UNPRECEDENTED ART PROJECT SUPPORTS SAN DIEGO ZOO'S HAWAII ENDANGERED BIRD CONSERVATION PROGRAM

Artist Dedicates Four Years to Create Audubon-style Paintings of Hawaiian Birds

     There are only 37 endemic Hawaiian bird species left on Earth. The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research is working to prevent the extinction of the remaining Hawaiian native birds with a captive care, breeding and reintroduction project called the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program. These birds are integral elements of Hawaiian cultural heritage as well as the ecology of the islands.

     Hawaiian birds are also the focus of wildlife artist Marian Berger, who has been referred to as the "Audubon of Hawaii" at galleries where her work is exhibited. In "Mea Makamae: Hawaiian Bird Watercolors," Berger has captured the beauty and essence of the 37 avian species in 33 paintings. Her original watercolors are double elephant size and are painted in the style of naturalist John James Audubon. The originals are available for purchase exclusively through the San Diego Zoo until Jan. 8, 2011.

     The Volcano Art Center in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will host an exhibition of the entire collection from Jan. 8 through March 6, 2011. The paintings also will be reproduced as investment-quality giclees. Only 250 complete sets of the full-size (26" x 39.5") reproductions will be issued.
   
     Berger was born in Limerick, Ireland.  She spent her early childhood on Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean and in Alaska. It was in these environments where she acquired her father's love of science, her mother's artistic bent, and her parents' mutual love of the outdoors. She graduated with a degree in wildlife management from Humboldt State University and moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in 1976. During her 35-year career as an artist, Berger has received numerous awards and commissions for her wildlife art.

     Berger, and the anonymous donor who commissioned the work, have pledged the entire collection for the benefit of Hawaii's endangered birds. The funds raised through the sales of Berger's art will go to San Diego Zoo Global to support the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.  This program is a collaboration of the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the U.S Geological Survey Biological Resources Discipline and private landowners, including Kamehameha Schools. The conservation program comprises two captive breeding facilities - the Keauhou and Maui bird conservation centers - and has a number of field sites around Hawaii.

     The collection can be viewed at www.sandiegozoo.org/hawaiibirdbook.  For pricing and availability of the artwork, please contact Julie Denman at 619-694-8696 or jdenman@sandiegozoo.org.