Sophie Elliott captured this gatekeeper of a “Do Not Enter” area on Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) earlier this year.See more in comments. Make a donation today: friendsofmidway.org/fb-donate Explore more bird sightings from Kuaihelani on eBird: ebird.org/hotspot/L107... ____________________ #Birds

The next generation is discovering the wonder of #Birds & the natural world. At an Earth Day presentation, Dr. Jon Plissner encountered a young bird lover named Chiemelie, which inspired this story w/an albatross connection. Photo/art credits in comments friendsofmidway.org/inspiring-th...

Adopt an albatross: Oceanic Society partners w/FOMA to help conservation efforts on Midway Atoll. An albatross adoption is fun& meaningful as it helps support projects protecting Midway’s wildlife. #Birds Learn more: www.oceanicsociety.org/adopt/adopt-... Photo courtesy of Jeff Kuwabara.

FOMA store’s new items include youth hoodies/shirts, cross-body bags, can coolers & more! Favorites remain; more new to come! >Your purchase helps support Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll). All profits go toward conservation efforts on the island you love. #Birds Shop now: friendsofmidway.org/shop-2/

FOMA Online Store

Show your love and support for Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge! Check out our online store via Printful, with all kinds of products, including tote bags, beanies, and coffee mugs, and more. O…

friendsofmidway.org

6-Month Volunteers saved >80 Koloa pōhaka (Laysan Ducks) from botulism, removed invasive Verbesina, banded albatross chicks & cared for White Tern chicks. See more in comments. #Birds Your support helps sustain the volunteer program’s conservation work. friendsofmidway.org/donate-and-s...

Thanks to volunteer Colleen for capturing pics of a Uʻaukani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) chick. Uʻaukani lay eggs in June; chicks hatch mid-August. This is a time of growing shearwater chicks across Kuaihelani! Every chick represents another generation of seabirds calling Kuaihelani home. #Birds

GUESS the number! The 2026 summer crew (Greta, Colleen, Sam & Crew Lead Molly) helped w/albatross chick banding, collecting info for long-term research & monitoring. How many albatross chicks do YOU think a team of 4 banded? Drop your guess in the comments! We’ll reveal the answer soon. #Birds

Mahalo, 2026 Summer Volunteer Crew! Greta Wasler, Sam Baxter-Bray, and Colleen McDonough spent 6 mo in conservation work w/Molly Heling, Volunteer Crew Lead. Manu-o-Kū (White Tern) chicks required close observation and attention as they developed toward fledging. See more in comments. #Birds

A big thank you to former 6-month volunteer, Emily Onderbeke, for sharing these peaceful views of Kuaiehalni (Midway Atoll). The photos may have been taken back in 2020, but we assert that the incredible scenery hasn't changed at all! #Birds

Chondria tumulosa? Researchers are using marine robotics, hyperspectral imaging and aerial drones to better understand and combat this invasive algae threatening coral. Discover what scientists are testing—and what could come next: friendsofmidway.org/technology-c...

Britain’s maritime rise and fall holds urgent lessons for the United States. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2026/august/tale-two-declines-collapse-british-and-american-shipbuilding

A Tale of Two Declines: The Collapse of British and American Shipbuilding

Britain’s maritime rise and fall holds urgent lessons for the United States.

usni.org

Nikki Preston, a 6-month volunteer on Kuaihelani in '24-'25, took time to share some of the wildlife she encountered: Hybrid Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses! Not seen often, so when we get a glimpse, it's truly a special sighting! #Birds

FOMA seeks new Board members: people with creative energy, expertise, connections, & a passion for supporting Midway Atoll. #Birds We’re recruiting volunteers, too! Use the same application to share your skills and talents. 📅 Apply by Sept. 7, 2026 🔗 friendsofmidway.org/2026-board-r...

Call for Board Member Applications

Are you interested in supporting Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway National Memorial? We encourage you to apply for a position on the board of directors of the Friends of Midwa…

friendsofmidway.org

Sunday Morning video filmed in the dark—special moment from June ‘26 by Dan Rapp. A rare close-up of a Nunulu (Bonin Petrel) chick preparing to fledge. Since Nunulu nest in burrows, they’re difficult to film. #Birds youtu.be/Vt7c16_MfXY

Close Up of a Fledging Nunulu (Bonin Petrel)

YouTube video by Friends of Midway Atoll NWR

youtu.be

Behind The Camera On Midway With David Attenborough #Birds www.goldderby.com/tv/2026/ocea...

‘Ocean’ team on David Attenborough’s historic Emmy nod at 100 and how their film ‘changed the world’

Directors Keith Scholey and Toby Nowlan and composer Steven Price break down filming seabed destruction and the treaty their film helped push through.

goldderby.com

𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 — 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟴 🥇 Sam Loest — 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 🥈 Brianne Khil — 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥 💙 People’s Choice — Kai Alexander — 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 🌟 Honorable Mention — Shay & Owen Rempfer #Birds 𝗠𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗢 to all our young artists. See comments for link to submissions in both categories.

𝗔𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗧 — 𝟭𝟴+ 🥇 Nadia Borg — 𝘈𝘭𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘌𝘺𝘦𝘴 🥈 Aves Gill — 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘒𝘶𝘢𝘪𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘪 💙 People’s Choice — Deepti Jain — 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘭 #Birds Explore all 61 submissions, including descriptions from the artists: 2026 Art Contest Winners & All Submissions: friendsofmidway.org/2026-art-con...

On this day in 1790, Congress authorized the first 10 revenue cutters—the beginning of today's U.S. Coast Guard. Discover how Alexander Hamilton's vision helped build America's oldest continuous sea service. https://ow.ly/UHtE50Zvem8 #USCGBirthday #USCG

To Raise Revenue and Unify the Country

The Revenue Cutter Service, the original incarnation of the U.S. Coast Guard, was conceived and created by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton—but not without political pushback.

ow.ly

Manu-o-Kū (White Tern) don’t build nests, they lay a single egg on a small branch, tree hollow, rocky ledge, or even human-made structures around Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll). A safe home might not need walls. Thanks, Dan Rapp. Have you ever seen a bird nest in such an unprotected place? #Birds

Flood insurance? Not in the conventional sense, but flood mapping Sand Island at Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) by drone will help protect nesting sites against rising sea levels. ecomagazine.com/news/coastal...

Aerial Drones and Robotics Survey Papahānaumokuākea's Remote Islands - environment coastal & offshore

A three-week expedition to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument deployed aerial drones and autonomous robotics to map remote islands, assess shoreline changes, and monitor invasive algae on shal...

ecomagazine.com

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hiring a Volunteer Crew Leader for Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge), six-month leadership role. See comments. #Birds Applicants must qualify at the GS-7 level; closing August 6! Read more & apply here: 🔗 friendsofmidway.org/now-hiring-v...

Vote for People's Choice winners of FOMA’s 2026 Art Contest. Submissions narrowed from 61; choose favorite in Over 18 and Under 18 categories. #Birds One vote per person per category. Voting ends Aug. 5 at 11:59 p.m. HST: friendsofmidway.org/Peoples-Choi... friendsofmidway.org/Peoples-Choi...

2026 FOMA Art Contest: People's Choice Voting Over 18 Category

Mahalo to all of our artists for their beautiful artwork! These represent the top 10 chosen by the members in the Art Committee & judges, which was no easy task. We ask that you vote for one artwork s...

friendsofmidway.org

#TBT It's been over 10 years since the Battle of Midway memorial was installed on Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll). See more in comments. #Birds Read the marker's full inscription and learn more: www.abmc.gov/history/disc... Photos by Bret Wolf and Dan Rapp

links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2...

Supervisory Sanctuary Superintendent

This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), with vacancies in Monterey, CA; San Francisco, CA; Annapolis, MD; La Plata, MD; Si...

links-1.govdelivery.com

Endangered Species Act Protections Changed July 14, 2026, regulatory definition of “harm” rescinded. #Birds See more in comments. You can help: lnkd.in/ghpH7mYy Would you consider a contribution: lnkd.in/gQ-J9gTA Photos on Midway Atoll courtesy of USGS and Jon Plissner

Mōlī (Laysan albatross) fledgling is ready for takeoff… Captured in slow-mo by USFWS biologist & volunteer Dan Rapp. #Birds youtu.be/m7GJu9blzuo

Mōlī (Laysan albatross) Practices Flying with a Fabulous Hairdo!

YouTube video by Friends of Midway Atoll NWR

youtu.be

Meet two more 2026 Art Contest judges! Last chance to enter is today. #Birds Mahalo to Caren Loebel-Fried and Wayne Sentman for sharing their time and expertise with this year's contest! Submit here: friendsofmidway.org/2026-art-con...

Back as a judge is J. Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco. Ass’t Prof of Hawaiian language at Honolulu Community College. He is also the coordinator of the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group (CWG), and serves as the chair of the Nomenclature Subcommittee. #Birds

New Advocacy Resource! Help Protect Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) On 7/11/26, a Presidential Proclamation removed prohibitions on commercial fishing in portions of PapahānaumokuākeaYour voice can help before new regs are final. See details in comments. #Birds Photos Andrew Sullivan-Haskins & Dan Rapp