KAPA‘IA — Eight nene goslings were successfully released, Thursday afternoon at the Kapa‘ia Reservoir located across the Grove Farm Water Purification Plant. “Grove Farm worked closely with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources — Division of Forestry and
KAPA‘IA — Eight nene goslings were successfully released, Thursday afternoon at the Kapa‘ia Reservoir located across the Grove Farm Water Purification Plant.
“Grove Farm worked closely with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources — Division of Forestry and Wildlife on the project,” said Marissa Sandblom, a vice president with the Grove Farm Company, in a release. “The successful release of eight goslings has been the third such release in three years.”
Sandblom said the goal of Grove Farm’s Nene Goose Habitat Initiative is to provide additional nene feeding and nesting areas for the endangered nene through habitat enhancement.
Goslings that are raised in the habitat originally were relocated from the Kaua‘i Lagoons area that is currently under construction. The nene released Thursday were relocated about six weeks prior to their release into the wild. They were kept “safe” at the habitat until they fledged.
“Our objective is to create a safe habitat where nene geese can feed, nest and flourish,” Sandblom said. “Because nene have been known to ‘imprint’ on an area and return to use these areas as nesting sites, it is our hope that the goslings will return to our habitat site to breed. Nene from previous releases have been observed returning to the area so that is a very encouraging sign.”
Sandblom said Grove Farm’s long-term vision for the initiative is to enable it to participate and assist in the eventual removal of the nene from the endangered species list.
The nene is the only native goose left in Hawai‘i.
