About Dr. Fern Duvall II
Dr. Fern Duvall II was a long-time Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture champion and treasured Hawaiʻi community member. He was a lifelong naturalist, conservationist, and mentor. Fern’s deep knowledge of the natural world in Hawaiʻi was unparalleled, and his curiosity never ceased.
Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture was honored with Fern’s leadership and service for nearly a decade. His contributions to Pacific Birds were numerous – as an International Management Board member, a Co-chair, an Executive Committee member, and a Hawaiʻi Wetlands Committee member. But Fern was also so much more – he was a generous mentor, a leader, a trusted guide, and a delightful friend. He thought deeply about how to approach difficult conservation challenges and often came up with innovative and successful paths forward.
From helping to find and protect a colony of ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian petrel, on Lānaʻi, to perfecting techniques necessary for hatching critically endangered ʻalalā, or Hawaiian crows, in captivity, his work has been vital to the survival of many species.
In 1988, as the State’s aviculturist, he helped develop a captive-rearing facility for all rare and endangered Hawaiian birds, including the nēnē. By 1996 he became a state wildlife biologist, focusing mainly on species at Kanahā Pond Wildlife Sanctuary. This involved hunting down a rash of snake reports to protect native birds. In fact, Duvall once caught a 3-foot ball python that was trapped in the garage of a Makawao home.
We keep him in our hearts as we continue the work to conserve and protect natural places.
About the Award
Starting in 2023, the Dr. Fern Duvall Conservation and Collaboration Award program honors Fern’s incredible legacy by recognizing individuals working in the Pacific Birds region who embody the spirit that Fern brought to conservation.
With this award, we seek to celebrate:
Individuals early in their career or considered shining lights in conservation
Small community-based organizations
Awardees will receive up to $1,000 worth of supplies that support their conservation work.
Eligibility
Individuals, partnerships, and organizations working to conserve habitat within the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture geography that embody the core characteristics of this award are encouraged to apply.
Nominations from anywhere in the Pacific Birds geography will be considered but strong preference is given to nominees that have influenced wetland bird and habitat conservation in Hawaiʻi.
To Submit A Nomination
A nomination form will be posted here annually in May. Nominations will be reviewed by a Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture Committee composed of staff and board members.
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2024 award. Please check back in Spring 2025 for the next round.
