that tells a story
The design itself comes from Hanah Cincotta, an artist whose work has brought the story of Kaua‘i’s birds to life. Hanah is best known for her award-winning cartoon about the Kaua‘i ʻōʻō, a haunting reminder of what has already been lost. For this campaign, her artwork weaves hope and resistance together—an image that speaks for the birds that still remain and calls us to action.
The shirt features ʻōhiʻa, the keystone tree species that every Hawaiian forest bird depends upon, symbolizing the deep interconnection between native plants and wildlife. It also highlights seven bird species: six that are still with us—‘akikiki, ‘anianiau, Kaua‘i ‘elepaio, ‘akeke‘e, puaiohi, and ‘i‘iwi—and one now lost, the Kaua‘i ʻōʻō. Together, they remind us of both the fragility of what remains and the resilience we must fight to uphold.
Why this collaboration matters
Kaua‘i’s native forest birds face critical threats from avian malaria carried by invasive mosquitoes, habitat loss, and climate change. Through conservation science, cultural grounding, and creative storytelling, KFBRP and our partners are working to give these species a fighting chance.
Join us in resisting extinction
By wearing the E kū`ē i ka make loa – Resist Extinction shirt, you carry forward a message born of Hawaiian knowledge and expressed through art. Each shirt supports conservation and spreads awareness about the urgency of protecting our native birds.
🌿 Order your shirt here.
📸 Share your photos wearing it and tag us with #ResistExtinction to help grow the movement.
Together, we can resist extinction.
Thinking Like an ‘Akeke‘e: The Nest Searching Process
by Ke Coco Deng
5/30/2025
With the number of ‘akeke‘e steadily decreasing due to avian malaria, it is always exciting to see them in the wild. ‘Akeke‘e is a forest bird endemic to Kaua‘i. Even in their core habitat in the Alaka‘i Wilderness Preserve, ‘akeke‘e can be challenging to find as they forage high in the canopy on the buds of ʻōhiʻa. We treasure the time we spend living and working with them in the wild. One of our objectives this season is ‘akeke‘e nest searching: combing through miles of dense rainforest to find the nests of this increasingly elusive bird. Every nest is a valuable data point that grants us more knowledge about the life history of this critically endangered species.
To find an ‘akeke‘e nest, one must learn to think like an ‘akeke‘e. Nest searching requires a deep understanding of bird behavior. During the breeding season, ‘akeke‘e like to call and sing close to their nests to establish their territories. Our field technicians monitor ‘akeke‘e activity closely throughout the season, making note of when and where they are seen and heard so we can determine where they are likely to be nesting. This season, we have observed ‘akeke‘e singing, calling, and foraging over our Halepa‘akai field camp. Our crew have spent several weeks searching for nests in this area.
In April, field technician Ke Coco Deng discovered an ‘akeke‘e nest close to Halepa‘akai camp. She followed begging calls to a moss-lined nest with chicks, high up in the branches of an ʻōhiʻa lehua. All of our nests receive unique names to help us identify them. She named this nest “WARD,” as in protection, to lend good fortune to the nest and to the future of ‘akeke‘e. The name also refers to how we ward off threats to our forest birds through conservation so that they can continue to resist extinction. We made detailed observations about the chick rearing behavior of ‘akeke‘e at this nest, which may be important for future research and conservation.
A few weeks passed before our next nest update. We heard bird calls over Halepa‘akai camp and looked up to see an ‘akeke‘e family—two adults and two fledglings! The fledglings were making beginner attempts at foraging, slowly prying apart the buds of an ʻōhiʻa ha in search of insects. Though the bills of ‘akeke‘e have adapted to feed from insects inside ʻōhiʻa buds, practice makes perfect! Soon, the fledglings will be masters of foraging like their parents, finding insects in seconds. As ‘akeke‘e numbers continue to decline, it is heartening to see young birds joining the population. To help protect these vulnerable fledglings from mosquito-borne diseases like avian malaria, mosquito control efforts are currently being deployed on Kaua‘i. We hope to share the Alaka‘i with these birds for some time yet.