NA KOA MANU CONSERVATION INC

MAUI FOREST BIRD RECOVERY PROJECT (MFBRP) AIMS TO CONSERVE AND RECOVER NATIVE HAWAIIAN FOREST BIRD POPULATIONS THROUGH RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES. IN 2024, THE MFBRP TEAM DEPLOYED OVER 22 MILLION INCOMPATIBLE INSECT TECHNIQUE (IIT) MOSQUITOES ACROSS 3,000 ACRES ON EAST MAUI TO PROTECT NATIVE BIRDS AGAINST AVIAN MALARIA. IN A TANDEM EFFORT WITH IIT, A NATURAL BACTERIA CALLED BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS ISRAELENSIS (BTI) - SAFE FOR EVERYTHING EXCEPT MOSQUITO LARVA - WAS SPRAYED ACROSS A 720 ACRE AREA BY HELICOPTER NEARLY TWICE A MONTH FROM AUGUST TO DECEMBER, CONTINUING INTO 2025. WHILE THE EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN AND CREATE DISEASE FREE HABITAT USING IIT AND BTI WAS UNDERWAY, MFBRP COLLECTED 11 KIWIKIU TO START A CAPTIVE POPULATION AT MAUI BIRD CONSERVATION CENTER - SAN DIEGO ZOO. ADDITIONALLY, MFBRP SUCCESSFULLY RELEASED 5 'ALALA (HAWAIIAN CROW) ONTO THE LANDSCAPE IN EAST MAUI. THE TEAM HAS MAINTAINED A CONSTANT FIELD PRESENCE SINCE THE RELEASE IN NOVEMBER 2024. THEY HAVE CONTINUED SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING AND MONITORING DAILY EVER SINCE.

EAST MAUI WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP (EMWP) COORDINATES AND IMPLEMENTS MANAGEMENT TO PROTECT EAST MAUI'S FORESTS. THESE AREAS HOUSE NOT ONLY NATIVE RAINFORESTS BUT ALSO SERVE AS THE PRIMARY WATER SOURCE FOR EAST MAUI COMMUNITIES. EMWP BUILDS AND MAINTAINS FENCES TO PROTECT THIS WATER RESOURCE IN PERPETUITY AND PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR ON-GOING FOREST AND WATERSHED RESTORATION EFFORTS IN HAWAII FOR THE BENEFIT OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN BIRD'S HABITATS. IN 2024, EMWP REPORTED THAT BACK COUNTRY SITES IN KOOLAU FOREST RESERVE HAVE REMAINED UNGULATE FREE AND EXPANDED THE FOOTPRINT OF FENCE MAINTENANCE TO HANAWI NATURAL AREA RESERVE. THE TEAM WORKS ON THE GROUND TO CONTROL HIGH-ELEVATION NON-NATIVE PLANTS (PRIMARILY HIMALAYAN GINGER). IN THE FALL OF 2024, EMWP ORGANIZED THEIR ANNUAL MALAMA WAO AKUA ART SHOW AND INVOLVED ARTISTS OF ALL AGES FROM THE MAUI COMMUNITY.