Scholarships Granted

Two young women from Maui, Erika Kekiwi and Janine Harris, are the recipients of the second annual Don Reeser and Mary Evanson Memorial Scholarship award given by the Friends of Haleakalā National Park.

Erika Kekiwi is a graduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, in the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science program. Inspired by the rare fauna of Haleakalā, Erika is working on a project for protection of two critically endangered, endemic East Maui forest birds.  Her project involves the bio-acoustic monitoring of the kiwikiu and the ʻākohekohe by creating automatic detection algorithms that will help researchers monitor bird song recordings. 

Acoustic monitoring is conducted by deploying recording units in the field with batteries lasting months at a time, creating long-term monitoring opportunities. This can effectively replicate a human surveyor, except over time frames that would be infeasible for humans to conduct. However, processing these recordings can be difficult and incredibly time-consuming. Her project aims to create an automatic detection algorithm to make processing of these recordings much more efficient and thereby offer more information necessary to preserve these species. Kekiwi, a graduate of Kamehameha Maui High School, hopes to work in conservation and help to protect Hawaiʻi’s natural resources for generations to come.

Janine Harris, a graduate of King Kekaulike High School, will be a senior in the Microbiology Laboratory course at the University of Portland in the fall. She has returned for two past summers to work as an intern at Haleakalā National Park.  In 2019 she served as an ʻImi I Ka Lama/Kupu Intern in the cultural resource department where she assisted the park’s museum technician with digitizing and electronically organizing the park museum’s historic photos and plant, insect, and artifact collections.  The following summer, she returned to the park as an intern with the National Council on Preservation Education and assisted the park’s archeologist with the mapping of ancient sites and historic structures, surveying and mapping archeological sites throughout the 17-acre park-owned parcel in Maʻua, Kaupō.  Harris isn’t sure yet what fields of science she will work in ultimately, but she has loved learning about the cultural and ecological resources of Maui through her internships at the park.

The two annual $1,000 scholarships honor the life work of both Don Reeser, superintendent of Haleakalā National Park from 1988 to 2005, and Mary Evanson, co-founder of the nonprofit Friends group which supports the park’s mission to preserve and protect Haleakalā’s unique ecosystems, scenic character and associated Native Hawaiian culture.

Overnight Tent-Camping Service Trips Scheduled Through the End of the Year

Single Day trip to Holua 5/15

Greenhouse Maintenance Day Trips re-starting

See schedule and details at http://fhnp.org/service.html

Wear Your Love of Haleakalā NP

Friends of Haleakalā branded shorts and hooded pull-overs are available for purchase via on-line seller bonfire.  Profits from the sale of these items help support the FHNP and our mission.   These quality shirts sport a beautiful design of nēnē overlooking the Park, created by talented local artist and FHNP board member,  Maggie Sutrov.   They are available in several colors and styles and sizes.  Purchase one for yourself, and maybe one for everyone on your holiday gift list.  

Order your now at https://www.bonfire.com/wear-your-love-of-haleakala-crater/