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STYLE

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TOPIC

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ISSUE

ANGLE

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NEWS / FEATURE / PROFILE

KNOWS

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blocks of news storytelling.

Who

The Shearwaters

The Shearwater radar is

benefiting the shearwaters and
helping to slow down the
decrease in their population.

What

Their population is
decreasing.

The problem or conflict in your story.

When

The shearwater population is

decreasing, partially due to the
street lights that we have.

Where

Only on Kauai

The perspective the story is told

from.

Why

Shearwaters are flying into

lights, wires, and poles

This story is told from KIUCs

and Humane Society's point of
view.

How

Built a radar to track flight

pattern

STORY - Summarize your story below.

KIUC is helping to help repopulate the shearwater population by using the radar
in hopes to slow down the decrease in their population.

SOURCES - Identify your information source(s) - inserts a row below to add more sources
#1

KIUC

#2

Kauai Humane Society

TRANSCRIPTIONS - Highlight key soundbites, insert rows to add sources

TRACY
ANDERSON

Whatisyournameandhowdoyouspellit?
MYNAMEISTRACYANDERSON
Wheredoyouworkandwhatsyourposition?

I WORK AT THE KAUAI HUMANE SOCIETY AND MY POSITION IS THE PROGRAM

COORDINATOR FOR THE SAVE OUR SHEARWATERS PROGRAM.
Can you share with us any information about the shearwaters?
THE NEWELL SHEARWATER WHICH IS A BLACK AND WHITE PELAGIC SEABIRD
THAT 90% OF THE WORLDS POPULATION NESTS ONLY HERE ON KAUAI. ITS
ABOUT 400 GRAMS 300-400 GRAMS, SO ITS NOT THAT BIG AND IT NESTS IN THE
MOUNTAINS HERE ON KAUAI, AND WHEN THEY FLEDGE THEIR NESTS, THEY GO
OUT TO SEA FOR UP TO 3 YEARS, THEY DONT COME BACK TO LAND AND OUT
THERE THEYRE EATING FISH AND SQUID AND WHEN ITS TIME FOR THEM TO
BREED, THEY COME BACK AND THEY BREED, THE FIRST TIME NESTING, THEY
BREED AT ABOUT AGE 5 OR SIX AND THEN THEY LAY ONE EGG PER YEAR, AND
IT TAKES BOTH PARENTS TO RAISE THE CHICK, SO THEY HAVE ONE EGG AND
BOTH MOM AND DAD HAVE TO RAISE THE CHICK. THEY ARE DEEP DIVERS, THIS
SPECIES, SO THEY WILL DIVE UP A 150 FEET, THEY HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED
AT WHICH IS REALLY DEEP FOR A BIRD THIS SIZE AND THEY ARE PRETTY COOL,
THEY ARE PART OF THE FAMILY PRECILERIDS WHICH IS TUBED-NOSE. THE
NOSTRILS NOSE, THEIR BEAK. THE NUWELL SHEARWATER ISNT REALLY
REFINED INTO A TUBE, BUT THEY ARE STILL A PART OF THAT FAMILY. THE
BIRDS THAT SURVIVE ON THE OPEN OCEAN, INCLUDING THE NUWELL
SHEARWATER HAVE SPECIAL GLANDS JUST ABOVE THEIR EYES IN THEIR
HEADS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO EXTRACT THE EXTRA SALT IN THE FOOD, SO
THEY NEVER DRINK FRESH WATER.
How many fledglings are born annually?
THATS A VERY DIFFICULT QUESTION, IM NOT ACTUALLY SURE ON THAT. ITS
NOT NECESSARILY EVERY BIRD BREEDS EACH YEAR.
Island wide, how many shearwaters die every year, and what are their
causes?
AGAIN, THATS A DIFFICULT QUESTION BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SHEARWATERS
ARE NEVER FOUND. SO IF THEYRE INJURED AND THEY SCUTTLE AROUND INTO
SOME HEAVY UNDERGROUND GROWTH, THEY WILL NEVER BE FOUND. I DONT
KNOW, BUT A LOT ARE FOUND DEAD ON THE ROADS, WE CAN COUNT THOSE.
STATISTICALLY, I BELIEVE THAT ABOUT 40% ARE FOUND, DEAD BIRDS. BUT IM
NOT ENTIRELY SURE ON THAT NUMBER. WE ONLY DEAL WITH THE LIVE BIRDS,
SO WE GET SOME DEAD BIRDS THAT ARE PICKED UP OFF THE ROADS. SO ITS A
DIFFICULT NUMBER TO FIND OUT HOW MANY DIE, ANNUALLY.
How many shearwaters come to the S.O.S. program?
OVER THE YEARS, SINCE THE LATE 70S, ABOUT 200 HAVE GONE THROUGH THE
S. O. S PROGRAM.
Looking at the data youve made about the shearwaters, when do you
think they will be able to come off the endangered list, or if they ever will?
WELL FIRST WE NEED TO GET THEIR POPULATION STABILIZED, SO BASICALLY
WE NEED TO STOP HAVING SO MANY DEATHS A YEAR. THEY DIE FROM A
VARIETY OF REASONS. THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT, WHEN THEY COME
DOWN, THEY CAN GET RUN OVER BY CARS, CAUGHT BY CARS. ALSO COLLIDE
WITH OBJECTS SUCH AS BUILDINGS AND POWER LINES, THEY WILL COLLIDE
WITH. AND THERES ALSO, UP IN THE BREEDING COLONY, THEY HAVE TO
CONTEND WITH CATS, RATS THAT ATTACK THEM IN THEIR BURROWS WHEN

THEY COME INTO THEIR COLONY, SO THERES QUITE A FEW WAYS THEY CAN
DIE AND GET INTO TROUBLE, SO UNTIL WE CAN STABILIZE THEIR POPULATION,
AND START GETTING THEM TO GAIN AGAIN, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THEY WILL
COME OFF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST. IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF THEY
COULD

CAREYKOIDE

1. Whatisyournameandhowdoyouspellit?
MYNAMEISCAREYKOIDE.
2. Wheredoyouworkandwhatsyourjobtitle/position?
IWORKATKIUCANDMYPOSITIONISTNDMANAGERTRANSMISSIONAND
DISTRIBUTIONMANAGER.
3.
Howistheshearwaterpopulationdecreasing?
THESHEARWATERPOPULATIONISDECREASINGBECAUSEOFDIFFERENT
FACTORS,ALOTOFPREDATORSOUTINTHECOLONIESCATS,RATS,PIGS,
MARNOWLS.ALSOTHEYARECOLLIDINGWITHOBSTACLESLIKE
SOMETIMESTHEPOWERLINES.ALSOTHEFLEDGLINGSAREATTRACTED
TOLIGHTANDTHEYGETDISORIENTEDANDSOMEFALLTOTHEGROUND.
4.
Whatistheshearwaterradarandhowdoesitbenefittheshearwaters?
THEMERLINAVIANSYSTEMISUSEDTOTRACKTHESHEARWATERSAS
THEYFLYFROMTHECOLONYTOTHEOCEAN.WITHTHERADARWERE
ABLETOSEEHOWTHEYFLY,WHATTIMEOFTHEDAY,HOWHIGHTHEYRE
FLYING,CHARACTERIZETHEIRFLIGHTHABITS...SUCHTHATWECANDO
MORERESEARCH,BETTERRESEARCH.WECANTAILOROURRESEARCHIN
AMOREAPPROPRIATEFASHION.WEAREALSOABLETOSEEWHERETHE
FLIGHTPATHSARE,SOITLLHELPUSIDENTIFYAREASOFTHEISLANDOUR
POWERLINESAREATRISK.
5.
Canyougiveusmoredetailabouthowtheradarworks?
OURMERLINAVIANSYSTEM,OURRADARSYSTEMISAVERYHIGHTECH
UNIT,ITSASOLIDSTATERADAR,MADEBYCALVINHIRAZONINENGLAND.
ITSAVERYLOWPOWERRADAR200WATTSOFPOWERASCOMPAREDTO
35THOUSANDWATTS.THATISOURSTANDARDMAGNETRONRADAR.OUR
RADARUSESTHEDOPPLEREFFECTTOBEMORESELECTIVEINTHE
TARGET.ALSOITDIGITIZESTHEEVERYPIXELINTHERADAR,ONTHE
RADARSCREEN,SUCHTHATITCANCANCELOUTSTATIONARYOBJECTS
LIKEABUILDING.ONYOURTYPICALMAGNETRONRADAR,IFTHEREISA
BUILDING,OUTTHERE,YOURTYPICALMAGNETRONRADARWILLSHOWUP
ASJUSTAYELLOWBLOB,ANDYOUWONTBEABLETOSEEANYTARGETS
FLYINGTOTHEBUILDINGITSELF,BUTOURRADARISABLETODOTHAT
BECAUSEOFTHESOFTWARE.THEREARE2SEPARATERADARSONTHE
TRAILERTHERESTHEHORIZONTALRADARTHATISPICKINGUPONTHE
TARGETSASITFLIESACROSSTHELANDANDTHERESAVERTICALRADAR
THATWEUTILIZETODETERMINEHOWHIGHTHETARGETISFLYING.THE
RADARUSESANELECTRONICSIGNALANDITSHOOTSITOUTTOTHESKY
ANDWHENITHITSANOBJECTITREFLECTSBACK.THEMICROWAVEIS
RECORDEDANDITSABLETOSAVEHOWFARAWAYTHETARGETIS,WHAT
ANGLE.(Thegreenmeanshesaiditbeforethepartabove.)

6.

Are there other things that KIUC is doing to help prevent the
shearwaters from becoming a concern?
KIUC IS DOING A LOT OF MUNICATION OUT IN THE COLONIES, WERE TRYING TO
PROTECT THE COLONIES AND REMOVING PLANTS-INVASIVE PLANTS, REMOVING
PREDATORS LIKE RATS, THE CATS, THE BARN-OWLS, PIGS. WERE
WORKING-CONDUCTING STUDIES AS FAR AS FAR AS WHERE WE CAN INSTALL
FENCES TO KEEP THE PREDATORS OUT. SUPPORT THE SOS PROGRAM, SAVE
OUR SHEARWATERS PROGRAM. KIUC IS PARTNERING WITH A LOT OF
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE KAUAI HUMANE SOCIETY, AND KAUAI HUMANE SOCIETY
CONDUCTS THE SAVE OUR SHEARWATERS PROGRAM FOR US. WE PARTNER
WITH THE KAUAI ENDANGERED SEABIRD RECOVERY PROJECT. THE BIOLOGISTS
THAT DO A MUNICATION FOR US. THEY CONDUCT STUDIES FOR US, UNDER THE
PROGRAM.
7.
Where are the locations of the radar?
THE RADARS HOME-BASE IS HERE AT THE POWER PLANT. THE RADAR IS ON A
TRAILER, SO IT CAN MOVE. WITH THE PLACE THAT WE CONDUCTED A STUDY SO
FAR, THIS YEAR IS AT THE HANALEI SOCCER FIELD-THE WAIOLI SOCCER FIELD,
WE PLACED IT IN KEALIA, WAILUA NEAR THE WAILUA BRIDGE, BY THE RUSSIAN
FORT OUT IN KEKAHA- THOSE ARE THE MAIN SIGHTS. ALSO AT OUR KAPAIA FIRE
STATION.
8.
How long has the radar been in effect?
WE RECEIVED THE RADAR IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, SEPTEMBER IN 2013 AND
ITS BEEN UPGRADING SINCE.
9.
Can you explain why the shearwaters are such a big concern?
THE SHEARWATERS ARE AN ENDANGERED SPECIES. THE NEWELL
SHEARWATERS IS A BIG CONCERN FOR US BECAUSE THE NEWELL
SHEARWATERS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES AND THE NUWER SHEARWATERS
ARE COLLIDING WITH OUR FACILITY'S, OUR LINES AND KIUC HAS TO MUNICATE
FOR THAT TAKE WE HAVE A PERMIT FOR THAT BY THE NEWER SUSPICION
WILDLIFE REFUGE, AND WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SPECIES, AND IF WE
DONT DO THAT THEN THE SPECIES WILL BECOME ENDANGERED-BECOME
EXTINCT.
Do you have any comments, anything youd like to add or anything that
we missed?
THE NUWER SHEARWATERS , THE HAWAIIAN PETROUS, THE VENOM STUNG
PETROUS ARE THE 3 ENDANGERED SEABIRDS THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
KIUC. KIUC HAS TO MUNICATE FOR THESE SEABIRDS BECAUSE IT IS PROTECTED
BY THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, WE DO HAVE A TAKE PERMIT ISSUED BY
THE NEWER SUSPICIOUN WILDLIFE AND WEVE BEEN WORKING REAL HARD TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHEARWATERS BECAUSE THERES VERY LITTLE
INFORMATION ABOUT THEM. IN THE PAST 3 YEARS WEVE LEARNED A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT ABOUT THE SPECIES OUT IN THE COLONIES, THE NEW
PREDATORS OUT THERE. KIUC IS PLACING SATELLITE TAGS ON NUWER
SHEARWATERS AS THEY ARE RELEASED TO SEE HOW FAR THEY FLY AND TO
SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL THE S. O. S. PROGRAM IS, THE SAVE OUR
SHEARWATERS. THERES A BIG QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE SURVIVABILITY OF
THE NUWER SHEARWATERS ONCE IT LEAVES THE CARE OF THE KAUAI

HUMANE SOCIETY, SO THEYRE INVESTING A LOT OF MONEY TO CONDUCT A LOT

OF STUDIES AND JUST TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHEARWATERS.

5 Points
1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

The Shearwater is an endangered species that is only found on Kauai, and there are many
people who are doing what they can to help prevent more from dying out.
KIUC has purchased the MERLIN Avian radar is a system that has the ability to track the
shearwaters flight. When they enter an area that is covered by the radar, their presence
appears as a blip on the screen.
The radar benefits the shearwaters because it will help KIUC understand the birds flight
patterns, so that if they see that they are a lot of times near lights or tall light posts, they could
change the type of lights, and adjust the height of the poles to decrease the amount of collisions.
The professionals are able to see the data because the radar unit has software that assigns
each bird a flight tracking number.
Has is worked?

AV LOG - Remember to separate every writing element by rows. Please follow formatting
guidelines.
CAPITALIZE

NAT SOUNDS, INTERVIEWS

Upper/Lowercase

Reporter Track (VO)

AUDIO

VIDEO

NAT SOUND SEQUENCE OF BIRDS

S.O.S release b-roll

VO: The Shearwater is an

endangered species that is only
found on Kauai

Close up of the shearwater

THE NEWELL SHEARWATER IS A BLACK AND

WHITE PELAGIC SEABIRD THAT 90% OF THE
WORLDS POPULATION NESTS ONLY HERE ON
KAUAI.

Tracy Anderson interview

A LOT ARE FOUND DEAD ON THE ROADS, WE

CAN COUNT THOSE.STATISTICALLY, I BELIEVE
THAT ABOUT 40% ARE FOUND,

Tracy Anderson interview

THEY DIE FROM A VARIETY OF REASONS.

THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT, WHEN THEY
COME DOWN, THEY CAN GET RUN OVER BY
CARS, CAUGHT BY CARS. ALSO COLLIDE WITH
OBJECTS SUCH AS BUILDINGS AND POWER
LINES,

THE SHEARWATER POPULATION IS

DECREASING BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT
FACTORS, A LOT OF PREDATORS OUT IN THE
COLONIES;CATS, RATS, PIGS, MARNOWLS.
ALSO THEY ARE COLLIDING WITH OBSTACLES
LIKE SOMETIMES THE POWER LINES. ALSO
THE FLEDGLINGS ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT
AND THEY GET DISORIENTED AND SOME
FALL TO THE GROUND.

Carey Koide Interview

B-roll of release

VO: A radar called the Merlin Avian

System was purchased to help KIUC
better understand the
shearwaters fight patterns.

B-roll sequence of the radar

THE MERLIN AVIAN SYSTEM IS USED TO

TRACK THE SHEARWATERS AS THEY FLY
FROM THE COLONY TO THE OCEAN. WITH THE
RADAR WERE ABLE TO SEE HOW THEY FLY,
WHAT TIME OF THE DAY, HOW HIGH THEYRE
FLYING,CHARACTERIZE THEIR FLIGHT
HABITS. . . SUCH THAT WE CAN DO MORE
RESEARCH, BETTER RESEARCH.

Carey Koide Interview

WE CAN TAILOR OUR RESEARCH IN A MORE

APPROPRIATE FASHION. WE ARE ALSO ABLE
TO SEE WHERE THE FLIGHT PATHS ARE, SO
ITLL HELP US IDENTIFY AREAS OF THE
ISLAND OUR POWER LINES ARE AT RISK.

Carey Koide Interview

OUR RADAR USES THE DOPPLER EFFECT TO

BE MORE SELECTIVE IN THE TARGET. ALSO IT
DIGITIZES THE EVERY PIXEL IN THE RADAR,
ON THE RADAR SCREEN,

Carey Koide Interview

VO: With the radar, shearwaters have

many benefits because the radar helps
KIUC help to better assist the shearwaters.
THERE ARE 2 SEPARATE RADARS ON THE
TRAILER-THERES THE HORIZONTAL RADAR
THAT IS PICKING UP ON THE TARGETS AS IT
FLIES ACROSS THE LAND AND THERES A
VERTICAL RADAR THAT WE UTILIZE TO

Carey Koide Interview

DETERMINE HOW HIGH THE TARGET IS

FLYING.
NEWELL SHEARWATERS IS A BIG CONCERN
FOR US BECAUSE THE NEWELL
SHEARWATERS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES
AND THE NEWELL SHEARWATERS ARE
COLLIDING WITH OUR FACILITY'S, OUR LINES
AND KIUC HAS TO MUNICATE FOR THAT TAKE
WE HAVE A PERMIT FOR THAT BY THE
NEWER SUSPICION WILDLIFE REFUGE, AND
WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SPECIES,
AND IF WE DONT DO THAT THEN THE
SPECIES WILL BECOME
ENDANGERED-BECOME EXTINCT

VO: The MERLIN Avian Radar System

is one radar system that moves
from place to place around the
island.

B-Roll of radar at the base

THE RADARS HOME-BASE IS HERE AT THE

POWER PLANT. THE RADAR IS ON A TRAILER,
SO IT CAN MOVE. WITH THE PLACE THAT WE
CONDUCTED A STUDY SO FAR, THIS YEAR IS
AT THE HANALEI SOCCER FIELD-THE WAIOLI
SOCCER FIELD, WE PLACED IT IN KEALIA,
WAILUA NEAR THE WAILUA BRIDGE, BY THE
RUSSIAN FORT OUT IN KEKAHA- THOSE ARE
THE MAIN SIGHTS. ALSO AT OUR KAPAA FIRE
STATION.

Carey Koide Interview

VO: The radar has shown improvements,

as to the population of the Nuwell
Shearwaters.
WE RECEIVED THE RADAR IN SEPTEMBER
LAST YEAR, SEPTEMBER IN 2013 AND ITS
BEEN UPGRADING SINCE.

Interview Carey Koide

VO: The MERLIN Avian radar system helps

to decrease the amount of Newell

Stand up or VO

shearwater deaths and injuries by

tracking the flight patterns to make sure
poles and other objects are not a
distraction. For CKTV, this has been Taylor
Nishimoto.