Students at a middle school on the island of Kauaʻi sometimes see aeʻo just outside the school buildings. This native wetland bird sometimes uses fields for foraging, including those around the local shopping center near the school.
Aeʻo, or Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), is one of Hawaiʻi’s endangered waterbirds and they have a strong place in Hawaiian culture. Knowing how to recognize them and learning about their natural environment is one step in keeping that cultural connection alive and the population on the upswing. To that end, Pacific Birds Conservation Coordinator in Hawaiʻi, Helen Raine, spent a morning with art students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School sharing about aeʻo and other native birds on Kauaʻi and across Hawaiʻi.
The school in Līhuʻe is close to several key sites for endangered waterbirds, including the Alakoko Fishpond (learn more from Mālama Hulē'ia) and the Hulē'ia National Wildlife Refuge. Creating art centered on the birds helped students put a name to the “black and white bird with the red legs."
As we view the beautiful renditions the students created, we are sure they can only increase appreciation for native birds and the biodiversity of the Hawaiian Islands. Pacific Birds and the middle school plan to continue learning and doing art together, and find ways to use the art to share vital conservation messages.
Learning about Hawaiian endemic bird species is a fantastic way to teach students what a special and unique place Hawaiʻi is. Students learn that art can be used as a tool to raise awareness for social and environmental issues. - Art Teacher Alissa Hartmann
Other native Hawaiian species created by the art students. (Be sure to click on more information to see the artist!)
