Conference Artwork
I will never forget when I heard a recording of the last Kaua‘i ʻōʻō singing a mating call that would never be answered. Now extinct, I kept thinking of the last ʻōʻō, as I drew feathers on the kiwikiu, another endemic species facing a critical turning point.
To visualize the 2021 conference theme of “Kūlia i ka Huliau,” I took inspiration from species at a turning point—the kiwikiu, ‘ua‘u, nalo meli maoli, ‘ahi, manō, ʻōhiʻa lehua, reef fish, and corals. If we strive for change, can native and endangered species navigate toward a brighter future instead of extinction?
As a science illustrator living and working on the Big Island, I am grateful to be in a place where I can catch a glimpse of an ‘i‘iwi in the ʻōhiʻa on a mountain trail and bright reef fish along the coast. Drawing feathers on birds and fins on fish, my goal is to create engaging visuals for scientific research and conservation efforts.
Listen to the Kaua‘i ʻōʻō: https://ebird.org/species/kauoo