What's Up Hawaii?

   Good Morning and Aloha everyone! Di here with another blog and another week gone by! How fast time flies! How is everyone in the Hawaiian Life community today? This week's blog will be on the lighter side! Enough with Mother Nature for now! She needs a break! We have some Hawaiian birds that have been added to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. That is a really good thing, because all of our wildlife is precious and important, and if we can have more protected, that is just more birds that will be around a lot longer. Also, do you remember the series Hawaii Five-O? I do! Being a kid in the seventies, I grew up watching that show. I've always had a love for Hawaii, since birth, lol so I loved that show because it was filmed in Hawaii! That, and the fact it was just good TV and well written! Well, it's coming back, and I'm just a little excited over that fact! ;-) Also, Mike has another interesting article on endangered species in Hawaii! Here's a link to it! Aloha!

http://hawaiianlife.com/content/famous-hawaiian-flora-and-fauna

                             *Fifty Five Pacific Island Birds Receive Protection*

   On Saturday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that it is adding 55 Pacific Island birds to a list of species that are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It will be the first changes to the list since 1985. The list will include 24 species found only in Hawaii, including the Maui Parrotbill and the Akekee or Kauai Akepa. There are an additional 28 species that are found from American Samoa, the Mariana Islands, which includes Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and Baker and Howland Islands. There are also three more found in Hawaii, as well as other places!

   The nests and the eggs of a listed species are protected from harm. The law prohibits anyone capturing or killing a bird from the list! A species of bird is listed when they are part of a family or species that is protected under international conventions with Canada, Japan, Mexico and Russia. Unlike species listed under the Endangered Species Act, these birds under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service don't have to be on the verge of being extinct, to receive protection. George Wallace, vice president of the American Bird Conservancy, praised the agency's move, noting 71 bird species have become extinct in Hawaii since humans first settled on the islands.

   The native birds of Hawaii are so seriously threatened, that all species need to be protected under federal law! Hawaii accounts for one-third of U.S. endangered birds. Thirty one Hawaiian bird species are listed on the endangered species list. Altogether the agency added 186 species to the migratory treaty list and subtracted eleven, bringing the current total number to 1007! New evidence of birds have been found in the U.S. and surrounding territories, and that is why revisions have been made. Some species were removed because they were no longer believed to be in the U.S.

                         *Filming Pilot For Hawaii Five-O Starts Today On The Islands*

   Ahhh, what is better than crime in Hawaii? Ficticious crime that is! Do you remember the 1970's series Hawaii Five-O, with it's own villains, con men and crime lords of course? There was something about that show. It was well written, had good storylines, but there was something that made it stand out from all the rest! I know, it was filmed in Hawaii! lol What better place to film a show, than to have it filmed on locatiion in Honolulu!  Well CBS is planning on bringing back the mega successful show!

   Knowing that the mega hit Lost is about to end it's six year run on the islands, CBS bringing back Hawaii Five-O is just good sense. It will allow local actors the chance of working on the show, which will be an added plus for the local communities. The producers are bringing back one of the most beloved series of its time. It originally ran from 1968 to 1980. Just imagine men walking around in Hawaiian shirts, or no shirts! ;-) Sorry! lol 

   The state estimates that a regular TV series contributes around $70 million a year to the local economy! That would be huge if the show is picked up. It could sort of take the place of Lost which would totally boost the Hawaiian economy. Filming for the pilot starts today! Let us keep our fingers crossed that the pilot is picked up, because it would be great for the whole state, and I have to say, not being from Hawaii, I would love a show on the islands. I don't watch a lot of television lately, because, I think good TV has gone by the wayside with all these reality shows, lately. The problem with a new show it seems, they just don't give them a chance anymore. If a rating isn't top, because it is up against a top successful show, they pull them off the air before they have a chance to show what they've got, just when you get hooked on them. So if we are lucky, not too far in the future, we just might hear the words" Book em Danno"! ;-)

   Well, I hope you all liked this weeks blog! I'm trying to keep it different & not get too much of the same ole thing. I hope you all have a great week and stay safe! Until next time, Mahalo!

Aloha,

Di