{"id":238441,"date":"2026-08-03T15:09:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T01:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=238441"},"modified":"2026-08-03T15:10:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T01:10:55","slug":"kapiolani-cc-follows-kolea-migration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/08\/03\/kapiolani-cc-follows-kolea-migration\/","title":{"rendered":"From campus to tundra: Kapiʻolani CC<\/abbr> students follow the k\u014dlea migration"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Group
Participants of the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Audubon Society K\u014dlea Quest in Nome, Alaska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For two Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College students, studying Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s k\u014dlea (Pacific golden plovers) took them from campus to the birds\u2019 Arctic breeding grounds in Alaska.<\/p>\n

\"Kolea
Male k\u014dlea (Photo credit: Wendy Kuntz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In late June, Kealaokalani Kaaloa and Thor Donola traveled to Nome, Alaska, as Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Audubon Society K\u014dlea Quest scholarship recipients.<\/p>\n

“One thing that was really put into perspective for me is just how little we truly know about bird species,” said Kaaloa, a biology major. “Just the concept of the k\u014dlea migrating to Alaska was too vast to really grasp how incredible the journey really is, until you put yourself on a plane and actually go to Alaska.”<\/p>\n

Over five days, the group observed at least 15 k\u014dlea, documented 70 Arctic bird species and explored the Bering Strait region. The Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> students also shared their Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>-based research with fellow participants.<\/p>\n

\"Group
Kealaokalani Kaaloa, Wendy Kuntz and Thor Donola<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recommended by Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> professor of biology and ecology Wendy Kuntz, who organized and led the trip, Kaaloa and Donola became the college\u2019s eighth and ninth participants in the K\u014dlea Quest program since 2023.<\/p>\n

“Observing k\u014dlea on their summer breeding grounds and experiencing the tundra helps students to connect the questions we explore together at Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> to the broader story of migration and conservation, and to the biological and cultural ties between Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and Alaska,” Kuntz said.<\/p>\n

Sharing culture<\/h3>\n

At a Katirvik Cultural Center gathering, Kaaloa offered traditional chants, including K\u016b Ka ʻAl\u0101<\/span>, “Transformed Waterworn Stones,” composed by Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> Vice Chancellor N\u0101waʻa<\/span> Napoleon, to elders of the King Island community.<\/p>\n

\"Kaaola
Kaaloa offered mele K\u016b Ka ʻAl\u0101, \u201cTransformed Waterworn Stones.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Through sharing our culture together, I\u2019ve come to realize that the most important thing one must do to keep their culture and their history alive is to have pride in it,” said Kaaloa. “When songs and art are continued through the youth, the culture will continue to live.”<\/p>\n

The students will conduct future k\u014dlea counts in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, support community outreach events and visit classrooms to share their experience. Their participation was made possible through Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Audubon Society scholarships, with airfare funded by the Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> Lunalilo Scholars Program (which offers scholarships, mentoring and a strong support network).<\/p>\n

—By Lisa Yamamoto<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Observing
Participants observing k\u014dlea in Nome, Alaska<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students bridge cultural divides while investigating native birds up north.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":238461,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[665,63,1533,71],"class_list":["post-238441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-conservation","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-lunalilo-scholars","tag-uh-community-colleges","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t