Survivors in Paradise (No. 105)
First Aired Thursday, September 22, 2005
In 1826, the first mosquitoes arrived in Hawai'i aboard a whaling ship. In this episode of terra we learn how they spread avian malaria to native birds, accelerating extinction in this already imperiled ecosystem, and we join scientists as they investigate how one species is bucking the extinction trend through evolution. History, island biogeography and genetics converge as the 'Amakihi, a native honeycreeper, mysteriously re-populates the lowlands of Hawai'i, providing hope for the future of other native birds in Hawai'i. Produced by Susanne Clara Bard for terra, presented by KUSM/ MontanaPBS, MSU Bozeman.