Mānā Plains Project launches to curb nēnē vehicle collisions
A coordinated conservation effort began October 30, 2025 to reduce lethal nēnē collisions along Kaumuali‘i Highway in West Kaua‘i, focusing on the stretch from Kekaha Second Ditch toward the Kawaiʻele Waterbird Sanctuary. The initial field phase will map crossing hotspots and track adult birds to design targeted roadway mitigations that matter for both public safety and endangered bird recovery.
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Kekaha. On October 30, 2025 Archipelago Research and Conservation, working with the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the Pacific Missile Range Facility and funding from the Department of Defense R EPI program, launched the Mānā Plains Nēnē Project to address a sustained problem of nēnē being struck by vehicles on Kaumuali‘i Highway. The project will begin phase one field work this month with traffic monitoring, mapping of nēnē crossing hotspots, and deployment of GPS trackers on adult birds to better understand movement patterns and seasonal behavior.
Project leaders say the data driven approach is intended to produce targeted mitigation measures such as improved signage, vegetation management, reduced speed zones, or physical deterrents placed where nēnē most frequently cross. Officials framed the effort as a way to reduce fatal collisions that can wipe out breeding pairs or entire family groups during nesting season, a loss that has outsized effects on a small population species.
The roadway section under study runs west from the Kekaha Second Ditch toward the Kawaiʻele Waterbird Sanctuary, an area where birds move between coastal feeding grounds and inland roosts. Traffic counts and hotspot mapping will inform where engineering and enforcement responses are most likely to succeed. GPS tracking will provide the movement data needed to evaluate whether seasonal closures, speed reductions, or habitat interventions around the highway could reduce encounters between birds and vehicles.
This initiative represents a partnership across local, state and federal institutions. The involvement of the Pacific Missile Range Facility and Department of Defense funding underscores a federal interest in ecosystem resilience on Kaua‘i, while the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife brings permitting and species management authority. Archipelago Research and Conservation will lead field implementation and data analysis, with the goal of translating findings into practical mitigation proposals for county and state transportation managers.
For Kaua‘i residents the project carries immediate implications for safety and stewardship. Motorists are encouraged to exercise caution along the corridor, particularly at dawn and dusk when nēnē are most active, and to be vigilant during the nesting season when losses to collisions have the greatest conservation impact. Community reporting will also play a role in shaping the response. Residents should report injured or dead nēnē to the Kaua‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife or to county authorities, and consult official county sources for current reporting contacts and procedures.
Longer term, the project may inform policy choices for road design and wildlife protection on Kaua‘i. Data from phase one will provide elected officials and transportation planners with evidence to consider in future budget and regulatory decisions, and the results could influence local civic discussion about how to balance mobility and conservation. As field work proceeds, researchers say community cooperation and timely reporting of incidents will be essential to reducing preventable losses of the state bird.
