Our Work

In order to protect these unique species, we need to know as much as we can about them and the threats they face. Little research had been done on many of these species and even information about their basic biology, like how many young they have, was not known until very recently. Here we highlight some of the research MFBRP has conducted over the past twenty years to answer the most pressing questions.

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Habitat loss and alteration threatens wildlife worldwide but islands have proven to be particularly sensitive to disturbance and invasion. In their isolation, many island organisms evolved in the absence of the threats that their mainland ancestors faced. When mammalian herbivores are introduced, many native species and the ecosystems that are dependent on them often retreat or disappear altogether and can be replaced by alien ecosystems in a blink.
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The long-term persistence of native forest birds requires more habitat. MFBRP and its partners are hard at work to enhance and restore native forest on the leeward slopes of Haleakalā so these birds can have more room to live and grow.

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Just as the plants evolved in isolation from mammalian herbivory, many island animals become naïve to the threat of mammalian predators. Rats have spread around the world as stowaways and people have, in turn, brought predators to all corners of the world to deal with the pesky rodents. The results have been catastrophic for native animals and rats, cats and mongooses are implicated in a number of island extinctions. Controlling these predators in sensitive areas is vital to conserving Hawai‘i’s native birds.

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