Guest Presentation from the Hawaii Audubon Society (grades 6-12)
1:20pm – 2:35pm
Topic: Manu O Kū
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https://saintlouishawaii-org.zoom.us/j/88498174717?pwd=QXVudGZpR01OSThIOGlObGk3Vy9FZz09
Meeting ID: 884 9817 4717
Passcode: T63jUyZGyx

• Guest Presenter – Rich Downs, Hawaii Audubon Society, Director of Manu o Kū Citizen Science Project
• Introduction to Native Bird Species (Manu o Kū) and Avian Conservation
• What does Manu o Kū mean? Are they culturally significant to native Hawaiians?

Manu-o-Kū means “Bird of Kū” in Hawaiian. Kū is the god of war in Hawaiian mythology and is represented by images of a feathered god. Some linguists believe the manu-o-Kū name was derived from “ohu”, the Hawaiian word for fog, mist or cloud. Manu-o-Kū are known by traditional Hawaiian navigators as one of the best indicators of land.  Seafarers use manu-o-Kū to aid in navigation because they generally will fly out to sea in the morning to feed and then return to land at night. By going the direction the birds are coming from in the morning and following them at night, navigators will likely reach land. Even though terns may travel hundreds of miles, the presence of these birds in the vast Pacific Ocean can assure wayfinders that they are near land.