Maui Student Art Sought for Nēnē Awareness Logo Contest

A male nēnē stands guard as the female incubates eggs. Male nēnē are mobile and can be on roads while females incubate eggs. Photo courtesy Haleakalā National Park.

By Wendy Osher

Haleakalā National Park kicks-off its Nēnē Awareness campaign with a logo contest in which student artists are invited to create a logo depicting why nēnē are special, or what can be done to protect them.

The contest is open to student artists in grades 6 to 8, with entries to be accepted from today (Aug. 25) through Sept. 18.

The contest comes in advance of Nēnē Awareness Day at Haleakalā National Park, which is on September 26.

The nēnē is considered an endangered species and is the official bird of the State of Hawaiʻi.

Park officials note that approximately 500 birds were released at the park through a captive propagation program, which began in 1962 and ended in the late 1970s.

According to the latest estimates released by the NPS in 2013, there were less than 300 nēnē left in the park. Park officials attributed the endangered status to “habitat loss and non-native predators, such as cats and mongoose, that eat eggs and prey on birds.”

At Haleakalā, the nēnē are known to frequent areas between the 5500 and 8000 foot elevation.

More about the Nēnē Logo Contest: 

All entries will be on display at in the park’s Headquarters Visitor Center from Sept. 26-28, and at the National Park Service booth at the Maui County Fair, Oct. 2-5, 2014.  The three winners selected, will receive an annual park pass for their families, and will get to pick a prize from a choice of books and games donated by the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association.

Nene sign at Haleakala National Park. Photo by Wendy Osher.

Entry guidelines include the following:

• Paint or draw a log about nēnē on one 8.5 x11 sized paper.
• Include a short slogan about one of the following ideas: 1. Why nēnē are special or 2. What people can do to protect nēnē.
• The contest is limited to one entry per student.
• Students may use crayon, marker, watercolor, ink, acrylic or tempera. Collages or computer generated art will not be accepted.
• All entries must include the student’s name, school, teacher, grade, and a phone number or email contact for the student’s parents or guardians. All information must be legible.
• Entries must be mailed flat and not matted, mounted, laminated, framed, or folded.
• The deadline for entries to be received is Sept. 18, 2014.
• Entries should be mailed to: Nēnē Logo Contest, Interpretation Division, Haleakalā NP, PO Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768.

Parents or guardians will be contacted by Sept. 25, if their child’s artwork was selected as a winning entrant.