Environmental Issues > Wildlife Main Page > All Wildlife Documents
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Hawaii
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Hawaii has all the trappings of paradise—a near-mythical birth from the sea, a secluded location, a provident land free of strife. When human settlers arrived, however, that paradise was nearly lost. Many native species were defenseless against the onslaught of grazing animals, hunting, predation and disease. Surviving wildlife is still imperiled by competition with humans and other non-native species.
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IMPORTANT WILDLIFE AREAS
NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS:
The largest, oldest and most pristine coral reefs in the United States are located in the waters surrounding this almost uninhabited archipelago. The reefs support an astonishing 7,000 marine species, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and several sea turtles. The islands are also a nesting site for 14 million seabirds.
HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK:
Covering 10 percent of the Big Island, this fiery park is also designated a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve. Despite the park's explosive nature, rare native plants and animals thrive in its unique ecosystem. Endangered hawksbill turtles nest on protected beaches, and the dark-rumped petrel burrows into lava tubes to make a haven for its chicks.
KAUAI RAINFOREST:
Hawaii's oldest island boasts the wettest place on earth—the northeast slope of Mount Waialeale. Jurassic Park was filmed in this primordial landscape, and while you won't find dinosaurs in the greenery, you may catch a glimpse of some their avian descendents. Rare Hawaiian forest birds such as the Akikiki, a Hawaiian honeycreeper, live exclusively in Kauai's isolated rainforests.
RELATED NRDC PAGES
The Northwest Hawaiian Islands The Birds of Hawaii's Hakalau Forest Empty Nest Syndrome (OnEarth Magazine |
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Photos: Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park © Getty Images; Hawaiian monk seal © USFWS; Hibiscus brackenridgei © D. Herbst, USFWS; Hawaiian goose © John and Karen Hollingsworth, USFWS
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