A few months ago, Kuaihelani welcomed three new volunteers!
A big aloha to the newest 6-month volunteers on Midway Atoll who started in March and will be departing in September. These three hardworking volunteers, Colleen McDonough, Greta Walser, and Sam Baxter-Bray, have shared their backgrounds and thoughts on Kuaihelani below. We hope to also share their experiences on the beautiful atoll through their own personal camera lens.
“Hi, I'm Colleen! I grew up in the Florida Panhandle and studied environmental science at the University of Florida. I found my love for birds in undergrad, and was particularly obsessed with albatrosses after learning about their massive wingspans and efficient style of flight. I heard about this volunteer position a few years ago and have dreamed of living in an albatross colony ever since!
I've spent three summers working with nesting seabirds (mainly terns and black skimmers) on the Gulf coast in Florida and Mississippi, and on the Atlantic coast in Virginia's Eastern Shore. I spent this past winter in coastal Texas, removing invasive plants from essential songbird stopover habitat in Houston Audubon sanctuaries.
I feel so incredibly fortunate to be here, getting to live with and closely observe the best birds in the world! We've recently started putting adult bands on the biggest [Ka'upu] Black-footed Albatross chicks, and I'm convinced there are few more unique and special experiences on this planet than holding a massive wriggly albatross chick to your body. I also find the habitat restoration work very rewarding; it's amazing to see firsthand how much of a safe haven this atoll is to millions of birds, fish, sea turtles, seals and more.
I ultimately hope to continue working with albatrosses after Midway and research their behavior in grad school. Thank you so much to FOMA, my amazing crew lead Molly, and USFWS staff for making this opportunity possible, and for making my dreams come true!”
“Hello! My name is Greta Walser, and I’m from Boise, Idaho. I studied Public Health at Westminster College in Utah and, serendipitously, took a conservation-focused study abroad course that sparked my passion for birds and fieldwork. Since then, I’ve held a variety of field positions, including surveying for American Goshawks in California and conducting MAPS bird banding with the Institute for Bird Populations in Yosemite National Park and on the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands.
When I learned about the opportunity on Midway to work directly with large seabird colonies, contribute to invasive species control, and support avian disease monitoring, I knew it was my dream position, as I’m interested in understanding how human activities impact bird populations.
The night I landed on Kuaihelani is something I’ll never forget: the brilliance of the stars from my plane window, the overwhelming calls of albatross and petrels, and the distant blur of thousands of Laysan Albatross. Now, almost two months in, I’ve had the chance to band my very first Black-footed and Laysan Albatross chicks, which was one of the most special moments of my life and an experience that cemented my determination to pursue other seabird conservation roles.
Every aspect of my volunteer role has been a privilege: contributing to the protection of Midway’s endangered species, forming a meaningful connection to such a unique and historically significant place, and learning from dedicated researchers who share my passion for seabird conservation.
I’m incredibly grateful to the hardworking and resilient USFWS staff—especially my wonderful crew leader, Molly—as well as FOMA for making this opportunity possible and for all that you do to protect and conserve wildlife on Kuaihelani.”
“Hi FOMA! My name is Sam and I’m super excited to be working on Midway. I’m from New York City and I graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz last year. I’ve worked with songbirds quite a bit and I was lucky enough to get my first experience working with seabirds on Southeast Farallon Island in California in 2024. I fell in love with seabirds then and I feel very grateful to be working with seabirds again on beautiful Kuaihelani!”
As the future holds uncertainty for many nonprofit organizations and the refuges they support, Friends of Midway Atoll is no different. Your generosity will help to reassure these volunteer programs continue. Every donation and membership contributes to the monetary awards FOMA are able to distribute for each 6-month volunteer who dedicates their time and energy into vital conservation. If you would like to be part of continuing this program, there's no better time to donate or become a member today. Mahalo nui loa for your support!