Princeville Moʻolelo Free Lecture Series: “Finding Home, a Hawaiian Petrel’s Journey”

The Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges Princeville Moʻolelo free lecture series will continue on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Join artist/author Caren Loebel-Fried for the launch of her new book, “Finding Home, A Hawaiian Petrel’s Journey,” published by University of Hawai‘i Press. Caren will share the behind-the-scenes of this inspiring story. Her adventures researching the endangered ‘ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel) brought her to their colonies throughout the Hawaiian Islands and to Nihokū, within Kīlauea Point NWR, where Pacific Rim Conservation (PRC) and partners have undertaken an ambitious project to save these seabirds. Special guest speakers include André Raine (Archipelago Research & Conservation) and Robby Kohley (PRC) whose work with the ‘ua‘u inspired this story.

‘Ua‘u are endemic Hawaiian seabirds that soar huge distances day and night, powered by wind. They are guided by smell and an inner magnetic map, and only touch land once a year when they meet their life mate at their burrow and together raise one chick. For 60 million years, ‘ua‘u have made a living off the ocean, nesting in Hawai‘i far from predators. Hawaiian legends tell of seabirds darkening the sky as they returned from the sea, their guano washing down from the mountaintops, nourishing the land and offshore coral reefs. But, since the arrival of humans, ‘ua‘u numbers have plummeted to near extinction. “Finding Home, a Hawaiian Petrel’s Journey” is based on the true story of these amazing seabirds and the people working to save them.

Free Lecture Series: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 5pm in the Princeville Community Center. The presentation will also be available via Zoom. For more information, visit www.kauairefuges.org/princeville-moolelo.

About the Series: Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges is pleased to partner with the Princeville at Hanalei Community Association Events Committee to present this engaging series. Together, they are presenting free informative “talk story” events monthly in the Princeville Community Center to share the work and stories of conservation partners, Hawaiian cultural practitioners and more.

About Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges: Kīlauea Point Natural History Association, doing business as “Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges,” serves as a 501(c)(3) non-profit Friends Group that supports the wildlife conservation, education, and historic preservation work of the Kauaʻi National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes Kīlauea Point, Hanalei and Hulēʻia NWRs.  With donations, plus proceeds from Nature Store operations, the organization supports visitor education, provides rehabilitative care for sick or injured native Hawaiian birds, volunteer training, special events, equipment for wildlife habitat maintenance and restoration, free bussing for school field trips to a refuge, awards annual scholarships for college students pursuing environmental studies and more. For additional information, visit www.kauairefuges.org and follow on social media at @fkwrkauai.