ABOVE: A father and two goslings at Waiuli, Hawaii Island.
If so, you can help protect this endangered species. Upload your photos to nene.org and contribute to a database that's processed with AI to identify and catalog nene. According to Jordan Lerma, the project founder, the technology allows nene.org and government agencies to protect nene by responding more quickly to threats and identifying injured birds.
In the late 1770s a nene was among the gifts Native Hawaiians gave to Captain Cook. Nene were already in decline due to predators, hunting, captive breeding for sustenance and habitat destruction. By 1945, nene were nearly extinct, with only thirty in the wild. Conservation efforts have been so successful that now there are over 3,800 nene on Maui, Molokai and Hawaii Island, with most on Kauai.
That's a lot of nene and therefore a lot of photos of nene, which in the past would be tediously assessed by humans. Now, nene.org's computer systems analyze thousands of photos to quickly extract useful data like date, time, location and band information. "We're trying to automate in the most efficient way possible so we can basically eliminate the need for us to do any of that," says Lerma. "We can just look at the outcomes and take action."
Above, a male and female Hawaii's state bird, the nene, has made a dramatic comeback since its near-extinction. Now a new citizen-science effort uses photos submitted by the public to better protect the endemic goose. A male and female that are part of the Poipu and Kokee population on Kauai.
A marine biologist, Lerma has conducted a similar photo identification project, relying on citizen-scientists to contribute photos of false killer whales. But when he visited middle and high schools to get kids interested in science, he found it difficult to excite them about a species they'll probably never see. "We were at Wailoa State Park, and there were people feeding nene right there," which you shouldn't do, Lerma cautions. "Nene are recognizable, our state bird and a conservation success story." Why not do a photo catalog of nene, too, Lerma thought, and nene.org took flight.
Nene.org data has already had an impact. The community of Keaukaha, Hawaii Island, successfully lobbied the state to put in speed tables to slow traffic and prevent lethal collisions. But for every victory there are still challenges for the beloved endemic species, revered in the Kumulipo Hawaiian creation chant as a guardian of the land. Despite their recovery, nene still face pressures, including injuries and deaths on golf courses, parks and roadways.
Lerma hopes his newborn son, Kestrel, and 3-year-old daughter, Manuohina, will experience seeing native species and pristine habitats. "It's about creating that future for the next generation. Connecting communities and government agencies through nene.org ends up helping a species."
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