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My Rainforest Diorama

My Rainforest Diorama

What’s Inside My Rainforest Diorama?

Each species featured in your Kit is endemic to Hawai’i, which means that each one is found no where else in the world!

Your kit contains four manu (bird) and two kumulāʻau (tree)

  1. ʻIʻiwi
  2. ʻĀkepa
  3. ʻElepaio
  4. Mamo 
  5. ʻŌhiʻa lehua tree
  6. Koa tree
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Did you know?

According to the Nature Conservancy’s publication, Last Stand: The Vanishing Hawaiian Forest, our rainforests are home to over 9,000 endemic species. At one time, our rainforests were also home to 56 Hawaiian honeycreepers. In 2011 article, Douglas Pratt, an ornithologist, author, bird illustrator, and photographer stated that of the 56 species of Hawaiian honeycreepers that existed only 18 have not succumbed to extinction. It’s important to understand and evaluate the rold that humans played in both the extinctions of species. Collectively, these species uniquely define our pae ʻāina or island archipelago and without them, what will become of our biodiverse home and the ecological services that we rely on for our survival? Let’s start by learning and connecting with these amazing species of our native Hawaiian forests.

Status Definitions
  • Extinct: No individuals of the species exists on Earth
  • Endangered: The species remains at a very high risk of extinction because the number of individuals are very low. Species can become endangered if their habitats are being lost or destroyed.
  • Threatened: It has been observed that the species population has continued to decrease over time and the species could eventually become classified as endangered if they continue to face the same threats. 
  • Vulnerable: The species population has become so low and will continue to decline as they continue to face numerous threats, most likely habitat loss.

ʻIʻiwi

ʻIʻiwi perched in the ʻŌhiʻa lehua tree. Photo Credits: Bret Mossman
  • Name: ʻIʻiwi
  • Common Name: Scarlet Honeycreeper
  • Scientific Name: Drepanis coccinea
  • Current Status: Threatened
  • Special Fact About Me: I have the longest bill of all surviving native forest birds.

ʻĀkepa

Akepa_BretMossman
 ʻĀkepa perched in a Koa tree. Photo Credits: Bret Mossman
  • Name: ʻĀkepa
  • Common Name: Hawaiʻi ʻĀkepa
  • Scientific Name: Loxops coccineus
  • Current Status: Endangered
  • Special Fact About Me:  I have a crossed bill to help get insect out of ʻŌhiʻa buds!

ʻElepaio

ʻElepaio perched on a tree branch. Photo Credits: Bret Mossman
  • Name: ʻElepaio
  • Common Name: Hawaiʻi ʻElepaio
  • Scientific Name: Chasiempis sandwichensis
  • Current Status: Vulnerable
  • Special Fact About Me: I have the longest bill of all surviving native forest birds.

Mamo

Mamo Illustrated by Amanda Merritt (Aline Design)
  • Name: Mamo
  • Common Name: Hawaiʻi Mamo
  • Scientific Name: Drepanis coccinea
  • Current Status: Extinct 
  • Special Fact About Me: My yellow feathers were prized and used to make King Kamehameha’s ʻahuʻula.
  • According to the book, The Hawaiian Honeycreepers by H. Douglas Pratt, the Hawaiʻi Mamo was last seen in 1898 which is 123 years ago