Native forest reborn in Hawaii after 150,000 trees planted over 20 years, rare birds return

A piece of very good environmental news has come from the Hawaiian islands in the United States, one that has become an example for environmentalists around the world. In the last decades of the twentieth century, a dense forest spread over hundreds of acres in Hawaii died out and turned into barren grassland. The land at the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawaii's Big Island was rapidly turning barren. Growing human interference and natural difficulties meant this once-green area kept drying up, putting the existence of the rare birds and wildlife living there at risk.

Seeing this serious situation, environmentalists and scientists from around the world took a major decision in the 1990s to bring this forest back to life. A large tree-planting drive began in 1992. Over the next five years, the US Forest Service planted 150,650 native koa trees on this barren grassland. The aim of this large drive was not just to plant trees on paper, but to recreate a natural home and safe nesting ground for Hawaii's dwindling and very rare birds.

There was an important reason the koa tree was chosen for planting. Koa is a local Hawaiian tree and is considered a key and fundamental species in the forests there. This tree has the quality of being able to grow quickly even on very barren, dry and rocky land. It has the ability to regenerate nutrients in the soil. This is why scientists placed their full trust in the local koa tree instead of any outside species.

After two decades of tree planting, that is, after continuous monitoring for more than 20 years, the results that researchers found left the entire scientific world stunned. The grassland where once not even a bird's call could be heard now echoes with the chirping of thousands of birds. Over two decades, these 150,000 trees have turned into a beautiful, dense and thriving forest. The Hakalau Project is today considered one of the most successful forest restoration drives ever carried out in Hawaii.

One distinctive feature of the Hawaiian islands is that the local birds and species found there are not found anywhere else in the world. This is why the loss of the forest there would have meant these species vanishing from the earth forever. This study at Hakalau has proven that if humans make a genuine effort, nature can turn green again. After the forest began growing back, some local birds started settling there immediately, while some shyer species took a little longer to return.

The most notable development was that Hawaii's extremely rare Akiapolaau bird, which had come close to disappearing altogether, has clearly been seen returning to this restored forest. During the study, the numbers of these birds were seen to be steadily rising. This major success has opened up a hopeful new path for saving forests being lost around the world and recreating homes for wildlife.