The Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project (MFBRP), with the help of the State of Hawaii Natural Area Reserve Commission, has begun restoration efforts on the Nakula Natural Area Reserve. So far, a fenced section of 420 acres has been completed and is already showing signs of regeneration through the emergence of keiki koa trees.
As part of their continued efforts, MFBRP seeks to plant nine main plant species in the reserve and have already collected thousands of native seeds. The Native Nursery, LLC of Kula has begun growing these trees that will eventually be planted in Nakula. Enough seed was collected to produce 7,600 native tree seedlings, but the project currently only has funding to grow and plant 6,500. MFBRP is seeking community support for the remaining 1,100 trees. To donate to their restoration efforts, visit their campaign website.
Created by the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1997, MFBRP acts as part of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit under the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii. They work to prevent the extinction of native birds through research and improved management techniques. MFBRP has currently focused their efforts on the endangered Kiwikiu, or Maui Parrotbill, which only have 500 birds of their species left in the wild. Through their efforts, they hope to re-introduce the Kiwikiu to the leeward side of Haleakala where they were once found.
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