Honoring Pakele: A Celebration of Life, Resilience, and Hope
When Graham and I first ventured into the rain-drenched wilderness of the Alakaʻi Plateau to film “When Silence Becomes the Song“, the silence settling over the canopy felt overwhelming. Yet beneath that quiet lay a story of fierce, breathtaking persistence. Recently, the island of Kauaʻi came together to honor that exact spirit: Pakele, the last known wild ʻAkikiki. Marking one year since she was last seen on August 29th, 2025, Mayor Derek Kawakami issued an official proclamation, and the Kauaʻi County Council presented a certificate celebrating Pakele’s extraordinary life and recognizing the tireless biologists at the Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP) who fought along her side.
Pakele was far more than a tiny forest bird navigating an extinction crisis. Her life was an amazing example of determination and maternal devotion. First documented in 2020 quietly guarding a nest of two eggs, she made history as the only ʻAkikiki ever recorded breeding outside the species’ normal nesting season. Over the years, field biologists recorded an astonishing 13 nesting attempts, the highest ever documented for the species, successfully fledging three broods in a single year. Even as invasive mosquitoes carrying avian malaria emptied the forest, and even after losing two mates, Pakele refused to surrender. She continued on, flying through the forest until that final sighting last year.
Her story is not about loss, it is an enduring lesson in unwavering resilience. Today, four of Pakele’s direct offspring survive safely in protective conservation breeding care, safeguarded by dedicated caretakers until landscape-level mosquito control can restore safety to Kauaʻi’s native forests. Her lineage lives on, carrying the genetic hope that ʻAkikiki could one day fly free in their mountain home once again.
This October, that legacy takes center stage. Our upcoming live performance on October 11, 2026, is conceived first and foremost as a celebration of life for Pakele. Rather than dwelling on loss, the event is an invitation for all of us to gather, to gain courage and strength from her perseverance. Pakele spent every day of her life persistently calling out for the future of her kind. On October 11th, we answer that call, carrying her strength forward together.
I hope to see you there.
– Ella