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Restoration in a Novel Environment

24/3/2017

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​Located at the far end of the extensive Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is one of the most remote atolls in the world—more than 1,500 miles north-west from Honolulu, Oʻahu. Home to the world’s largest albatross colony (and more than 20 other migratory and breeding seabirds and shorebirds), Midway Atoll NWR evokes the idea of an isolated, pristine environment. However, after decades of dredging, building, digging, moving, and bulldozing, Midway Atoll NWR is far from it—making wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and invasive species control both challenging and rewarding.
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Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima) in the foreground. Photo credit: Wieteke Holthuijzen/Kupu/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Lessons Learned in Conservation on Midway Atoll NWR... and A Hui Hou to One of Our Ohana

17/2/2017

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Working in the field of conservation, habitat restoration, and ecology, the questions of “What do you do exactly?” and “Why?” tend to crop up consistently. Why hike for miles and miles in the wind and rain? Why place metal bands on birds (and the follow-up question: “Why do you always seem to have bird poop on you somewhere?”)? Why pull this plant over here and not that one over there?
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Sometimes field work gets a little dirty… Wieteke Holthuijzen holds a Mōlī / Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) chick after it had a small accident on her. Photo credit: Greg Joder / USFWS.

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E Komo Mai: Welcome to Kuaihelani, the Backbone of the Heavens

16/12/2016

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​Haven’t heard of Midway before? Located more than 1,500 northwest of Honolulu, this tiny atoll is literally in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, halfway between the west coast of the United States and Japan. 
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Map of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Credit: NOAA/USFWS/State of Hawaiʻi/OHA.

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Shifting Gears, Shifting Seasons

24/10/2016

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The first albatross of the new breeding season on Midway Atoll NWR! Spotted on October 19, 2016, this beautiful Ka'upu / Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) is just a hint of what is to come. Photo credit: Wieteke Holthuijzen / Kupu

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First (Second) Impressions

1/10/2016

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As I double checked my two bags in the morning, one overstuffed (yet weighing in at exactly 50 pounds) duffel bag and backpack filled strategically with books, camera equipment, binoculars, and other field necessities, I still could not believe that I was actually returning to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge / Battle of Midway National Memorial. It felt unreal and even as I passed through the TSA security check at the Boise, Idaho airport, looking back once more and waving “Goodbye!” to my parents, reality still had not settled in. I buckled up in my seat on a tiny, packed jet heading to San Francisco, and looked out the window over the Boise Foothills, now turning various hues of brown and the Boise River, at their base, outlined by groves of still green trees. Little pings of excitement flashed through my mind as the airplane started to prepare for take-off, and I thought back to my feelings the first time I headed out to Midway Atoll NWR.
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Flying over the eastern part of Midway Atoll NWR's emergent reef. To the west (not pictured) are Eastern and Spit Islands. Photo credit: Wieteke Holthuijzen / Kupu

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Reflections on Midway Atoll NWR: A Message of Hope

8/8/2015

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A messenger of hope: the Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis). Photo credit: Wieteke Holthuijzen/USFWS

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A Day in the Life... of a Midway Atoll Wildlife Biology Volunteer

29/11/2014

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Midway Atoll NWR Refuge Manager Dan Clark conducts a "seep" check out at Eastern Island with wildlife biology volunteer, Greg Joder. Lots of Laysan Ducks to see here!
Heading out of the volunteer house around sunrise, I bike towards the USFWS Midway Atoll NWR Office. The weather looks promising today, with a clear sky overhead, already filled full with our feathered friends, the albatross. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of them are taking to the sky, aided by the warm breeze this morning. Up and up into the air they glide, crisscrossing each other. Meanwhile, back on the ground, thousands more albatross sit quietly, some with eyelids half closed, as they patiently incubate their precious, single egg. I stop by Parade Field and get off of my bike, savoring the moment and one of the best views of the hundreds of thousands of nesting albatross (both Laysan and Black-footed) at Midway. A few minutes later, I’m in the office, greeted warmly by the USFWS staff. We exchange weekend stories and the latest updates about the upcoming ukulele concert (believe it or not, Midway Atoll boasts quite a rockin’ ukulele band). Then we focus on today’s agenda. No day is quite the same out here at Midway Atoll NWR.

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What is Midway Atoll NWR exactly…?

22/11/2014

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Welcome to Midway Atoll, a cultural heritage, historical memorial, and biological wonder.
I’m starting to realize that the word “unique” is quickly becoming obsolete in trying to describe the experience and world that is Midway. The wildlife, habitat, and general marine ecology here are certainly unmatched in terms of biodiversity as well as quantity, with 2-3 million seabirds breeding on the atoll annually. While you might think of Laysan Albatross affectionately preening each other and White Terns fluttering overhead like oversized white butterflies, there’s more than meets the eye at Midway. In particular, Midway Atoll has quite a few notable titles to its name. First off, Midway Atoll is a national wildlife refuge located within the nation's largest conservation area, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. It is also home to the Battle of Midway Memorial. Plus, it is the first mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site in the United States. But what do all of these titles, designations, and inscriptions mean? And what do they entail exactly?

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    About Me

    Wieteke Holthuijzen: budding environmental scientist, passionate birder.

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