This year Honolulu Civil Beat is putting an intense spotlight on climate change — how it's affecting Hawaii now and what the future may look like for this island state and its people.
In this project, lead environment reporter, Nathan Eagle, explores watersheds' crucial role in terms of mitigating the threat of climate change on Hawaii's water resources, native species, and overall economy. The stories look at how Hawaii's freshwater supply sits in opposition to urban development that displaces the landscape's natural water pathways and filtration system; how watersheds provide critical habitat to forest birds and native plants on the brink of extinction in Hawaii, the endangered species capital of the world; and how healthy watersheds help to create healthy oceans by controlling runoff and reef-killing erosion.
"Hawaii Watersheds" combines narrative storytelling with virtual reality and aerial footage of local watersheds to offer an immersive, sensory look at this Hawaii-specific climate issue.
