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By 1940, it was estimated there only approximately 1,000 stilts remained in Hawaii. It was one of the first birds to be listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. A recovery plan for the Hawaiian stilt was completed in 1985. Since then, cooperative efforts between governmental and non-governmental agencies have helped to increase the number of Hawaiian stilts in the wild. One of these efforts is a two-decade partnership between the Sierra Club and the United States Marine Corps. As part of this partnership, Sierra Club volunteers regularly work with natural resource managers at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to remove invasive mangrove from the wetlands that the stilts depend on. This work has succeeded in tripling the number of stilts utilizing wetlands on base. Statewide, it is estimated there are between 1,200 and 1,600 Hawaiian stilts in the wild, and the population is considered to be stable and no longer rapidly heading towards extinction.
In the twentieth century, development began encroaching on the seal's habitat and competition with commercial fishing fleets became a more regular occurrence. With so few seals remaining, sharks also are now a significant factor in the seal's rarity. The seal was listed as endangered in 1976 and critical habitat was designated in 1988. Hawaiian monk seals are managed primarily by the NOAA Fisheries with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service having authority over significant breeding areas for the seal in the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. It is estimated that there are 1,500 Hawaiian monk seals in the wild today, with most conservation efforts centered on research, monitoring, and education.
Silversword numbers began to decline following the introduction of feral sheep and goats into Silversword habitat, after which the plant began to be eaten into extinction. It is estimated that less than 50 of the plants survive in the wild. The Mauna Kea silversword was listed as an endangered species in 1986. Recovery efforts for the Mauna Kea silversword have included the removal of the feral goats and sheep from the plant's habitat, with results being seen in an increased number of plants afterward. Other efforts include the hand pollination of silverswords to stimulate reproduction. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act, and these management activities motivated by it, the Mauna Kea silversword is still a part of America's natural heritage. Mauna Kea Silversword photo courtesy Hawaii Divison of Forestry and Wildlife. |
Distiguishable from other stilts by the mass of black plumage on its face and neck and its long bill, the Hawaiian stilt was historically known throughout all the Hawaiian islands save for Lana'i and Kaho'olawe. Once a popular gamebird, the number of Hawaiian stilts declined as a result of the loss of the wetland habitat on which the bird depends owing to development and invasive mangrove. 
The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the United States. Declines in monk seal numbers began in the nineteenth century, when shipwrecked crews used them for food and later a commercial harvest was established for seal oil and pelts.
The Mauna Kea silversword is found only in the high reaches of Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano. With its bladelike leaves and vibrant rosettes, the Mauna Kea Silversword is a testament to life's ability to persist and diversify in even the world's harshest environments.