MEDIA CONTACT: Caroline Witherspoon
Becker Communications
(808) 533-4165
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATURAL HISTORY OF NIHOA AND NECKER ISLANDS HOT OFF THE BISHOP MUSEUM PRESS
HONOLULU - Bishop Museum Press is set to release on August 5 th its latest publication Natural History of Nihoa and Necker Islands by Bishop Museum’s very own Neal L. Evenhuis Ph.D. and Lucius G. Eldredge Ph.D. The softcover book will be on sale for $16.95 and explores Hawai‘i ’s two mysterious islands, from their beginnings to its wildlife evolution and its early settlement.
The isolated islands of Nihoa and Necker (Mokumanamana) are the two most southerly Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and have remained virtually untouched since their discovery by westerners in the late 1700s. Although the first Polynesian settlers to these islands have long since departed, Nihoa and Necker still harbor an impressive variety of wildlife. Today almost 1,200 organisms can be found on and around these islands, with an overwhelming majority of the species being either endemic or indigenous. The book serves as an excellent resource for understanding the biota of the islands.
Natural History of Nihoa and Necker Islands features 130 full color images, the first comprehensive list of known plants and animals from each island, and overview of geology, cultural history and exploration voyages and special notations for those plants and animals currently listed as rare and endangered that call the Nihoa and Necker Islands home. Natural History of Nihoa and Necker Islands will be available at Bishop Museum’s Shop Pacifica and bookstores statewide August 5th.
Founded in 1892, Bishop Museum Press is the oldest continuous publisher of books in Hawai‘i, and one of the first scholarly presses in the Western Hemisphere. Proceeds from sales of Bishop Museum Press books further the Museum’s efforts in research, education and collections care. Books can be purchased at Bishop Museum’s Shop Pacifica, by phone (808) 848-4159, fax (808) 847-8249, e-mail shop@bishopmuseum.org, or by filling out an order form at www.bishopmuseum.org/press. Bishop Museum Association Members receive a 20% discount on all Bishop Museum Press books.
A treasured resource of Hawaiian history and heritage, Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop as a tribute to his wife Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha dynasty. Located at 1525 Bernice Street, the Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14.95 for adults; $11.95 for youth 4-12 years; special rates for kama` Å ina, seniors and military; children under 4 years and Bishop Museum Association members are free. For information, call 847-3511 or visit www.bishopmuseum.org.