Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM), an initiative by American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and partners, received the Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance's (HCA) Conservation Innovation Award on July 31 during the 31st annual Hawai‘i Conservation Conference in Honolulu. The award recognizes new technologies or techniques used in conservation activities that lead to significant advances to the structure or nature of environmental conservation in Hawai‘i. In choosing BNM for the award, HCA noted the speed, cooperation, strategic thinking, and community engagement that characterizes this unique alliance of federal, state, and nongovernmental organizations. Dr. Chris Farmer, ABC's Hawai'i Program Director, accepted the award on behalf of ABC.  

“The Birds, Not Mosquitoes coalition has shown exemplary collaboration that embodies the collective spirit and innovation needed to tackle Hawaiʻi's toughest conservation challenges,” said Emma Anders, HCA Director. “Thanks to their teamwork and application of cutting-edge science, we are now giving native forest birds a chance at survival. This award is especially significant as it is taking place during Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele, the Year of the Forest Birds.” 

Each of the BNM partners have been working to restore habitat and combat non-native mosquitoes and avian disease, but the rapid collapse of four bird species — the ʻAkikiki and ʻAkekeʻe on Kauaʻi and the Kiwikiu and ʻĀkohekohe on Maui — catalyzed the formation of the partnership focused on suppressing mosquito populations to stop avian malaria from killing them. Since its inception in 2017, the BNM team has collaborated to develop and safely deploy an innovative tool called the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT). While IIT has been used safely around the world for mosquito-borne diseases that affect human health, this is its first application for conservation.  

Following years of rigorous study, analysis, and technological innovation, BNM has successfully and safely conducted releases over the last eight months of more than 15 million nonbiting, infertile male mosquitos across several thousand acres in remote conservation areas on Haleakalā, Maui. Planning is underway to begin deployment over a few thousand acres of remote forests on the Alaka‘i Plateau, Kauaʻi in early 2025.

This work could not have been accomplished without funding support from the Department of Interior's Hawaiian Forest Bird Conservation Keystone Initiative, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and substantial additional funding from the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is also a major supporter, along with several private foundations, private donors, and nonprofit organizations.

The BNM partnership includes the following organizations:   

• American Bird Conservancy 
• Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species 
• Island Conservation 
• Hawaiʻi Department of Health 
• Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources 
• Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project 
• Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project 
• National Park Service 
• The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiʻi and Palmyra  
• University of Hawaiʻi 
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
• U.S. Geological Survey 

###

American Bird Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, we take on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation. Find us on abcbirds.org, Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter (@ABCbirds).

Birds, Not Mosquitoes (BNM) is a coalition of state, federal, private, and nonprofit partners. Our mission is to protect the native Hawaiian manu nahele (forest birds) by advancing efforts to suppress the non-native southern house mosquito population in high-elevation forests across the Hawaiian islands. These invasive mosquitoes carry avian malaria, which could drive some endangered native Hawaiian honeycreepers to extinction in the next two to five years.

Media Contact