LIHU‘E — Identifying some of the rare endangered seabirds, tracking their migrations, and training for the Sanctuary Ocean Count are among the activities that will take place this weekend at the Third Annual Kaua‘i OceanFest at the Kukui Grove Center.
This is the third weekend of the month-long Kaua‘i OceanFest centered around the recently-opened Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery center, and the focus turns to birds and whales.
Dr. Andre Raine, project manager of the Kaua‘i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project, will open the weekend, Friday when he talks of the plight of Kaua‘i’s rarest seabirds during his presentation that starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery center.
Raine, who has worked on bird conservation projects around the world, will present “Threats, Solutions, and Survival: Saving Kaua‘i’s Rarest Seabirds.”
Saturday’s focus turns to whales, more specifically, the humpback whales and the Sanctuary Ocean Count as Jean Souza, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary program specialist leads the discussion starting at 11 a.m. at the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery center.
Volunteers interested in registering for the shore-based Feb. 29 Sanctuary Ocean Count are still able to sign up at oceancount.org for a limited time, and receive the training, Saturday.
Family-friendly, free activities center around celebrating seabirds from 1 to 3 p.m., and include activities such as seabird identification, migration maps, and identifying bird fractures near the Children’s Play Area at Kukui Grove.
The weekend’s activities are presented through partner organizations including the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of Kaua‘i Wildlife Refuges, Save Our Shearwaters, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Information: KukuiGroveCenter.com, or call Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery at 246-2361.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
