Hawaiʻi forest birds get highlight in ʻŌlelo Youth Xchange Video Challenge

Handmade bird puppets, lab scientist costumes, moʻolelo, and animated infographics are just some of the tools that K-12 students across Hawaiʻi used to create video projects about forest birds as part of the 2024 ʻŌlelo Youth Xchange Video Challenge. The video contest, run by ʻŌlelo Community Media, included a video category called “Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele: Year of the Forest Birds,” sponsored by the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Twenty-four student groups submitted videos for the forest bird category, which were reviewed by judges and narrowed down to nine finalists, including three from elementary schools, three from middle schools, and three from high schools. On Tuesday, those students gathered with finalists from 13 other categories for ʻŌlelo’s award show at Hilton Hawaiian Village.

“Seeing students share their voices to talk about the importance of native birds in Hawaiʻi is so inspiring,” said Dr. Josh Atwood, Information and Education Specialist for DOFAW. “They did a lot of research to produce these videos. You get the sense from these videos that even if they haven’t seen these birds in person, the students take pride in them as part of what makes these islands special.”

The top-ranked videos were submitted by Pearl City Highlands Elementary School, Kaimukī Middle School, and ‘Alo Kēhau o ka ʻĀina Mauna High School. At Tuesday’s award ceremony, student video creators were invited on stage to receive trophies.

“Participating in the contest was a way to further Hawaiian language and learn more about the birds of Hawaiʻi,” shared Kaniele Tubon, from ‘Alo Kēhau o ka ʻĀina Mauna on Hawaiʻi Island. “Because they were one of the first inhabitants to live here, even before humans, it’s important to be able to protect them and help them live on,” she said.

“I love that people visiting our website can now learn about these birds directly from Hawaiʻi’s students,” added Atwood. “They are the future of conservation in Hawaiʻi – keiki who will grow up to inherit the results of our actions today. Who better to tell us what’s important to protect?”