Category Archives: Nature

Glimmers of a forest bird future

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

O`ahu is depauperate when it comes to native forest birds. Only 3 species `Elepaio (Chasiempis ibidis), `Apapane (Himetone sanguinea) and `Amakihi (Chlorodrepanis flava) are known with any confidence on the island. What is hopeful is that all 3 species are … Continue reading →

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Getting to know your Hawaiian Lobeliads #45 Brighamia rockii

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

Brighamia rockii

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Snapshot: small efforts

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

DLNR has dedicated this year as the year of the community forest. While we have plans to highlight the work we’ve done over the last 20 years, at the end of the day a lot of it boils down to … Continue reading →

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Searching for Gympie Gympie Trees

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

Plant blindness can be quite the challenge for the botanical community. Getting people to care can be a difficult thing: plants for a lot of folks tend to disappear into the background whilst people focus on something else. Some plants … Continue reading →

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Snapshot: My first Megapode

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

Megapodes are a cool radiation of galliformes centered around Australia and spreading up to the Philippines in the west and into parts of Polynesia in the east. Unfortunately many insular Pacific forms went extinct. So while during super touristy things … Continue reading →

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A Celebration of Hawaiian Forest Birds

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

The last time I talked about Bishop Museum on this blog was that in-between phase where I wasn’t really posting often. At the time, they had put on display a rare specimen of kioea and I had commented on how … Continue reading →

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Two lined Coral Snake of Mt. Mansilawit

Posted on February 16, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

Currently back in the motherlands. Was exploring Palawan when we came across a very pleasant surprise. Our tour guide was leading up the short (but muggy!) hike up Mt. Mansilawit outside of El Nido, when she stopped dead in her … Continue reading →

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Getting to know your Hawaiian Lobeliads #44 Cyanea pinnatifida

Posted on February 1, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

Cyanea pinnatifida

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Let’s talk about: Hibiscadelphus

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

One of the many plants that I was happy to engage with from my trip to Limahuli last year was this guy: Hau kuahiwi (Hibiscadelphus distans). And I figure now would be a good a time as any to talk … Continue reading →

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The Kaka of Maungatautauri

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Sebastian Marquez

Here’s another post from our trip to New Zealand in 2019. My wife and I made a point to check out Sanctuary Mountain, the wildlife reserve situated on Maungatautauri, a dormant volcano just outside Hamilton on the North Island. It … Continue reading →

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