Narrator: In the symphony   of Life, every being has its part to play.

Every piece of the world in harmonious array.

But among various realms where  existence finds its voice,   many have gone silent without freedom of choice.

As each beat echoes fainter and balance starts   to sway, the remaining must  rally to keep chaos at bay.

The journey demands resilience as much  will be faced.

But without their effort,   what will be heard filling the space?

Pilot (on airplane PA system):  Flight attendants, prepare for landing.

Music Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  My name is Ella Marcil.

I grew up on the  island of Kauaʻi.

I left for college to   pursue a career in filmmaking at the University  of Cincinnati, but I'm returning home to Hawaiʻi   for spring break because of an emergency call.

The ‘akikiki, a Hawaiian honeycreeper, is about   to go extinct, and I've been asked to document the  remaining individuals.

I've got no time to waste   and I'm on my way to meet up with the team.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Very nice to see you!

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer:  Very nice to see you too.

How was your flight?

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Long!

It was very long, but  I'm happy to be home again.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Cool!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: The ʻakikiki is a honeycreeper   species unique to the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi.

Characterized by its small size and muted gray   and white plumage, it stands in contrast to the  vibrant colors of other Hawaiian forest birds.

For millions of years, these small  birds have played a vital part of the   natural environment as insect population  controllers, allowing trees to flourish.

But the ‘akikiki now faces threats  such as habitat loss and introduced   predators, pushing them towards extinction.

Once again, thank you so much for picking me up.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Of course!

I'm glad you made it safe.

Sorry it   was a long flight.

Twelve hours is brutal but… Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  You know at this point, it's just coffee, coffee  and adrenaline keeping me going.

But it's not over   yet.

We still got to go to Kauaʻi Forest Bird  Recovery headquarters.

How's your week been?

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: It's been great.

The weather has been a   little bit interesting, a little crazy.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Recently, a family of ‘akikiki has been  discovered.

They are referred to as the Pele nest,  and videographer Graham and I are set  to hike tomorrow to find them.

The nest   is located in the Alakaʻi Plateau, next to Mount  Waiʻaleʻale, one of the wettest spots on Earth.

Graham Talaber: Wildlife Photographer: Hopefully, it will be decent weather   when we head up there.

But the winds have  been out of the west.

West southwest.

So,   It's definitely not usual.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Global climate change has modified the  weather patterns of many regions of the world,   and Kauaʻi is no exception.

Just a few years  back, Kauaʻi set a national record of 50 inches   of rainfall in a 24-hour period.

The weather  over the last few days has been unusually windy,   causing heightened concern among the  team for the safety of the Pele nest.

As we make our way towards Hanapēpē, where  the Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project   headquarters are located, I'm reminded  of the island’s unique flora and fauna.

Hawaiʻi has over 10,000 species found  nowhere else on Earth.

For millions of years,   the evolution of new species vastly exceeded  losses due to extinction.

However, after the   arrival of humans to the islands, roughly a  thousand years ago, numerous extinctions have   occurred, and many more species are threatened.

As a result, Hawaiʻi is now referred to by many as   the "extinction capital of the world".

Graham Talaber: Wildlife Photographer:  One, it's upsetting to lose species that haven't  even been described by science, or named by   science.

It's even more upsetting to lose species  just that, you know, no one's ever photographed,   no one even knows existed in the first place.

So I'd like to focus on those marginalized,   under-represented species, very much like the  ‘akikiki, a little gray bird that doesn't get   a whole lot of love, you know.

Little  gray birds don't often make the cut.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: You know, the ʻakikiki are very cute.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: They are incredibly cute.

Music: Katie Temple/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  So I'll start you out with looking at the map  of one of our field sites, Mohihi, where you're   going.

These maps have been invaluable for us.

When I started, they were not this defined,   so we would run into waterfalls routinely before… Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  After dropping me off at KFBRP, Graham went  home to finish preparing for tomorrow's hike.

Katie, a graduate student, and member of  the Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project  is going over safety procedures  with me, as well as maps of the   area that I will be traversing tomorrow.

The Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project is   a collaborative effort between the University  of Hawaiʻi, the state Department of Land and   Natural Resources, and the Division of Forestry  and Wildlife.

They aim to promote knowledge,   appreciation, and conservation  of Kauaʻi's native forest birds.

Their current mission is focused on the ‘akikiki,  as their populations have dropped from 1,000 in   2010, to a staggering 40 individuals in  present time.

KFBRP has a two-part plan.

The first is to collect all ‘akikiki eggs,  chicks, and adults they can find, and the second   is to bring those eggs, chicks, and adults into  conservation breeding, to provide an insurance   population against immediate extinction.

Most people think of Hawaiʻi as this place   of sun and warmth.

The Alakaʻi wilderness  could not be more different.

There,   it rains pretty much every day, and with nighttime  and early morning temperatures dropping close   to the freezing point, hypothermia is a real  concern should someone get lost.

But for many   on the team, it's all worth it for these birds.

Justin Hite/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  I’m Justin Hite, with Kauaʻi  Forest Bird Recovery Project.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Justin Hite is the field   supervisor at the Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery  Project for over eight and a half years.

His job   includes working with the field crews, making sure  that they can get in and out of the field safely,   and that they know how to navigate and  find the birds, as well as band them.

Coordinating and planning everything so that  humans stay safe while helping critically   endangered birds is a huge task.

Dr. Cali Crampton  is the project manager at Kauaʻi Forest Bird   Recovery Project.

That's exactly what she does.

Cali Crampton/Kauaʻi   Forest Bird Recovery Project Manager: So you can see, my life is like Tetris,   trying to get everything to fit together  so that we have the coverage we need to do   all the ongoing nest  monitoring that we need to do.

So we need to have a constant presence in the  field, so we can be always updating whether   a nest has laid, or whether chicks have hatched,  or whatever yes, because all of our timing of the   collections is based on the biology of the bird.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Cali keeps track of every team member using  spreadsheets, but she also monitors the birds and   their nests.

Because of avian malaria, a disease  transmitted by invasive mosquitoes, the ‘akikiki   populations have collapsed catastrophically in  the last few years.

Her goal is to identify and   transfer all of them to conservation centers  where they'll be kept safe until their natural   habitat has been restored.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  In the future, what does it look like for them?

Cali Crampton/Kauaʻi Forest Bird   Recovery Project Manager: So if our egg collection goes well,   and if the mosquito trajectories continue the way  they have been going, ‘akikiki will be extinct   in the wild this year.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Okay.

Cali Crampton/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery   Project Manager: So, or, at least,   there might be an ʻakikiki out there,  so not like technically 100% extinct,   but as far as being able to be a functioning  population that can breed and recover, they   are actually already almost extinct in the wild.

Like there's just not enough of them to really   rebuild from here and we expect things to get a  lot worse with the mosquito trends we are seeing.

So rather than letting mosquitoes take them, we  are taking them, so we can put them in safety,   in human managed facilities where there are no  mosquitoes.

And it has to be done this spring   for two reasons.

First of all, we have much  better success catching ‘akikiki when they're   in breeding mode, and they're territorial, and  they're responding to playback.

But also because   if we let another fall go by, there might not  be enough ‘akikiki left to collect.

So it’s   kind of a now or never.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Clearly, this conservation project needs to  happen now.

Meeting passionate scientists like   Cali gives me hope that we will be able  to put up a good fight for the survival   of these rare endemic birds.

Cali Crampton/Kauaʻi Forest   Bird Recovery Project Manager: I think for me, what keeps me going   is the birds don't give up.

There's still out  there making their babies, finding their mates,   getting their meal.

They don't give up so we  can't.

We can't until the last bird does.

And I   just, that's my daily thought.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  I'm part of a media team that's been set up to  document the ‘akikiki conservation effort.

We've   already had several Zoom calls in the past six  months, and this is our last chance to coordinate   and finalize before heading up tomorrow.

Juliana will be producing a short film   called “Realm of the Gods,” with Sterling  and Makenna's help.

We will share footage and   assets of our respective projects, but Graham  will be the main videographer for filming the   birds in the wild.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Yeah, no, I'm really hoping that these cameras  can work because I've just been hearing a lot   about the weather conditions, and  it's intense rain, intense cold,   and I've heard this is where electronics come  to die.

So, I just want to be prepared...   Because sleeping accommodation in the field is  limited, the plan, as it stands right now, is   to have Graham and I hike up tomorrow.

We will be  with the KFBRP team for a week.

Then, as we hike   down, Juliana, Sterling, and Makenna will go up.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  All right, bye.

Thanks everyone.

Thank you.

Today's stories are captured behind the lenses of   cameras.

Back in ancient Hawaiʻi however, stories  and life lessons were preserved through song and   dance.

As a blessing for this project, the Ka  ‘Imi Hula Halau created a mele called "Na Manu   ‘Ehā".

This hula describes four of Hawaiʻi's  endangered forest birds, including the ‘akikiki.

Music/Singing Na Manu ʻEhā in Hawaiian: Ai, Na Manu ʻEhā  Lele aʻe ka ʻākohekohe i kiʻekiʻe o Waiakamoi hulu aʻeaʻe aʻehu pua i ke poʻo pūpū kīnohi la   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: In Hawaiʻi, birds are seen as ‘aumakua,   or guardian spirits.

Their feathers were  highly valued by ancient Hawaiian nobility   and meticulously crafted into various  ceremonial items such as feather leis,   helmets, feather standards, and feather capes.

Bird catchers would line branches of trees with   sticky sap for honeycreepers that would  land on them, becoming ensnared.

Then,   with utmost care, only one to three feathers  from the neck, wing or tail were removed   before releasing the bird back into the forest.

The intricate process of harvesting feathers meant   that numerous birds, often exceeding 20,000, were  required to produce a single feather garment.

Music/Singing Na Manu ʻEhā in Hawaiian: Ua kapalili ʻo ʻakekeʻe pūnana ʻia i Mōhihi  mele maʻo me he makakiʻ  ʻōkiki mū ʻana i ka pāʻina   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: These forest birds play   a crucial role in shaping Hawaiʻi's identity.

Unfortunately, only eight of Kauaʻi's original   two dozen species remain today.

Preserving and  protecting these remaining few is paramount,not   only for the conservation of a unique part  of Hawaiʻi's natural heritage, but also for   maintaining the cultural and ecological balance  that these birds contribute to the islands.

Music ends/Last line of song Na Manu ʻEhā: Ai e hoʻoheno i nā manu ʻehā   Music: Graham Talaber/Wildllife Photographer:  So it's a gorgeous day today, but I guess  the winds must have been bad enough to knock,   knock the Pele nest down.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Just as feared, yesterday's unusual winds  knocked down the Pele nest the team was   scheduled to collect tomorrow.

Both chicks  were killed, and the parents have flown   away.

We're still heading to meet the rest of  the team, but we're not sure of what's next.

Music: Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer:  Trailʻs up here through these trees.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Up there?

Music/Ku'u Lei 'Awapuhi:  Auhea la ′oe ke aloha Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  The Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve is a 9,000-acre  secluded area at the very center of the island.

It is administered by the State of Hawaiʻi's  Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The   journey to access the Alakaʻi Plateau  requires passage through steep ridges,   separated by ravines and gullies.

Mōhihi  Camp, where Graham and I are headed,   is one of the most remote locations the KFBRP  team has established for the ‘akikiki conservation   project.

The camp is just steps away from a  cliff that drops more than a thousand feet down.

Music/Kuʻu Lei ʻAwapuhi:  E ku'u aloha e (e′ō) ′Auhea   la 'oe (eia mai au) A huli aku au iā ′oe  Instrumental music continues: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  It's incredible to think that there were 50  mph winds here yesterday.

I'm very lucky the   weather was on our side because this hike  has been the longest and most difficult   one I've ever experienced.

As we approach Mōhihi Camp,   the first person we encounter is Justin  as he's setting up for the night.

We   finally made it.

So nice to finally meet you.

Justin Hite/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  Yeah, you too.

Music/Kuʻu Lei ʻAwapuhi:  Auhea la ′oe ke aloha  Awapuhi pala o ka ua noe Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Most of the equipment and food were dropped off  by helicopter about a week ago.

The cases were   then hauled from the landing site to camp.

I’m grateful that others were willing to do   this because now I have the tools I need to  do my part in this project.

As the day ends,   everyone is beginning to settle down for  the night.

Some people will be sleeping in   their own tents.

Others will be sharing the  communal tent that's a little further away   from the edge of the cliff.

As for me, because  all sleeping spots were already taken, I was   assigned to sleep in the tent where all the food  and equipment is stored.

The nights are cold here,   so it's a good thing I came prepared.

Music/Kuʻu Lei ʻAwapuhi:  'Auhea la ′oe (eia mai au) A huli aku au iā 'oe  A huli aku au iā 'oe A huli aku au iā ′oe   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  All the required equipment to collect  the ‘akikiki chicks was brought to the   Pele nest before it fell.

Since  everyone and everything is here,   Justin thought it could be a great learning  opportunity to practice egg and chick collection.

‘Akikiki birds build their nests high up in  the crowns of trees where predators cannot   get to them, making the collection  process difficult and risky.

Team member: Good!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Cool!

Thank you.

Team member: Okay, anything else that I’m not   thinking of before I come down?

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Now that there are no other  birds or eggs to collect,   people will go scout the forest.

I’m heading  back to Mōhihi Camp to grab some extra gear.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Mōhihi Camp was expanded and provisioned for  this conservation project just a few weeks ago.

Apart from satellite and occasional cellular  reception, it is completely off the grid.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Rainwater is filtered and used for cooking and  drinking.

A solar panel was installed on the edge   of the cliff, but it often fails and cannot really  be dependent on to charge batteries or electronic   devices.

When KFBRP is done researching and saving  birds in the area, the camp will be dismantled,   and nothing will be left behind.

At night, we all gather around here,   breakfast time, lunch, gather around, make some  delicious hot chocolate, some tea, cook some eggs,   cook some pasta, and just sit around on  these, get a bucket if you can grab one,   just eat, talk story, and talk about the  progress of the day, and what went on.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  The forest is incredibly beautiful and covered  everywhere in a thick velvety moss.

Even on camp,   numerous birds can be heard and spotted fluttering  across the sky.

I have brought several different   cameras and hope to catch a honeycreeper on film.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Kauaʻi was once home   to over two dozen forest birds.

Of the eight that still remain,   three are on the brink of extinction, the  ʻakekeʻe, the puaiohi, and the ʻakikiki.

The bird I'm following is an ‘anianiau, the  smallest Hawaiian honeycreeper in existence   today.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: It's a very rare site and quite   a challenge to film.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: These little forest birds are extremely fast,   and constantly on the move foraging for  food.

So getting a good shot isn't easy.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Hey Brendan!

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  Hey!

Howzit going?

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Good, good.

I was just  following and filming a bird.

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project: Nice.

I just found an ‘akikiki nest, just   downstream, the Pakele's re-nest.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Yeah?

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  She's banded aluminum, orange, orange, orange.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Wait, what was her name?

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  Pakele.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Pakele.

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project: Just found her nest just 5 minutes ago.

I'm like   buzzing right now.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: The team is finally back   together at camp.

Based on today's findings, it  was decided that the larger part of our group   will be moving out north tomorrow morning to the  Upper Upper Camp.

Graham and I will stay here and   continue our work at Mōhihi, alongside Brendan  and Bow.

This has been an amazing first day.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Today, the weather is once again beautiful,  and Graham has agreed to take me to Pigsjaw,   an area of the Alakaʻi Plateau he was scouting  yesterday.

It's a couple of miles to the southeast   and getting to it requires hiking through rough  terrain.

There's still a lot of water and mud   everywhere, and the vegetation is dense, sometimes  hiding big drops.

Many have experienced mishaps on   these trails and had to be rescued.

Or, worse.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: ʻAkikiki eat insects and worms which they find   by pecking and pulling at the bark of snags and  tree trunks of species such as ʻōhiʻā and ʻōlapa.

They often favor tall trees that offer a lot of  foraging trunk, so this is exactly where we are   looking for them.

They are usually seen traveling  and foraging in pairs, or in family groups.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: ‘Akikiki only produce a   brood of one to two eggs per year because  of the long juvenile dependency period.

Like other Hawaiian honeycreepers, juvenile  ʻakikiki may stay with their parents for up   to three months after fledging.

Identifying  them by sight is far easier than identifying   them by sound, as ʻakikiki sound much like  the ‘akekeʻe, ‘anianiau and Kauaʻi ‘amakihi.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: This is kind of my, this is my technique   for coming out here to this area.

It's just  super slowly, walking around.

It's pretty mild,   it's flat.

You just cruise around and hope that  something reveals itself, and then shoot.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: The first bird we spot is the iconic ʻiʻiwi,   with its bright scarlet feathers, black wings and  tail, and long decurved pink bill.

We also see   the ‘anianiau, my little friend from yesterday.

The secretive and rare puaiohi.

The ʻakekeʻe,   the second most endangered endemic  Hawaiʻi bird after the ʻakikiki.

The ʻelepaio, with its long tail, which is  regularly held up at an angle.

The ʻapapane,   an important ʻōhiʻā pollinator.

The ʻamakihi,  a honeycreeper that feeds on insects, nectar,   and fruit.

And at last, the bird  we came to rescue, the ʻakikiki.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  There's a couple that keeps flying up above  our heads.

So it's really cool.

Saw a couple   of ʻiʻiwi gathered around together in the  distance out there.

You see that Graham is   out filming.

He looks really happy right now.

I can tell by the smile on his face.

So, yeah,   everyone is just chilling, and just been  very calm, and relaxing, and appreciative,   and happy to be here with all these birds.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  On this clear calm day, the forest is filled  with songs that have had been sung for over five   million years.

Many of the now extinct Hawaiian  forest birds were never photographed, filmed,   or recorded.

In a time where some of these ancient  voices still sing, we have the opportunity to hear   their song, ensuring that future generations know  what these remaining birds look and sound like.

NATURAL SOUND OF BIRDS: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  I will never forget my day at  Pigsjaw, and its unusual name,   derived from the topography of the  plateau, which resembles a pig’s jaw.

Local hunters often roam these mountains.

As a  distinctive marker, they've placed a pig’s jaw at   the junction of Pigsjaw to signify the location.

This startling sight couldn't be in more contrast   with how peaceful and beautiful everything is.

Invasive goats and feral pigs are unfortunately   everywhere in the forest these days, wreaking  havoc on natural ecosystems by devouring and   dispersing fruits of invasive plants, like  strawberry guava.

The appetite of invasive   goats also extends to rare endemic plants,  further damaging the ecosystem.

Additionally,   pigs contribute to the decline of  honeycreeper species by creating wallows   that serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

In pre-contact Hawaiʻi, the Alakaʻi was part   of what ancient Hawaiians called Wao Akua, or  Realm of the Gods.

This was a very sacred place,   rarely accessed by humans.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: All right, finally made it.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: High five!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Finally made it back.

Okay, I know   Brendan's not going back until like five, five  thirty-ish, so I'm gonna get started on dinner.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Cool!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Yeah!

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: I'm just going to chill out and I'll   help you with dinner.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Awesome.

Thank you so much for showing  me around the area on the Alakaʻi.

This   was a really beautiful day, to go out there.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer:  Yeah, right?

This was definitely one for the  books.

All eight forest birds in a day.

It's   a pretty good thing to do.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  It was so close, up close and  personal.

That was, that was insane.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Yeah.

Well, thank you.

You're great company.

Team member: To get to the far nest, but there are a   couple territories that we can get to… Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  As night falls and everyone returns to camp,  Brendan is setting up rat traps as they tend   to roam at night in search of food.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer:  What UV, what fluoresces under UV light.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Meanwhile, Graham is exploring the area for  animal and plant species that are still unknown   to science.

It’s purple!

He has brought  his UV flashlight, and I'm tagging along.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Look at how bright it glows!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Yeah.

Hang on, let me… Feels like Avatar in here.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Right?

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: I love that ruby pink.

Under the glow   of ultraviolet light, everything looks different.

This helps biologists and conservationists see   things they wouldn't normally see at night.

Team member:  What was that?

Team member:  There's a rat!

Look at the rat glowing.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Oh my God!

Got to shove a rat trap in there.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer:  It's a Kauaʻi endemic.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Even though Graham's initial passion is for botany  and rare plants, his knowledge of invertebrates   is vast.

Although this trip is to rescue a bird  from extinction, endemic Hawaiian invertebrates   constitute the vast majority of species  that are now going extinct in the state.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Oh my God!

We need to get my camera.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Is he something new?

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photogrpaher: It looks like it's doryonychus raptor,   but it's a little different, and we're  way out of doryonychus range here.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Just like when he was filming the ʻakikiki   earlier today, Graham gets incredibly focused when  he's in the presence of something rare, unique,   or unknown.

His passion is undeniably obvious, and  quite contagious.

His photos are simply amazing,   and I feel inspired by his work.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  So I know everyone else has gone to bed for  the night, but I wanted to hear more about   the Livermore, in California, story.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer:  Um yeah.

So Livermore is where I grew up in the  East Bay Area, in California.

And I grew up there,   rode my bike around with my friends lots when I  was younger.

And as I got older, I went to college   at the University of Oregon, and I started getting  really into botany, particularly rare plants,   and endangered plants.

And sure enough, as I  graduated college, I moved back from Oregon,   back to Livermore.

It became apparent to me  that there was actually tons of rare plants all   around me in the Bay Area, even in Livermore.

This one place in particular, we used to call   the Wasteland, it's one of these little abandoned  fields where we used to ride our bikes.

Turns out   it’s actually one of the rarest ecosystems, rarest  ecologies, anywhere in the world.

The greater   threat in California, especially in this area, is  development.

With, you know, increase in people,   there's this huge push for development, huge push  for more houses or living spaces for people.

And soon after I moved back to California, and I  was just in the peak of my geeking out over plants   phase over there, I realized that there was a  42-acre development proposed for this hill that's   kind of in the middle of this flat land.

I was  like, “Hold up.” Like, “There's a ton of things   here you guys aren't considering.” So I went nuts,  photographing the rare plants that live there.

And   that's basically what we did.

We kind of brought  that to light, and we worked with this legal team,   and after years of legal stuff, finally, we won  in the Supreme Court, which is pretty awesome.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: In the Supreme Court?

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: And our case set precedence, and it   changed how California is supposed to handle  developments in the future basically.

Yeah,   it's kind of, it was a really special situation,  really cool experience.

And then that's kind of   what got me into thinking, “Oh there is like  a use for me,” like wasting endless hours,   and gas, driving around.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Graham's story reminds me that anyone, regardless  of their background, holds the power to make   a positive impact in their community.

By  channeling their strengths and passions,   individuals contribute to the betterment of the  places they, and others, call home.

The animal   and plant species found in Graham's local hometown  are just as significant as the ʻakikiki.

If people   take action on local issues, then collectively, we  can set into motion collaborative efforts that can   then have a global impact.

Rain falling:   Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  It's really sad, but I mean it's, it's killing a  life to save a life ‘cause they're very invasive,   and they're eating the birds  alive, and the eggs.

So you do   what you can.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Today, the Alakaʻi is living up to   its reputation for being wet, very wet.

Although  these weather conditions make it difficult to see   or hear ʻakikiki in the wild, Brendan is  leading us further down into Pigsjaw, in   search of new individuals.

The goal is to remove  all ʻakikiki to protect them from mosquitoes,   but finding them on a day like today is like  finding a needle in a haystack.

We occasionally   hear vocalizations that resemble those of  the ʻakikiki, but so far, we've had no luck.

Music: Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  The thing that people say is that the ʻakikiki  will switch between the up slur and the normal   note, more than say, like ‘ani will either keep  doing the up slur, or keep doing the single note.

But that's like not like proven, or anything, but  that's one thing people say.

And, I don't know,   ʻakikiki just seem to like always just, like be  whispering, until they fly, because they're always   so close together, and then when one flies  off far, they'll be like “Chip Chip Chip”,   and then others, like, oh okay.

But usually,  they're just like really kind of like gentle.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  After unsuccessfully searching for more than five  hours and covering a huge area of the plateau,   Brendan has decided to take us to the  nest he discovered a few days ago,   to see how things are going.

The rain has  receded, but we're still soaked to the   bone.

But that's not the concern right now.

Once again, there are no ʻakikiki in sight,   which has everyone quite worried.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: After waiting almost an   hour for one of the adults to return,  Brendan has decided to peep the nest,   which means looking inside of it via  a camera attached to a long pole.

Music: Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  Okay.

Can you, can you take a screenshot,  right there?

I think it died.

It's just like,   normally it would be like kind of sitting up.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Hmmm, he's face down.

What a shame.

And the other egg is right there.

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  There's only one nest in there, but  yeah, it does not look alive and…   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: At this very early stage of their lives,   birds require the constant presence of their  parents both to feed them, and to keep them   warm.

This chick and egg have died because their  parents have abandoned the nest, giving the team   an even smaller population to rescue.

Although we  don't know why this nest has failed for certain,  multiple factors have played a role in  the decline of forest bird populations.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  The displacement of native plant species  by invasive counterparts has brought   profound changes on the forest structure and  composition.

This alteration has been felt   throughout the ecosystem, impacting animal  habitats, foraging patterns, nesting sites,   and hydrological dynamics.

Historically,  the landscape transformation began with the   arrival of Polynesians who cleared extensive  lowland areas for agricultural purposes.

The   trend was accentuated by westerners in  the 1800’s, exacerbating deforestation   for ranching, developmental projects, and  the exploitation of valuable timber species,   such as koa and sandalwood.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Introduced predators, such as cats, not only  prey on endemic birds, but also pass on these   hunting skills to their offspring.

Rats, the  second largest threat to endemic birds also   impact honeycreepers in a variety of ways.

They raid nests, consuming eggs, chicks,   and nesting females, and they compete with  native birds for food resources like fruit   and invertebrates.

The deadliest threat however,  comes in the form of avian malaria, transmitted by   introduced mosquitoes.

Although these endemic bird  species spent millions of years evolving, they   have not been able to evolve fast enough to create  an immunity to the diseases carried by mosquitoes.

Before human contact, these forest birds  were found from the tip of mountains,   all the way down to the ocean shores.

Since the  arrival of mosquitoes, they have retreated to   higher elevations to find protection in its colder  climate.

As climate change progresses however,   and temperatures rise, the birds have become  trapped.

Mosquitoes have since taken over   the area, easily picking the birds off one by  one.

And many times, all it takes is one bite.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Yesterday, the other team sent Brendan footage  of a nest that was raided by rats.

Today,   it’s our turn to share the bad news of what  we've discovered.

Once again, plans around   the collection of this nest will need to be  cancelled.

During our time here in the Alakaʻi,   I've seen more dead ʻakikiki than living ones.

This is by far the worst season for failed nests.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Where there's good, there's bad.

As Dolly said:   “Everyone wants happiness, nobody wants pain.

But  you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.”   Person on the phone off camera: Are you okay?

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project: Yeah, we're okay.

I just wanted to call and let   you know that the pigsjaw’s  nest is dead.

Exactly.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  How are you feeling this morning?

Graham Talaber/Wildlilfe Photographer:  A-one.

Got a great ʻakekeʻe  video before 8:15, and stoked.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Nice!

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: My day’s already made.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: The Alakaʻi has become overrun   with invasive species, quieting the songs  that have been here for millions of years.

Seeing firsthand the devastation, it's evident  that invasive species must be removed.

Although   traditional rat traps are set around camp, a  far more efficient method has been deployed   wide scale throughout the forest: the A24.

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  It's powered by CO2 right here, and it has  a bait, lure up here that's scented.

And so,   the rats will kind of sniff out the bait and crawl  up here.

And then there's a piston that's powered   by the CO2, that when it trips this little  trip wire, it shoots out a piston and...   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Bioacoustic devices have also   been set up around the area that automatically  records the birds as they sing.

Researchers   working with KFBRP are now training AI tools to  distinguish and recognize the various species   of birds that live here.

This will in turn help  the team identify where birds are, so that they   can be more efficient in searching the forest.

Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  Here we go!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  In an effort to combat avian malaria, the state  of Hawaiʻi recently initiated the Incompatible   Insect Technique, or IIT.

Avian malaria is only  spread through the female southern house mosquito.

Male mosquitoes do not bite, and thereby  do not transmit diseases to either birds or   humans.

The technique breeds incompatible  male mosquitoes with female mosquitoes,   and results in the females only producing  infertile eggs.

This technique has proven   to be very effective in other parts of the  world, and hopefully, its deployment is not   too late to save the species here.

Bret Nainoa Mossman/Natural   Resource Management Specialist: As someone who works with these birds every day,   I've seen the impacts that the diseases spread by  mosquitoes have on these species.

Maimed limbs,   missing eyes, even losing their bills because of  lesions from pox.

And the slow decline of even   the largest and healthiest birds to malaria, to  the point where the birds can no longer move, and   eventually die.

Malaria has had such an impact,  that just as in our history, we nearly lost our   language, our native birds are losing theirs.

Leilani Lozi/Hawaiʻi Engagement and   Education Manager-Gemini Observatory: I believe that in in order to tackle a   lot of the hurdles that we are facing as a society  today, we have to trust in our scientists, and in   our people who are in the forest, and taking care  of these issues every day.

And that sometimes,   as a community, we have to trust in each other,  and each other's expertise on these things in   which they spend their whole life working on.

Cali Crampton/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery   Project Manager: Extinction is not an   option.

Not when we have this opportunity.

And we do have no time to waste.

So again,   I strongly support the request to approve the  final East Maui EA and authorize the chairperson   to issue a finding of no significant impact  for this important effort to save our birds,   and to save our ʻāina.

Thank you.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: The importance of the ʻakikiki   in this community highlights the necessity of  addressing local issues.

Making a difference   can look like many things.

Starting a club,  wearing a shirt can all be small ways to take   action and make a difference.

Getting exposure  out to the community is crucial for positive   change to happen.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: The passion the KFBRP team   has is contagious and strengthens my own flame  for environmental activism.

Their work shows   the significance of preserving all species, not  just the popular ones.

Everyone can do something   just by managing their climate footprint, and  supporting climate friendly initiatives locally,   nationally, and globally.

We need only to look to  the birds for an example.

They're out there.

If   their nest fails, they build a new one.

If  their mate dies, they find a new mate, and   they build a new nest.

The birds keep going, and  while the birds are finding a way to keep going,   we will find a way to keep going.

Music/vocalizing:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  And if the message needed to be summarized in  just a few words, this is what it would be.

Music: Brendan Wang/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  All right!

See you later guys.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  Bye!

And thank you so much Bow  for everything.

I've had like   an amazing experience here with everyone.

Bow Tyler/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  That's good.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  So hopefully, we'll have a community  screening at the Kukui Grove Mall.

So I'd love to see everybody there, like  Brendan, everybody.

I'm so excited for it.

Bow Tyler/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project: I know, yeah.

And good luck with all   your editing.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer:  Thank you again for everything.

Had a great time with you guys.

Bow Tyler/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project: Yeah, maybe see you soon.

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Yeah!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: The time has come to return to the Wao Kanaka,   the Realm of Humans.

It's been raining all night,  and there's a high chance the streams down below   are swollen.

Graham and I will hike down the  southern trail to save time.

Although we need to   hurry, it's hard for us to say goodbye.

See ya!

Bow Tyler/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project:  Later!

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  It's imperative that we cross the Mōhihi Stream  while it's still safe to do so.

Otherwise,   we'll be faced with a treacherous retreat  back to camp, for which we may not have   enough energy to safely complete.

How long  do you think until we reach the stream?

Graham Talaber/Wildlife Photographer: Like 3 and 1/2 miles.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: 3 and 1/2 miles.

Okay.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  This is a risky crossing, but hiking  back to camp is even riskier at this   point.

Even the cameraman has to  assist so I don't get swept away.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  My time in the Alakaʻi is now  over, but for the rest of the team,   the work continues.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Since my return to Cincinnati,   KFBRP continues to remove all ʻakikiki  eggs, chicks, and adults they can find,   and transfer them to conservation centers, where  mosquitoes cannot reach them.

It's not over for   this species just yet.

There is still hope  as some fifty individuals continue to live   and breed in captivity.

Other endemic Hawaiian  species, like the nēnē, have rebounded from the   brink of extinction, and conservationists  are hopeful that mosquito control methods,   such as IIT, will one day allow them to restore  the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve to its original   state.

Music:   Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: Humans caused the ʻakikiki problem,   so humans need to fix it.

It's a long shot, and  the odds are against us, but turning a blind eye,   or giving up, is not an option.

There are other  critically endangered birds that require energy,   time, and resources.

They will benefit from  the lessons learned with the ʻakikiki.

So   work in the field continues to keep the voices  of native birds heard.

But as important as the   work in the field is, it's just as important to  let people know about the fate of these birds.

Music: There are different kinds of outreach events,   but the most effective way to bring about change  is to share our urgent message with those who hold   the power to pass laws and allocate funding.

Cali Crampton/Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery   Project Manager: To the crisis   that is affecting our birds… Julia Diegmann/Kauaʻi Forest Bird   Recovery Project: I think these birds   need a voice, and they deserve to be celebrated.

Young speaker testifying on zoom conference call:  Kauaʻi honeycreepers definitely  keep this ecosystem alive.

Ella Marcil/Filmmaker: A shift is happening   with youth at the heart of it.

Grade school student testifying:  I think this is important legislation because  the native birds of Hawaiʻi are so special.

Grade school student testifying: We are advocating to you, our legislators,   to help protect and bring awareness of our  native Hawaiʻi forest birds by voting yes on   the bill to celebrate Hawaiian Honeycreeper Day.

Group of grade school students speaking together:  Please support honeycreeper… Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  This exponential growth in awareness  is not only happening in Hawaiʻi,   but at national, and international levels.

Music: Ella Marcil/Filmmaker:  But as with all global movements, it begins  in our own backyard, at the local level,   within our own community.

And for the ʻakikiki,  these are the heroes keeping their song alive.

Group singing Na Manu ʻEhā: Lele aʻe ka ʻākohekohe i kiʻekiʻe o Waiakamoi  hulu aʻeaʻe aʻehu pua i ke poʻo pūpū kīnohi la ʻākohekohe ʻākohekohe   Kau i ka ʻiu ke kiwikiu i ka wēkiu o Hanawī ʻōlenalena nā kuʻe maka nuku makili i ka laʻau  ke kiwikiu ke kiwikiu   Leo leʻa ka ʻakikiki kakaʻikahi ma Halepaʻakai kāhiko ʻia i ka hulu ʻāhina a pili paʻa kona hoa  ka ʻakikiki ka ʻakikiki Ua kapalili ʻo ʻakekeʻe pūnana ʻia i Mōhihi  mele maʻo me he makakiʻI  ʻōkiki mū ʻana i ka pāʻina  ʻo ʻakekeʻe ʻo ʻakekeʻe Eō mai e ka lehulehu ʻo ʻākohekohe ʻo kiwikiu  ʻo ʻakikiki a ʻo ʻakeke`e  e hoʻoheno i nā manu ʻehā  nā manu ʻehā nā manu ʻehā