The International Day for Biological Diversity is observed every year on May 22 to promote understanding and awareness of the importance of biodiversity—the variety of life on Earth—and to call for action to protect it. It was created by the United Nations.

Hawaiʻi is a global biodiversity hotspot. We have a huge number of native plants and animals, most of which are endemic (meaning they are only found in Hawaiʻi). Our islands are home to classic examples of adaptive radiation, the process through which a single species expands into diverse habitats and over time adapts and evolves into many species. Perhaps the most famous example is our Hawaiian honeycreepers: over six million years ago, a single species of Asiatic finch found its way to Hawaiʻi. That single species spread across ecosystem types, adapting over generations to eventually become as many as 50 different species. These different species had different characteristics: some were red, some were yellow, some had small straight beaks, some had large curved beaks, some focused on nectar while others ate seeds or insects. This incredible diversity enriches Hawaiʻi’s forests and is part of what makes Hawaiʻi special.

Today only 17 species of honeycreeper remain, but DLNR Forestry and Wildlife and our partners are working hard to prevent extinctions and protect habitats for our forest birds. You can learn more on our Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele page.

Photo: ʻAkiapōlāʻau, PC Bret Mossman