Conservation through Art
Posted at 10:01 am November 10, 2005 by Alan Lieberman
One of the most effective ways of helping students of all ages connect to conservation is through art, in all of its forms. In Hawaii this is especially true. Hawaiian tradition celebrates many art forms that are often lacking in western cultures. Such art exists in dance (hula), oral traditions (chants), basket making, wood carving, lei making, gourd scribing, pictographs and petroglyphs, and of course, painting.
At the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center, we have been fortunate to engage the talents of a local artist, Kathleen Kam, who has painted two wonderful murals depicting conservation themes. The first mural depicts the lives of Hawaii's small forest birds. The second mural portrays the natural history of the `alala, or Hawaiian crow. Both of these colorful murals tell a compelling conservation story and help students better understand the environmental crises facing Hawaii today.
Alan Lieberman is the program director for the San Diego Zoo's Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.
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November 13th, 2005 at 3:16 pm
You are indeed fortunate to have such a gifted artist to awaken conservation awareness in your population. I still find myself weeping inside thinking of the death of the last known po'ouli and of all the other creatures great and small that have quietly but so unnecessarily disappeared in our lifetime. Thank you again for all you are doing to reverse this tragic process!
November 16th, 2005 at 3:10 pm
As discouraging as it may be at times, watching what was once common become rare, and what is rare slowly disappear forever, there ARE good stories too. Our focus must remain on what good we can still do and not be distracted by that which is already lost. It's conservation triage and we continue our efforts to do what we can while we can. Don't lose hope or all is truly lost.