Making of a Forest Bird Virtual Field Trip
April 1, 2024 - Students across Hawai‘i are being offered rare access to learn about endangered Hawaiian forest birds. The Keauhou Bird Conservation Center (KBCC), near Volcano, on Hawai‘i Island is one of two centers operated through a partnership between San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, for the care and perpetuation of numerous critically endangered Hawaiian forest birds.
During this ‘Year of the Forest Birds’ (ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele), the focus is on five species that are really in trouble. One way to spread information and to educate keiki is through the production of what is known as a virtual field trip: a collection of 360˚ images, videos, and interviews that allow students to learn about places and species they might not get to see in person.