Issue 3: `I`iwi

Hahai no ka ua i ka ulula'au. 
Translation: The rain follows after the forest.
Basically, destroy the forest, the rain stops falling, the land is ruined.  And no more `i`iwi!  D:
Sourced: Mary Kawena Pukui, as always.

Organism of the Day: `I`iwi (Vestiaria coccinea)

The `i`iwi, also called the scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper, is quite the handsome thing, isn't it?  I used to see `i`iwi perched in the `ohia trees in my yard growing up.  But time went on that birds showed up less and less...they're one of the many endangered birds native to Hawai`i.  However, this species is the most populous of its family (the honeycreeper family that is) and should be one of the more common native species one can see here in Hawaii. 
The honeycreeper is designated a "hummingbird-niched" species of bird - so as you could have guessed from their long bills, they sip nectar from tasty flowers.  They're diet is mainly nectar, but my research also says they consume "small arthropods" which when google-searched reveals many images of shudder-inducing insects.  They also lay pretty blue eggs to reproduce, yielding yellowish-green chicks that eventually turn red.  These little birds can also migrate between islands, which is why I'm told that the species isn't completely nonexistent on some islands.

 With such pretty plumage, it's probably unsurprising that Hawaiians prized `i`iwi feathers for feather-trade items like helmets, capes and such.  However this species was less revered, which meant it was not as significantly affected by this feather trade as some other species were.
At the moment the main reason behind the lowering population of these birds is simply progress.  Less forests mean less flowers with nectar for these birds to drink from.  As a result, less birds.
So perhaps a little slowing with progress and a little more caring for these birds, eh?
-Sabrina Robello

Sourced:  Mostly here, don't judge me.

Community Events!
The Green Gala - Fri May 18 6pm (The Pacific Club)
The Hawaii Nature Center is putting on their annual fundraiser!  A night including dinner, entertainment, auctions, and feeling good about a good cause!  The Hawaii Nature Center is dedicated to sharing knowledge and encouraging "wise stewardship" of the environment - which is basically what we at Hui Malama `Aina are dedicated to.  So take a night off and enjoy :)

He'eia Stream Restoration Workday- Sat May 19 8am-11am (Hui Ku Maoli Ola: native plant nursery 46-403 Haiku Rd, Kaneohe)

 Volunteers work on restoring the native vegetation and fight erosion!  Manual labor is restorative to more than just plants...sometimes its therapeutic.