Science & Sustainability Festival 2024

Saturday, April 20, 2024
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Reduced admission – $5 kamaʻaina and military

Bishop Museum’s Science & Sustainability Festival brings together Museum scientists, educators, cultural practitioners, and community partners to highlight the ongoing work needed to protect biodiversity and build a sustainable future in Hawai‘i.

This one-day festival features keiki activities, workshops, exhibition highlights, special presentations, and interactive performances with scientists, cultural practitioners, and community organizers on the front lines of biodiversity research and conservation efforts in Hawai‘i. Visit activity and information booths that showcase the vital work of community partners and the interconnectivity between conservation initiatives across Hawai‘i. All day, Enjoy music and performances with food and drink vendors on the Museum lawns.

Mainstage Program

10 a.m. Opening Remarks
Performances by Hālau Mele, Kumu Kathryn Māhealani Wong & Kumu Sam ʻOhukaniʻōhiʻa Gon III

11 a.m. Spotlight Conversation
Pio ke ahi, ʻaʻā mau ke kukui: Lessons From 2023 Maui Wildfires – 11 a.m.
The 2023 Maui wildfires poignantly brought into focus the reality that all of our Hawaiʻi communities are impacted by the threat of wildfires. Truly a ma uka to ma kai issue, 98% of all wildfires are caused by humans, so we all have a kuleana to lessen the risks. Join our panel to discuss the ways we can all contribute, from simple choices we can make around our homes to advocating for policy change in land and water management. Panelists include:

• Kekai Keahi, farmer & community organizer, Moaliʻi, Lāhainā, Maui
• Yumi Miyata, Program Manager, Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership
• Clay Trauernicht, Associate Specialist, Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, UH Mānoa
• Josh Atwood, Information and Education Specialist, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife

12 p.m. Live Music w/ Ei Nei

1 p.m. Spotlight Conversation
He aliʻi ka manu: Celebrating Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele – 1 p.m.
2024 has been designated Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele! Celebrated in moʻolelo, mele and ʻōlelo noʻeau, yet severely at risk, our forest birds perform vital ecosystem services and are critical to the health of our forests. Join us as our panel discusses their efforts to protect remaining populations of these species, restore their forest homes, and perpetuate our moʻolelo, traditional practices and Indigenous perspectives surrounding of our treasured manu nahele. Panelists include:

• Ben Catcho, Communications Specialist, Birds, Not Mosquitoes
• Rachel Kingsley, Outreach & Education Associate, Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
• Kawika Lum-Nelmida, master hulu artist & educator
• Lindsay Nietmann, Wildlife Biologist, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife

Bishop Museum Natural Science Booths:
Botany & Bishop Museum’s Seedbank
Ichthyology
Invertebrate Zoology
Malacology
Marine Malacology
Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity
Vertebrate Zoology

Community partners booths include:
Algal Biodiversity Laboratory – University of Hawaii at Manoa
Birds Not Mosquitos
Board of Water Supply
City Nature Challenge
Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response
Conservation Council for Hawai‘i
Dancers Unlimited
Division of Aquatic Resources
Friends of Hawaiian Islands NWR
Hakipuʻu Academy
Hawai’i Audubon Society
Hawai’i Botanical Society
Hawaii Department of Transportation Storm Water Management Program
Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of Forestry & Wildlife
Hawai‘i EV Association
Hawai‘i Energy
Hawaiʻi Forest Institute & Grow Good Hawaii
Hawaiʻi Green Growth
Hawaiʻi Nature Center
Hawaii Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research
Hawaii Wildlife Ecology Lab – University of Hawai‘i
NOAA Inouye Regional Center Education and Outreach
NOAA International Tsunami Information Center
Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Project
Ko’olau Mountains Watershed Partnership
Laukahi: The Hawaii Plant Conservation Network
Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
Mālama Maunalua
Maoli Farms
Niu Mea Nui: Beloved and Important Coconut w/ Mahi La Pierre
O‘ahu Water Protectors & Ka Lāhui Hawai‘i
Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge
NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System at UH Mānoa
NOAA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Plant Extinction Prevention Program
Pop-Up Labs for STEAM
Snail Extinction Prevention Program
Terraformation
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
UH Mānoa Ka Mea Kolo Entomology Club
University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program
Waialua Estate
Waianae Mountains Watershed Partnership
And more

Other Programs include:

Hidden Pacific – Planetarium Show
Location: J. Watumull Planetarium
10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
A pioneering film that profiles some of the Pacific Ocean’s most beautiful islands and marine national monuments — breathtaking places that will leave audiences with a deep-felt appreciation for the beauty of nature untouched by civilization. The storied histories of Palmyra, Midway and other atolls provide the platform from which the film explores a diversity of science and human stories. Runtime: 30 min.

Wayfinders: Waves, Winds, and Stars – Planetarium Show
Location: J. Watumull Planetarium
1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
This full-dome program puts you on the deck of the voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa as you explore the nearly lost art and science of non-instrument navigation in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Produced by Bishop Museum in collaboration with Polynesian Voyaging Society and 1001 Stories. Runtime: 45 min.

He aliʻi ka ʻāina; he kauwā ke kanaka – Hawaiian Hall Tours
Location: Hawaiian Hall
11:30 a.m, 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
In learning from the past, we can look to the future. How can we learn from the collections of the Hawaiian Hall complex to inform a sustainable future for Hawaiʻi? Join Bishop Museum educators on a 30-minute guided tour exploring the culture and history of sustainability in the Hawaiian Islands.

Food Vendors on Great Lawn: BuGi Grindz, Veek Plant Based Burgers, Paddy Wagon, Da Spot, Chee Hoo Treats (Banan), Unkoholicspupus, Edible Peace, Main Squeeze Lemonade, Tropicold Wai.