Ke Aouli ʻŌlinolino

A Hua He Inoa interns receive certificates following a presentation on their exhibit.

Preserving our dark skies is critical for stargazing and astronomy. But it may be less known that light pollution can also harm native species, including the endangered ʻuaʻu seabird.

A group of high school interns participating in ʻImiloa’s A Hua He Inoa program are hoping to increase that awareness with a new interactive exhibit — Ke Aouli ʻŌlinolino (The Brilliant Night Sky).

“When we think of light pollution, the first thing that comes to mind is the obstruction of our night sky, the stars and constellations,” said Kaʻōnohiokala Boteilho, A Hua He Inoa Project Assistant. “But reducing light pollution also benefits native species such as the ʻuaʻu that can become disoriented by artificial light.”

Each morning, before sunrise, the ʻuaʻu, or Hawaiian Petrel, leave their burrows and fly out to sea where they feed on squid and fish. It’s at this time that fledglings can be affected by light sources, which can disorient them until they tire and land on the ground and can be killed by cats, other animals, and even humans.

“Fortunately, a lot has been done to control light pollution due to the County of Hawaiʻi’s light ordinance,” Boteilho said. “Yet we know that artificial light still poses a threat to this struggling species. The interns decided to create this exhibit to raise this awareness and identify additional measures that might be able to help.”

The interns from Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu in Keaʻau also wanted to make this educational tool fun and engaging, which is why they created it with some form of gamification, he said, with the expertise guidance of graduate research assistant Kari Noe of the Laboratory for Advanced Visualization and Application (LAVA) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. To develop the exhibit, they also worked with astronomers and bird experts in Hawaiʻi and toured telescopes on Maunakea.

The Hawaiʻi Island-based exhibit begins with the ʻuaʻu leaving its burrow from the slopes of Maunakea where it encounters street lights in Hilo and begins to become disoriented. Users have the option to help the seabird on its way by either switching light bulbs to blue-light deficient LEDs, dimming the light, and improving light shielding.

“While not all LED lights are good for reducing light pollution, the interns found through their research that using LEDs designed to remove the blue light part of the spectrum can help protect dark skies while also enabling other potential solutions, such as light dimming during the early morning hours when the ʻuaʻu take flight,” Boteilho said. “Such methods can help save municipalities money through less energy use while protecting the young ʻuaʻu.”

Visit ʻImiloa at the 600 ʻImiloa Place in Hilo this fall to see Ke Aouli ʻŌlinolino on display.