Aloha and mahalo, thank you, for joining us for HIFB Virtual 2020!
Why Virtual?
It’s certainly been a crazy year so far for everyone. The Hawai‘i Island Festival of Birds is virtual this year in large part due to precautions and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and travel restrictions to Hawai‘i. The current pandemic has taken a huge toll on our State and local economy as well, resulting in a loss of the majority of our funding. HOWEVER! We are a determined bunch and decided to attempt our first-ever virtual event. We hope that what we share will inspire you to e pūlama i nā manu Hawaiʻi, cherish the birds of Hawai‘i, as well as visit our beautiful island home when things settle down and travel resumes to some semblance of normal.
Who is Putting on the Festival?
The virtual festival is managed by the Hawai‘i Wildlife Center, a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the medical and rehabilitative care of native birds and bats. As HIFB does not have its own staff, the festival website is developed and managed by HWC’s Development Coordinator and resident bird nerd. If you would like to support this year’s festival efforts, please consider making a donation!
Also, presentations are being generously volunteered by experts and enthusiasts across Hawai‘i. Many of our presenters also represent conservation or cultural nonprofits. If any of our festival presentations really speak to you, we highly encourage you to support their organizations with a donation if you are able! Information about a presenter’s organization is included in their event description, which may be accessed through our event calendar.
What’s to Come?
Festival presentations will be shared as video on this website on their designated day. Many of these videos will feature new content created for HIFB Virtual 2020! While the video will be pre-recorded, if you register by mid-August you will have the opportunity to ask questions on some of the topics and your questions may end up being included in the final presentation. Other bonuses for registering early include early access to discount codes in the Virtual Marketplace and opportunities to win prizes before the festival begins.
Additional information and features to come, including prize information, at-home activities, and more! In the meantime, please register here and stay in the loop by signing up for email updates and following us on Facebook and Instagram!
