HIFB will take place on October 26 from 9am to 5:30pm at the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo. Schedule is coming soon. In the meantime, here’s a peek at what you can look forward to at the 2024 festival!
Media: Download the Press Release
Merch: Check out the 2024 HIFB Shirt
Promotion: Download the 2024 HIFB Flyer
Click Here to Purchase Tickets on Eventbrite!
Presale tickets are $15 general admission, $10 student rate, keiki 12 and under free.
Presale tickets come with a free festival keychain and first access to the collectible festival wristband.
Tickets purchased at the door will be $25 general admission, $20 student rate, keiki 12 and under free.
Both presale and at-the-door tickets come with a $5 Birdie Bucks coupon to use or donate at bird fair.
Bird Fair Vendors and Exhibitors
Learning Lounge Booths on Lobby Lānai (free to the public, no wristband required)
| Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife | ʻŌhiʻa Love (University of Hawaiʻi Cooperative Extension Rapid Ohia Death Program) | The Wildlife Society Hawaiʻi Chapter & Beginner Bird School | Keauhou Bird Conservation Center | ʻImiloa Astronomy Center | Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project | Hawaiʻi Land Trust |
Optics Demos on Lawn (free to the public, no wristband required)
Binocular and spotting scope demos, courtesy of Kowa Sporting Optics. Have any questions about the best optics for birding? Here’s a good chance to get those questions answered!
Bird Fair in Hoʻomalimali, Sandalwood, and Palm Rooms (HIFB wristband required):
| Hawaiʻi Wildlife Center | Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi | Kōlea Hop Water | Mountain House Stained Glass (Artist: Claudia McCall) | ʻApapane Pottery (Artist: Emily Herb) | Laulima | Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge | Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project and ʻAlalā Project | Birds Not Mosquitoes | ʻĀina Hoʻōla Initiative | Kō Kākou ʻĀina | Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association | Haleakalā National Park | Tommy Atkins Photography | Hawaiʻi Audubon Society | Nēnē Research and Conservation | Tropical Funk (Artist: Jackie Milligan) | Wandering Finch (Artist: Joanna Maney) | Kahua ‘Āina | Patrick Ching | Esther Szegedy | Caren Loebel-Fried | Sarah Taylor Ko | Nā Ala Hele | Autochthonous Hawaiʻi (Artist: Saxony Charlot) | Laurel Ogelsby Art | Island Nation | Charlotte Forbes Perry | Laupahoehoe Graphics | Margaret Barnaby | Silent Auction Tables (auction closes at 4:30) |
The last hour of the festival (4:30pm – 5:30pm), all Bird Fair areas will be free to the public and not require wristbands.
Presentations in Crown Room (HIFB wristband required)
The goal of the festival is to come together as a community to celebrate native bird species in Hawai‘i and fight against hopelessness in the face of tough conservation challenges. Through the sharing of manaʻo and enthusiasm, the festival aims to uplift and motivate. This year’s festival theme is Celebrating Connection.
Opening ʻoli led by ʻĀhuimanu.
The perfect way to set the tone for the day. Come prepared to join your fellow festival attendees with native bird calls.
Featured Panel Topic: Papahānaumokuākea
This 45-minute panel will allow us to take a deeper dive into Papahānaumokuākea, highlighting multiple perspectives and experiences among the panelists.
Moderator: Andy Collins, Education Coordinator, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
Panelists:
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Beth Flint, USFWS Supervisory Wildlife BiologistOverview of seabirds in Papahānaumokuākea, trends, and conservation activities and status.
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Ann Bell, Friends of Midway AtollMidway as the window to Papahānaumokuākea. Outreach activities from Midway Atoll, and connecting the world to this special and remote place.
- J. Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, Papahānaumokuākea Cultural Working Group. Nomenclature Hui
Native Hawaiian naming process for Hawaiʻi seabirds and the significance of names in Hawaiian culture.
Guest Presentations (Each presentation is 15 minutes long, including any Q&A, and explores different areas of conservation and connection to the birds of Hawaiʻi.)
Patrick Hart: Conservation Bioacoustics for Hawaii’s birds
Hawaiian forest birds keep track of each other through songs and calls. Here, we will discuss how the LOHE lab at UH Hilo records and processes these sounds to improve our ability to monitor their distribution and abundance.
Jordan Lerma: The Role of Community in Conservation
This talk by Jordan Lerma, Field Biologist and Executive Director at Nene.org, explores the essential role of community involvement in conservation. Learn about the origins of Nene.org, the innovative tools being developed to empower community action, and how community-contributed data is enhancing existing conservation efforts. The presentation will also cover applied conservation topics such as predator control, habitat management, and practical ways everyone in Hawaiʻi can help protect native species.
Lisa Mason & Hannah Bailey: E hele pū! Meet the Hawaiʻi Endangered Bird Conservation Program
Learn about the critical work being done to conserve critically endangered birds
Caren Loebel-Fried: Finding Home; A Hawaiian Petrel’s Journey
Author and artist Caren Loebel-Fried shares her newest book featuring the ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel) and all of the efforts to protect this endangered seabird.
Eric-Preston Hamren, The Wildlife Society: Lessons from Bird School
Reflections on the first year of Beginner Bird School up in Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge – connections made, lessons learned, and future plans.
David Shepard, Fashion-Forward Conservation
Introducing how he got started, his conservation focused mission, his artistic process, and how he collaborates with non-profit organizations to raise the profile of their work. He will also be sharing his latest Forest Bird Collection, how donations are structured, his plans and future direction, and a call to action to reach out for more collaborations.
Hālau Hula Manaʻolana: E Laka Ka Lehua O Ka Nahelehele and Haʻena Kawahine
The Haumana of Hālau Hula Manaʻolana led by Kumu Hope Keawe will be presenting two kahiko hula. The first, E Laka Ka Lehua O Ka Nahelehele written by Kumu Keala Ching, honors the beautiful Laka, the embodiment of the spirit of hula. Traditional hula as it is presented in modern times, continues to use chant, traditional instruments, and dance to invoke a connection with the culture that had evolved among the Polynesian people living on the Hawaiian Islands. The idea of Laka as the embodiment of the spirit of hula helps modern students to understand and become a part of the hula tradition. The second hula kahiko presented will be Haʻena Kawahine, honoring Haʻena, a compassionate woman close to the birds nurtured by the sweet nectar of lehua.
Hālau Hula Nāwehiokaipoaloha: presentation title and description coming soon
Bret Mossman (pending)
Special Updates
Nā Ala Hele
Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife
Soundbaths
Not the wet kind of bath, no towels required. We will be featuring soundscapes throughout the day featuring many different native bird species. As you listen to the soundscapes, we hope you will be able to imagine a Hawai‘i so naturally abundant in native birdsong and life.
Bird Trivia
We promise to do more trivia this year! Answer a question correctly to win prizes.
