Fred the Monkey Cares about Midway

Fred's first visit to Midway was about a year ago, in June 2009, when he came with his buddy, Ron Hirschi.  They were part of the PA`A program, and they learned a lot about Midway's environment, especially the impact of marine debris on wildlife.

Ron and Fred started the SOAR website to spread the word about stopping marine debris.  And they also travel around the world to bring the information directly to community and school groups.

This year Fred returned to Midway to join the PA`A 2010 group.  In the first picture he and friend Randi, a Big Island of Hawai`i teacher, are resting after having planted the native Hawaiian grass, Kawelu, or Bunch Grass (Eragrostis variabilis.)  Fred also shook hands/beaks with a new friend, a 2010 Laysan Albatross chick.

Laysan Duck Trans-location to Midway

Laysan Atoll; aerial photo by Andy Collins

Hundreds of years ago we Laysan Ducks probably lived on all the Hawaiian Islands. After people came, we ended up living only on Laysan Atoll, 800 miles northwest of Honolulu. Notice the lake in the middle of the island; it's super-salty!

It's not good for a duck -- or any species -- to live in only one area! A tsunami or hurricane could wipe us Ducks out; we'd go EXTINCT!! To try and save us from extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service brought some of us to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Having Laysan Ducks in two places helps us survive.

But before the trans-location could take place, in 2004 and '05 USFWS removed the alien-invasive plant Verbesina from some areas on Midway. They used a big vehicle called a backhoe to dig about a dozen large holes in these areas. Freshwater from the surrounding sandy soil slowly seeped into the holes, so we now call these freshwater-filled holes "seeps." Many people helped to plant native Bunch Grass (Kawelu in Hawaiian, Eragrostis variabilis) around the seeps. The document "Examples of Successful Habitat Restoration (pdf)" has lots of pictures showing the creation of Monument Seep on Eastern island.

After the Kawelu had grown and when everything was ready for us, the Service trans-located some of us Ducks from Laysan to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. I, Kahiko Ladu, wasn't one of the original 2004 or '05 ducks, but my friend was. She came to Midway in 2005, and she now goes by the name "WT," since that's the bird band the biologists put on her right leg. "W" stands for the color of the band, white, and it has a black "T" on it. Barb surveyed Monument Seep today and took this picture of WT. It's a little hard to see, but WT's bill is pinkish; male ducks' bills are darker with a bluish color. (That's a Laysan Albatross chick in the background, and an albatross wing coming in on the right-side of the picture.)

Outplanting Bunch Grass, step #4: Native birds enjoy the new planting

These Laysan Albatross seem to be enjoying the shade of a Beach Heliotrope tree in the newly planted field of Bunch Grass (Kawelu.)

Small birds called Bonin Petrels (Pterodroma hypoleuca) nest in burrows, which collapse very easily underneath the alien, invasive plant Verbesina, but not under the native bunch grass. Here's a Bonin Petrel chick next to Bunch Grass. Although it looks as if it has most of its regular feathers, look closely and you'll see some down on either side of its tail.

Outplanting Bunch Grass, step #3: Visitors plant the grass

Visitors from Germany help Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge by planting the native Hawaiian bunch grass.  Their work is much appreciated because Bunch Grass, or Kawelu in Hawaiian, Eragrostis variabilis, is an important part of the atoll's original environment.  For example, Bunch Grass roots hold the sandy soil together much better than the alien invasive plant Verbesina.

After all the grass was planted, we worked together to pour a little water from buckets into each plot of Bunch Grass to give it a healthy start on life!

Outplanting Bunch Grass, step #2: Greg demonstrates

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Biological Technician, Greg Schubert, shows us how to plant the native Bunch Grass...with a Laysan Albatross chick and visitors watching carefully.

We started by digging 3 smaller holes deeper into the edge of a crater that had been dug earlier by us.  We carefully removed  grass and its sandy soil from a pot, like Greg is doing in the picture, and planted the grass in one of the holes.  We did that with 2 more pots, and tucked each grass in firmly, making sure it was flush with the bottom of the crater, not sticking up above like a little island.  We made sure the edge of the crater was sloped evenly to a shallow center.  That way, when it rains, the water will collect in the bowl-shaped crater, watering all the Bunch Grass!

Outplanting Bunch Grass, step #1: digging holes

Mu & his fellow Thai workers, Adam, and I dig holes in the sand and pull up the alien invasive Verbesina plant to prepare for the bunch grass planting.