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Participants of the Hawaiʻi Audubon Society Kōlea Quest in Nome, Alaska

For two Kapiʻolani Community College students, studying Hawaiʻi’s kōlea (Pacific golden plovers) took them from campus to the birds’ Arctic breeding grounds in Alaska.

Male kōlea (Photo credit: Wendy Kuntz)

In late June, Kealaokalani Kaaloa and Thor Donola traveled to Nome, Alaska, as Hawaiʻi Audubon Society Kōlea Quest scholarship recipients.

“One thing that was really put into perspective for me is just how little we truly know about bird species,” said Kaaloa, a biology major. “Just the concept of the kōlea migrating to Alaska was too vast to really grasp how incredible the journey really is, until you put yourself on a plane and actually go to Alaska.”

Over five days, the group observed at least 15 kōlea, documented 70 Arctic bird species and explored the Bering Strait region. The Kapiʻolani CC students also shared their Hawaiʻi-based research with fellow participants.

Kealaokalani Kaaloa, Wendy Kuntz and Thor Donola

Recommended by Kapiʻolani CC professor of biology and ecology Wendy Kuntz, who organized and led the trip, Kaaloa and Donola became the college’s eighth and ninth participants in the Kōlea Quest program since 2023.

“Observing kōlea on their summer breeding grounds and experiencing the tundra helps students to connect the questions we explore together at Kapiʻolani CC to the broader story of migration and conservation, and to the biological and cultural ties between Hawaiʻi and Alaska,” Kuntz said.

Sharing culture

At a Katirvik Cultural Center gathering, Kaaloa offered traditional chants, including Kū Ka ʻAlā, “Transformed Waterworn Stones,” composed by Kapiʻolani CC Vice Chancellor Nāwaʻa Napoleon, to elders of the King Island community.

Kaaloa offered mele Kū Ka ʻAlā, “Transformed Waterworn Stones.”

“Through sharing our culture together, I’ve come to realize that the most important thing one must do to keep their culture and their history alive is to have pride in it,” said Kaaloa. “When songs and art are continued through the youth, the culture will continue to live.”

The students will conduct future kōlea counts in Hawaiʻi, support community outreach events and visit classrooms to share their experience. Their participation was made possible through Hawaiʻi Audubon Society scholarships, with airfare funded by the Kapiʻolani CC Lunalilo Scholars Program (which offers scholarships, mentoring and a strong support network).

—By Lisa Yamamoto

Participants observing kōlea in Nome, Alaska