Farewell Midway / A Hui Hou

On a sunny morning late last month, I boarded the Gulfstream G3 and left Midway Atoll, this time maybe for good. Eighteen months had gone by pretty quickly and my brain swirled with a flurry of hard-to-pin-down emotions as I peered out the window of the plane at the little cluster of islands that I’d called home during that time. Sure, I was glad to be heading back to my home in Enterprise, Oregon to reconnect with my wife and friends there after being gone so long; and I was also relieved to be able to leave what had become a toxic work environment due to the malfeasance of a couple of people. But I also knew that there was something very precious about having had the opportunity to live in such a remote and (literally) fantastic place where wildlife not only abounds but also show no fear of humans, thus allowing one to become a part of their world.

In this blog, I’ve written about some of the spectacular wildlife species that live on Midway (yes, I know that albatrosses were possibly favored) and also detailed other aspects of the natural and human history there. But there are so many interesting things I haven’t gotten around to writing about so I thought, for this final entry, I’d at least try to touch on some of them briefly. I offer this to you as an alternative to some sappy, poorly conceived, summary of my experiences there. If nothing else, it will be easier to write.

Death on Midway – People have met their demise on Midway in a variety of ways. Some were famous and gave their lives to an important cause. This was the case of Marine Lt George Cannon who, despite severe injuries, continued at his post as Japanese warplanes attacked during WWII. Others lost their lives in less noble circumstances. Take the case of the fisherman who blew his arm off dynamite fishing on the reef. Or the infamous Captain Jorgensen who, after wrecking his ship, began killing off his crew until they built a boat and sailed off without him. I also heard the tale of a physician on the island who developed appendicitis and died after attempting to remove his own appendix. There is a small cemetery on Midway known as the “Doctors Cemetery”, which was the final resting place for a half dozen or so physicians that lived on Midway.  Why only physicians? Because if someone died, the physician (typically there was only one), would embalm the body so that it could be shipped back to wherever it was the deceased person had come from. But what if you were the physician? Then this option was not available and the unembalmed body had to be buried on Midway. No one plans to live out their last days on Midway. In fact, to go there, you typically have to be in reasonably good health so as to avoid emergency medical situations. Given this, nearly everyone that meets their end on the atoll does so in a tragic way.  Just a few years back, a recently hired worker (one of the many men from Thailand) decided to try out kayaking but had been given no safety training. He drowned right off the beach when his boat capsized and, because he had strapped himself into the boat, could not right himself.

Red-tailed tropicbird on nest

Red-tailed tropicbirds – These are amazing seabirds that, for some reason, have two very long, thin red tail-feathers and are known for their ability to fly backwards – something I read about long before I actually saw them do it. Red-tailed tropicbirds, sometimes called “Bosun Birds”, nest on the ground under shrubs or trees and, although – or perhaps because –  they are very strong fliers, they can’t really walk.  So, when a tropicbird decides to take to the sky it has to haul itself out into the open, using its wings like seal uses its front flippers, where it then launches itself into the air with brute force. When a tropicbird needs to land, it does so by making a very steep descent, feet first, and then makes what might best be described as a “controlled crash landing”.  If you walk too close to a tropicbird that’s sitting on the ground, it will give an extremely loud, harsh cry, which can be so startling as to make your heart stop. But my favorite thing about the tropicbird is the sublime color of their feathers at the start of the breeding season. During most of the year they appear entirely bright white except for their tail. When they first return to the atoll in the spring though, the white in their feathers seems to be infused with a pearly, pink luster which makes them exceptionally beautiful.

Sand painting by Nai DeGracia

Hidden Talents – Midway has a pretty small population of semi-permanent residents that is made up of a mix of about 35 to 40 longer-term residents (mostly Thai men) that work for the contractor, Chugach Alaska Corp, which basically runs the place. Added to this are 10 or so Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) staff and volunteers whose terms last 6 months to a few years. Hidden within this tiny community are a remarkable number of diverse, and surprising talents, many of which are revealed only well into an evening of reverie. Narongkorn Tassananggulla, also known as Ae2, is an electrician by day, but in the evening, you might find him playing the guitar or ukulele. He does a very convincing rendition of Neil Young’s song Heart of Gold for which he also sings and plays the harmonica. That beautiful painting of an albatross on his golf cart? He did that! Meg Duhr-Schultz was a biologist at Midway but also possessed exceptional mixology skills and frequently hosted cocktail parties where she’d test out her recipes on guests. She employed local ingredients, such as Thai basil and chile, to make infusions and bitters. I remember one cocktail made with duck-fat butter, bourbon, and herbs. Nai DeGracia, a FWS volunteer who ran the native plant nursery, was known for her excellent tattooing skills and many a visitor left with the image of tropicbird or albatross on their skin. Preecha Songserm, aka “Sam”, was a weed control technician who was also, ironically perhaps, a master at flower arranging and a fabulous Thai cook. For special occasions, JR Roberson, the Logistics Manager, would always arrive in some fantastic, colorful outfit composed from his extensive and diverse wardrobe.  Eric Baker, another FWS volunteer, was not only a very capable seabird biologist, but also a fantastic photographer (he shot only film) and also a superb painter and scientific illustrator. On weekends, Surasak Fakkaew (known as “Sak”) takes a break from his regular job to cut hair at Midway’s barber shop. Writing a complete account of all the amazing talent on Midway would be a serious undertaking!

Snorkeling at the sunken water barge

The Lagoon and the Reef – Midway Atoll is probably 95% ocean, though I’m guessing that over 90% of my time there was spent on land and my blog posts had a decidedly terrestrial focus. Beyond the three small islands land there is extensive lagoon – a shallow, turquoise, crystal-clear sea bounded by the remnants of an ancient coral reef. It is a color so powerful it can turn the clouds above it from white to emerald green. Snorkeling the reefs of Midway certainly was a highlight of my time there. Some coral is purple, others yellow or orange. Swimming among the corals were dozens of species of fishes, large and small, and in an amazing array of colors.  An occasional lobster, eel, or seal made things even more interesting. And then there was the “Water Barge”, wrecked on reef sometime in decades past, now lying in about 50 feet of water on the edge of a channel. We snorkeled there on a very calm day in the summer of 2016, diving down to its large anchor – this baby ain’t going nowhere! On the way back, we might encounter a pod of Spinner Dolphins, which would often follow the boat for reasons we could only guess at.

Exotic Birds – Midway has no native songbird species but over the years people have brought in birds from other places. Atlantic Canary and Common Myna are two species which have become established due to such efforts. Many people are familiar with canaries, small finchlike birds native to the Canary Islands, known for their beautiful songs and often kept as pets. A Mr. D Morrison, purchased some canaries in Honolulu in 1909 and brought them to Midway. These birds now thrive on Midway eating a variety of seeds from native and domestic plants and nesting wherever they can find a suitable place. The corner pocket of a pool table for example!  Much could be written about these interesting birds and how they have acclimatized to this remote atoll!  Mynas came much later, after World War II. The first things I noticed about these birds was their habit of picking at the carcasses of albatross chicks. For meat or insects? I have never been sure. They are also opportunistic with regards to the placement of their nests – there was a pair nesting in the garage of the office this past summer and they would sometimes get annoyed with Laysan Ducks that wandered in there and would chase them around, pecking at them violently. I have also witnessed brutal fights between mynas in which a group of birds attacked a lone bird, pecking it and pressing it into the sand so hard I thought they might kill it. The third exotic bird species at Midway is the Cattle Egret. How it got to Midway is anyone’s guess, but the leading theory is that it got there on its own from the mainland (where it was introduced).

Short-tailed albatross on Midway Atoll

 The Golden Gooney – Of the three species of albatrosses known to nest at Midway, it is the Short-tailed Albatross, known also as the Golden Gooney, that is the most rare and holds the greatest mystique. This albatross nests primarily on islands off the southeastern coast of Japan – primarily Torishima Island – and has had its numbers decimated through both human exploitation and having the bad luck to have one of its biggest nesting populations wiped out by a volcanic eruption. Short-tailed albatross had been seen on Midway since the 1940s, but it wasn’t until 2010 that birds were observed nesting. Unfortunately, one of the birds in the pair died and a single lone bird returned to Midway in subsequent years but seemed unable to attract a mate. Last winter this lone bird seemed to have found a friend – perhaps a young female? – and there is great hope that they will return this winter to raise a chick.

Midway's fancy fire truck (called the "Mother Green" by some) is a critical piece of aviation safety equipment

Henderson Air Field – Midway Atoll is a wildlife refuge, a national historical monument, and an airport capable of landing a 747 at any time. Henderson Air Field is the only public airport for over 1000 miles and is used as an emergency landing site for commercial aircraft that get into trouble while travelling en route from Asia to North America. The last time this happened was 2014 when someone smelled smoke on United Airlines flight UA-201 on its way from Honolulu to Guam. It’s also used by the US Coast Guard for training missions, sometimes to allow the pilot to practice landing without any runway lights. Just four people keep the airport going at Midway, doing everything from spraying weeds on the runway to conducting emergency response drills.

Each year tons of plastic debris washes up on the shores of Midway Atoll

The Plastic Problem – Every day garbage washes up on Midway’s reefs and beaches. Most of this is plastic which has found its way into the ocean and swirls around in giant “garbage patches” until it finds its way onto land. Plastic isn’t just an aestheticproblem. It is ingested by all manner of ocean creature, including albatrossesand other seabirds. Plastic ends up in the stomachs of fast-growing albatross chicks and may constitute over 90% of the indigestible material that they consume. How plastic affects the health of albatrosses or other marine organisms is not known but the fact that some albatross chicks are literally filled with plastic when they die is in indicator that the situation is not good. How much plastic do you throw out? Would seeing an albatross regurgitate a toothbrush, or a hypodermic needle, make you rethink your relationship to plastic?

Map of Sand Island created for tourists visiting Midway on the China Clipper in the 1930s.

The Clipper Era – The early twentieth century was one of rapid change on Midway, and a period of time I find especially interesting, especially the mid to late 1930s when Pan-American Airways established a tourism site on Midway, which was one of several stops along a Trans-Pacific route that included Honolulu and Guam. Passengers crossed the ocean in large, luxury seaplanes called “Clippers”. Various facilities were built for the tourists including a hotel with a restaurant (the “Gooneyville Lodge”) and tennis courts. The only other human inhabitants of Midway at the time were resident workers of the Pacific Commercial Cable Company,  which, operated the trans-Pacific telegraph cable station. It is really hard to imagine what it would be like to visit Midway during those times, but it must have been idyllic.

Laysan ducks at "Catchment" on Midway Atoll

Laysan Duck – No native duck ever lived on Midway, probably because the atoll had no surface freshwater. Laysan Duck, a native of Laysan Island, which lies about 700 miles southeast of Midway, prospered there until 1894 when a well-meaning person named Max Schlemmer brought rabbits to the island. The rabbits did what rabbits do and after a couple of decades had consumed every blade of grass and anything else they could find to eat. That wasn’t great for the ducks which were nearly driven to extinction. Decades later, in 2004, the Laysan Duck was introduced to Midway Atoll as a precautionary measure. To accommodate the ducks, many artificial ponds and wetlands have been created for them. The birds have done well at Midway and can be seen nearly everywhere on Sand Island, though botulism remains a problem. After a heavy rain, it is not uncommon to see a hen with its brood of chicks splashing around in a puddle alongside a road.

Midway Atoll is a fascinating and complicated place that can be approached and appreciated in many ways. Is it paradise? Or is a stark lesson on how badly people can screw up the environment? I would say it's a little of both. During my 18 months there I definitely saw the good, the bad and the ugly. If I had to single out one thing that I will take away from the experience I'd have to say it would be a deeper, more intuitive understanding of the life of a wild bird. Living there also gave me a better sense of myself and has helped me understand the things I need to be happy in life. For that, I thank you Midway! 

Farewell and A Hui Hou!

Rob Taylor

Enterprise, OR

Twelve Down

What a damn cliché it is to say "time flies" but doesn't it?  It's been twelve months since I arrived at Midway and probably a good time take stock of the situation. And given the fact that my previous post, a sort of mini-travel guide to the atoll which I expected to have broad appeal, seemed to founder a bit on the internet shoals, perhaps it's time to spice up this blog with revealing personal details, juicy gossip and perhaps a couple of scandalous photos thus making it better suited to modern-day social media. Violence? You'll have to wait for that as I plan on devoting an entire future post to it.

I came to Midway with a couple of goals in mind. To take break from the responsibilities of the job that I'd had for 13 years and to expand my professional horizons while gaining some new skills. I also realized that as the years were passing by, the list of places I wanted to see was growing faster than the list of places I was visiting and thought spending a chunk of time out here in the far Pacific Ocean might be a good first step towards my goal of "seeing the world". I also looked at this this assignment as a personal challenge. How would I fare living in such a small and remote place so far from family and friends? Would the isolation -- very limited options for entertainment and internet that brings back memories of the old dial-up days – drive me nuts? Or would it compel me to do slow down and focus on low-tech activities that modern-day, hectic life had prevented me from doing?

"So how's that all working out for you?" you might be wondering. I'll try to answer this question first from a professional perspective and then from a personal one.

The opportunity to work on island restoration and seabird habitat issues (as opposed to North American temperate grasslands) has been great. Not only is Midway Atoll a very different ecosystem from the grassland I had been working on, but the scale of the work is very different. At Midway we are working to create habitat basically from scratch (an abandoned golf course, building demolition sites, etc.) which is in sharp-contrast to the work I was doing on the Zumwalt Prairie where the focus was on protecting and enhancing habitats that were mostly intact. The intensive restoration work being done at Midway combined with the sites extreme isolation requires that plants need to grown right here in our own native-plant nursery before being planted at restoration areas. This has exposed me to many new facets of restoration ecology, including seed collection, plant propagation methods, and detailed restoration site planning. It's also given me the chance to conduct a variety of experiments, for example, on best practices for broadcast seeding for different native grass and forb species.

Restoration at Midway usually requires starting from scratch with plants grown in our own native-plant nursery

In addition to new skills my experiences here have changed the way I think about ecology and conservation. Living in close proximity to millions of albatross with such an intimate window into their lives has given me insights into nature I could never get from reading books or any other means. Is nature fragile or is it resilient?  This question is at the heart of many debates regarding the place of humans in the natural world. If you believe that nature is finely-tuned sensitive to disruptions, you're probably of the mind that people need to live as lightly on the planet as possible to avoid doing harm to the plants and animals that we share it with. The counter-argument, that after billions of years of evolution, plants and animals have been through it all, leads many to believe that people are just as much a part of nature as other species and that we shouldn't make such a fuss. Albatross are some of the toughest animals out there and have survived for millions of years in some of the most challenging environmental conditions the planet can dish out. The annual survival rate of an adult Laysan albatross is over 95% and birds don't seem to even age in any conventional sense. The oldest known wild bird ever known is a 67 year old Laysan albatross that was born in the middle of a Navy base on Midway and continues to return each fall to breed within a stone's throw of where she was born. Despite the obvious toughness of these seabirds though they can be taken down in a matter of days by a single mouse.  What this says to me is that nature is be both tough and vulnerable simultaneously and you need to look at each species and each situation anew and not put too much faith in your assumptions or past experiences.

Related to this are my thoughts about what kind of knowledge is most needed if we – humans – are to figure out how to protect the plants, animals, and ecosystems that make our world such an amazing and hospitable place to live at a time when our numbers continue to grow and our technology gives us virtually super-human powers. Almost 25 year ago I gave up a career as a computer scientist to study of ecology because I wanted to do something that might help reverse what I perceived as downward trend in the health of the natural world. In graduate school I learned how to do research and collaborated on several research projects during the years I worked as an ecologist for the Nature Conservancy.  Scientific research -- at least some research – is important but the typical study looks only at how a one or two factors (fire, grazing, etc.) affect one or two other things (the population size of some species, the amount of some nutrient in the soil, etc.) over the course of a few years in some particular place. Results of such studies tend to be very limited and are time and place specific. Research is also typically designed and conducted by "experts" without a lot of direct involvement from the people who are supposed to benefit from the knowledge gained making the results difficult to understand and apply in the real world. I worked on a really cool project with folks from Oregon State University on the effects of cattle grazing on grasslands and unlike many studies we deliberately measured the effects of different levels of grazing across a wide range of species. But the study only looked at grazing in June and only for two years. Despite the huge amount of effort put into that research, the results were complicated and have proven difficult to translate into specific recommendations for land managers.

Another way of acquiring conservation-relevant knowledge is something called adaptive management which might be best described as a cross between formal research and old school trial and error. Adaptive management was developed nearly half a century ago but started to attract a lot of attention in the 1990s as a way to address the uncertainties in managing complex systems and provided a means improve what seemed like a pretty spotty track record of decision making in land and water management, especially by government agencies. If research provides you with facts about how nature works, adaptive management gives you a way of figuring out how to apply that knowledge to real world situations. I feel that what prevents us from being better stewards of the planet these days is not a paucity of facts but our inability to apply that knowledge effectively.

Several things are required to actually do adaptive management: setting objectives, monitoring indicators of the species or ecosystem and then using the data to evaluate how well management is working and then deciding whether to continue with the status quo or trying something different. Today, the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and US Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as many non-governmental organizations and private land managers have adopted adaptive management as their foundation for decision-making. Well, at least in theory, that is. It turns out that actually doing adaptive management is pretty challenging. Crafting thoughtful objectives for a wildlife refuge, national park, or ranch requires discipline and often falls pretty far down on the list of priorities for a land manager or biologist. Because the effects of management can take a long time to manifest, monitoring needs to be done consistently over the long-term, spanning the tenure of personnel whose responsibility it is to conduct it. Long-term monitoring is much more difficult to fund than research and often must come out of the core operating budgets making them very susceptible in times of budget shortfalls. Finally, adaptive management is not something that a group of ecologists and biologists can do on their own as it takes coordinated effort across all parts of an organization, from top-level managers to the folks with their "boots on the ground". Successful implementation of adaptive management requires that an organization be capable of executing a well-choreographed "dance" for years if not decades.

At a meeting of the Society of Ecological Restoration some years back Debbie Pickering and colleagues at the Nature Conservancy presented a paper on how adaptive management was being used to manage habitat for the rare Oregon silverspot butterfly at the Cascade Head Preserve on the Oregon coast. In that paper I recall her remarking on how difficult it was to find other examples of anyone actually doing adaptive management, despite its apparent standing as a best management practice. I took that as a challenge and spent the next few years working with my colleagues at the Zumwalt Prairie to reshape and integrate the planning and monitoring we were doing into an information-driven management program. When I left, things certainly weren't perfect but I think I can honestly say that we were doing adaptive management.

One of the attractions of this job here at Midway was the chance to take what I'd learned about adaptive management on the Zumwalt Prairie and apply it to a new system (ecosystem + human organization).  According to my job description, my primary role here is to "set up a robust habitat restoration monitoring system that can be utilized and maintained by USFWS staff to holistically evaluate the success of restoration efforts, encompassing and integrating complex and large-scale weed control and native plant propagation programs" and I have been working for the past twelve months to do that. While translating my ecological skills and knowledge from grasslands to islands has been, on the whole, fairly successful, getting things done within the US Fish and Wildlife Service has been more of a challenge that I had anticipated.

Prior to this job, I didn't know much about the inner workings of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and my work experience with the federal government was limited to a three month stint I did as a biology technician at Carlsbad Caverns National Park one summer while I was still in graduate school.  Although I am not actually employed by the government (my paycheck comes from a non-profit partner organization called the National Wildlife Refuge Association) my position here at Midway gives me with a quasi-insider's view of the workings of the agency.  I have met some extraordinary and dedicated staff; true professionals that give me confidence that our land and its wildlife are in good hands. The volunteer program here at Midway brings in people of a variety of backgrounds though all sharing a deep love of wildlife and natural places and a willingness to work their asses off in exchange only for food and a place to rest at the end of an exhausting day. It's also been informative to see how the agency approaches science-based land management and conservation, as opposed to how it was done by my former employer, The Nature Conservancy. But it's also revealed some real limitations in the ability the organization's ability to implement adaptive management effectively at a remote location such as Midway. Two significant obstacles are staff turnover and communication challenges. Because of its remote location and the personal sacrifices that are requires, the typical tenure of a Fish and Wildlife employee at Midway is just a couple of years and volunteers and interns rotate through every six months. The communication style here is very different from what I've experienced working for other organizations and tends to be more towards the "need to know" end of the spectrum and often I feel like I am out of the loop on things that I should know. Because adaptive management requires people in all facets of an organization to work closely together good communication is critical and I have tried to help with that by developing a set of shared calendars. Midway is also more "complicated" than the average refuge and staff may be asked to set aside their normal duties for a day or a week to respond to an emergency or assist with a special event.  

Midway has also given me a chance to reflect on the years I spent working with Nature Conservancy, both in terms of the organization but, more importantly, the work I was doing on the Zumwalt Prairie. Beyond a couple of my former co-workers back in Enterprise, I've had surprisingly little contact with my former TNC colleagues. On the academic side of things are pretty quiet too.  I still enjoy conversations with a graduate student from the University of Idaho and exchange occasional email with one or two colleagues from Oregon State. When I left my job with TNC last year it was with the intention to resume my work on the Zumwalt Prairie in some capacity when my assignment on Midway concluded and thought I had made that clear to my colleagues, but I'm not sure that the message got through and I now wonder how easy it will be to re-connect in the future. And though I felt like I had developed a good reputation and was kind of a "go to" guy, now I wonder whether this I was simply the benefactor of the reputation of my employer. These are the kinds of things you think about on an island.

From a personal perspective, my time here on Midway, despite some hardships, has been a positive experience, though not in the way I had expected. Living on an island in the middle of the blue Pacific might sound dreamy to some people and I guess it did for me, but it's important to keep in mind that, despite the white sand the blue lagoon, this is not a pristine paradise but an abandoned military facility still in the early years of recovery that also happens to be located such that garbage is constantly washing up on its shores (look closely at the white sand and you'll see fragments of multi-colored plastic). The atoll is small – less than 3 square miles in total – and though a bi-weekly plane connects us with Honolulu, you can't leave without permission (I've been "off-island" twice). For anyone who's become accustomed to the connectivity that characterizes our modern lives, life at Midway can feel pretty isolated.  I've half-jokingly suggested getting t-shirts made that say "Midway Atoll" on the front and "We Can't Google Shit!" on the back.

The limited options available here on Midway make life more simple for sure and I find myself having much more of a "daily routine" than I ever had previously. I wake up and go to bed at pretty much the same time every day – even weekends. I swim every afternoon after work as long as the ocean conditions abide.  Every day, I go to lunch at the Clipper House at 11:35 am. On Sundays I have made it part of my routine to break with my daily routine and just try to do things different. I could go on more but it would be very boring and I think you get the point. What I will say though is that I find this kind of habitual lifestyle to be pretty satisfying overall. It's always seemed to me that as people get older they tend to be more set in their ways and I wonder if life on Midway is easier to adapt to now that I'm past the half-century mark.

Living so far from family and my close friends has certainly been one of the biggest challenges of this assignment and I am grateful that my wife, Andie Lueders, has been so supportive of the whole thing. Midway, however, is a much more social place than most people would imagine. The number of people living here (there are about 45 as I write this) is just big enough to make it work and the fact that nearly everyone here is far from home and family and living in what is basically a small, self-contained village makes it feel like a real community. The highly skewed sex ratio (of the 45 about 6 are female and most of those are under the age of 30) and the fact that over half of the residents are from Thailand creates some interesting and odd dynamics; as a guy I've often felt utterly ignored by most of the long-term male residents though I am not sure all of the attention given to those of the opposite sex would be preferable. Already having a good friend working here on Midway before I arrived also has made things much easier for me and thank god I haven't pissed her off too badly yet. Not only has Ann Humphrey been a solid friend but she has also served as my ambassador to the greater Midway community and makes sure I know about all of the social events and other activities.  The Thai men have also been very kind and welcoming and despite some language difficulties I have made some good friends. The Aree house – a residence that is home to several Thai men but also serves, informally, as a "hang out/party/karaoke spot" -- plays a tremendous role in maintaining a fun and social atmosphere here. To its residents, who put up with the parties even when sometimes they'd probably rather be sleeping, I extend a most sincere ขอขอบคุณ !   Sports – especially ping pong and pickleball – have also helped me stay busy and make friends.

Friends old and new (Apiwat Juethong and Ann Humphrey)

Adding significant spice to Midway's social scene are also the cohorts of Fish and Wildlife volunteers that arrive every six months as well as the visiting workers (which include everything from marine biologists and archeologists to engineers to filmmakers). Although I think the majority of people I have met during my life are interesting to some degree, the typical Midway visitor is of a special breed and I've enjoyed many fascinating and informative conversations, some revealing extraordinary personal connections. I may have even made one or two new lifelong friends. This is not to say I don't miss my good friends from home and even find myself sometimes feeling nostalgic for acquaintances I only ran into occasionally. You might think that in an age where we can communicate so easily by phone or email that I'd keep in better touch with friends, but I get surprisingly few emails and even fewer phone calls. I'm not sure if this is a reflection of the sorry state of my social life or just that most folks today have replaced direct, personal, communication with Facebook and other forms of social media. On the rare occasion when I receive a letter or package in the mail it is a genuine treat – many thanks to those of you who have been so thoughtful!

Every "care package" is photographically documented before being consumed!

I wasn't sure how I would deal with the isolation of being here and the hundreds of "extra hours" of time that I'd have to myself.  I have not filled my idle hours reading the classics or becoming an accomplished painter though I have read a few books and created a few childish-looking drawings. I've heard that one of the things missing people's lives today, when a smartphone can be turned to during moments of boredom, is time to reflect. Here at Midway we certainly don't have that option and I think I've benefited from having more time to think about the things that make me happy and how I want to spend the rest of my professional and personal life. Writing this blog has been an important part of that. I had not actually planned to write a blog prior to coming here but quickly realized how exceptional and strange a place Midway is and felt compelled to share my thoughts and experiences. Like a lot of people, I find writing, especially when I know I'm going to put it out there in public, difficult and the final edits always makes me a little queasy. Although I wish I was mature enough to not care what other people think, I guess I still do. Thank you to those who have taken an interest and shared your reactions, positive or otherwise (my Fish and Wildlife Service colleague Lonnie recently informed me that I'd mistakenly referred to a "short-footed albatross' in my last post!).  I have just six months still to go on this assignment but dozens of things that I'm interested in writing about.  I hope you keep on reading! 

36 Hours

36 Hours

MIDWAY ATOLL

A remote haven for seabirds and other wildlife set like a jewel within an azure lagoon offering unexpected cross-cultural amenities for the adventurous traveler.

Wildlife viewing by bike on the southern shore of Sand Island

By ROB TAYLOR

Getting to Midway Atoll, a small outpost of sand and coral more than 1,000 miles from Honolulu, isn’t easy but for those intrepid enough to make the voyage, it can be the experience of a lifetime. Once a US Navy Air Station, now a wildlife refuge situated within the largest conservation area on the planet, Midway provides critical habitat for rare and endangered seabirds – including Laysan duck and and black-footed albatross – as well as sites of great historical significance including a variety of WWII relics. A dynamic, perhaps even idiosyncratic blend of custom and culture makes Midway a unique destination sought after by the world’s elite travelers (President Obama made a quick visit here in 2016) and yet it maintains an unpretentious charm. Relatively small in area – the three islands that comprise total less than 3 square miles and travel is done by foot or by bicycle – even the most footloose of visitors can experience myriad natural and cultural fascinations in just a couple of days. Currently, travel here is somewhat complicated by lack of commercial flights and visitor services but not impossible, especially if you’re willing to volunteer your time with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to help out with conservation projects. If you can, time your visit during “albatross season” when over a million large, somewhat awkward yet undeniably magnificent seabirds, descend on Midway to nurture their next generation to life.

Friday

( 1 )  3 P.M. Ø REDONDO

A short golf cart limo ride gets you and your baggage from the tarmac to Charlie Hotel  in a matter of minutes providing ample time for a quick tour of Sand Island. Arrange to have your rental bicycle waiting for you to save time then fill up your water bottle (double-filtered water is available in the small water and ice shack across from the hotel) and have the hotel staff make arrangements with airport operations to let them know you’ll be crossing the runway during your bike tour.  Then hop on your trusty cruiser and head out towards the Visitors Center and Museum which is located in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial Headquarters. Small, yet informative, the museum covers both the cultural and natural history of Midway including its importance to native Hawaiian people (the coral reefs here are thought to be the birthplace of all life) as well as the key role the islands played during WWII. A new exhibit explains the recent expansion of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument within which Midway lies. Be sure to check out the green glass fishing floats and the large scale replica of Sand Island. A table in the back of the museum has albums of fascinating historic photos and other curiosities, including a 1964 copy of the Gooney Gourmet, a cookbook written by members of the Midway Officers Wives Club. Climb back on the saddle and head south passing by the old orchard and the historic Public Works buildings. Continue south and as you approach the runway check out the large, cleared area on your left. Once a forest of the invasive ironwood tree, this area is now a restoration demonstration site and now hosts various native Hawaiian plant species, including the rare and endangered Popolo. Now follow the bike path across the runway to the south side of the island and head west taking in the waves breaking on the reef just off shore. Continue west towards Frigate Point (beware of patches of soft sand in the trail) looking out for the extremely rare short-tailed albatross between the path and the runway. Eventually the path doubles back (crossing the runway again) towards town. Your timing should be just about perfect to arrive at the Clipper House as the doors open for dinner.

Fusion dining at its funkiest at the Clipper House

( 2 )  5 P.M. Ø FUNKY FUSION

The Clipper House is the one and only restaurant on the island featuring a funky mix of American, Thai, and other world cuisines served buffet-style. Chef Pong Wichasawatdi and his all-Thai staff earned their chops on luxury cruise ships and put their culinary experience to good use.  Menus constantly change but if you are lucky you might find a steaming pot of Green Chicken or Beef Massaman Curry and Thai-style Sticky Rice. Larb Moo (spicy pork salad), Tom Ka Gai (chicken coconut soup), and Seafood Tom Yum soup are other Thai specialties executed by the Clipper House to fantastic effect. On the flip side of the menu look for Steak Diane, Adobe Chicken, Baked Acorn Squash, and Zippy Shrimp,  all local favorites. The salad bar features locally produced greens and other produce grown in the island’s hydroponic greenhouse. Thrill seekers can take advantage of the rare opportunity of having Thai and American dishes side by side in the same hot table. Notable fusion concoctions have included Thai Red Curry Mac and Cheese and the incredible Pad Thai Chicago Dog. For dessert, check out the selection of cakes, cookies, and pastries and if Kidjarom’s New York Style Cheesecake is available, don’t even think of passing it up. Otherwise you might opt for the ever-popular self-serve frozen dairy dessert available in vanilla, chocolate, and (occasionally) Clipper-House Coffee flavors.

( 3 )  6 P.M. Ø SHOPPING MADE SUPER SIMPLE

While shopping options are somewhat limited at Midway, the Ship’s Store does a fabulous job of stocking truly necessary items. Forgot shampoo or dental floss? Jack Phosri, manager of the store has your back! Even more important is the stores selection of beers, wine and spirits. If you are used to big city selection, you might be surprised to find only a handful of brands in each category but if you allow yourself to simply comprehend the fact that this is the only store selling adult beverages and snacks within a 1,000 mile radius, you can feel absolutely righteous as you tip-toe out of the store with a couple of six packs of Chang Lager (US $11), a liter of Johnny Walker Black (US $55) and a jumbo bag of Tostito Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (US $6). The Ships Store also houses a large selection of souvenir merchandise offered by the Friends of Midway Atoll including t-shirts, post-cards, water bottles, and the classic, all metal, Zippo lighter (an essential gift for anyone you know who uses disposable plastic lighters, commonly found among other plastic ocean debris that washes up on the shores here).  Be sure to stock up as the Ship’s Store has very limited hours and this will likely be your only chance to visit. Celebrate your newly acquired purchases with a quick trip to Cargo Pier where you can relax on a bench and get a good view of Hawaiian green turtles basking on Turtle Beach and foraging for algae along the pier; you’ll also get a great view of albatross and other seabirds flying over open water as the sun settles in the western sky.

Get your karaoke on after hours at the Aree House

( 4 )  8 P.M. Ø SING YOUR HEART OUT

Over twenty hardworking Thai nationals (all men) live and work full-time on Midway maintaining the infrastructure and providing essential services to all of the island’s residents. After a long week of labor, it’s time to kick back, and long-term residents and visitors alike are all welcome at the Aree House where you can always find a cooler of beer and the warm, hospitality that the nation of Thailand is known for. Though it may be hard to decipher some of the card and dice games typically played on weekend nights, karaoke is a popular pastime that anyone can easily join in on. Put in a request for your favorite tune or just wait until a song inspires you to sing along. The Beatles, Neil Young, ABBA, The Eagles, and Selene Diaz are eternally popular but there is a wide selection of songs available cutting across a dozen or more genres. Thai pop songs often prompt the more accomplished local singers to croon. On warm summer nights the garden with its benches, water features, and attendant albatross chicks make for an exceptionally convivial and international setting. Charlie Hotel is right next door, but be sure to bring a flashlight as there are no external lights on Midway (to protect the birds) and it can get very dark!

( 5 )  7 A.M. Ø UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

With so much to see in a short time, you’ll want to set your alarm and rise early.  Even if you don’t, the albatross will probably wake you up anyway. Coffee and breakfast await you at the Clipper House but you’ll want to get your feed on quickly because you need to be at the Finger Piers at 7 am to meet up with Sam Songserm and his able crew of weed control technicians. Locally known as the A Team, Sam  and his crew travel by boat to Eastern Island  to wage war with verbesina (a noxious weed) and there is usually a couple of empty seats available (make sure they’ll be coming back at lunchtime!). Why drag your sorry keister out of bed so early to go to Eastern Island? While Sand Island harbors an incredible abundance and diversity, the presence of man, prevents some species from living there. Uninhabited, Eastern Island allows the visitor to observe a number of seabird species either absent or infrequently encountered on the rest of the atoll including Great Frigatebird, three species of Boobie (Red-Footed, Masked, and Brown) and both Sooty and Gray-backed Terns. As it lacks any old buildings or ironwood forests, the environment and wildlife of Eastern Island also provide an experience more similar to that of what a 19^th century shipwrecked sailor might have had. Pack a spare camera battery to be sure you don’t miss out on once in a lifetime photographic opportunities!

( 6 )  10 A.M. Ø ALBATROSS SAFARI

The Hawaiian name for Midway is Pihemanu which means the “loud din of birds”. Yes, indeed, these albatross can certainly make a racket but they also display a rich set of behaviors that can be appreciated only by spending some serious quality time with them. Both Laysan and Black-footed albatross are abundant on Eastern Island making for excellent opportunities to better acquaint yourself with them. The black and gray Laysan Albatross is more numerous and tends to occur more towards the center of the island while the dark-colored Black-footed Albatross prefers areas near the shore. Dances of these species, while somewhat similar to the uninitiated, include distinct and elaborate maneuvers and gestures. Air snap, Rapid Bill Clapper, Head Shake and Whine, and Scapular Action are just a few of the moves you may see. Pick an area where both occur and take some time to revel in their exuberance.

Left: Spinner dolphins are seen frequently in the lagoon. Right: Wildlife recolonized Midway after the closure of the Naval Air Station.

 ( 7 )  1P.M. Ø REEF TIME

If the weather abides and other factors align, a snorkeling trip to the outer reef should be included in your itinerary. After a lunch at the Clipper House head down to the Finger Piers where you can get fitted out with gear at the Snorkel Shack. Be sure to inquire with locals as to the water temperature or check the NOAA Tide Station to see if a wetsuit is recommended. Travelling across the azure waters of the lagoon is nothing short of magical and you are often accompanied for part of the journey by the local pod of Spinner Dolphins whose name derives from their habit of leaping far out of the water to execute incredible pirouettes. Just a few miles from the harbor is Reef Hotel which, despite the name, was actually a surveillance post constructed by the Navy during the cold war. All that remains now are some old rusty steel posts which, along abundant coral provide a home for a dazzling number of sea creatures. Unicorn Fish, Convict Tang, Moorish Idol, Giant Ulua, White-throated Eel and Spotted Knifejaw are just a few of the species you’ll see. Watch out also for Spiny Lobsters that take refuge in crevices in the coral and the humongous Sea Cucumbers that laze about on the ocean floor. Because it is a wildlife refuge no fishing or any other type of collecting is permitted which allows the animals here grow to remarkable size.

( 8 )  6 P.M. Ø A SUNSET TO DIE FOR

After dinner, pack some refreshments and ride out to West Beach to witness one of the best sunsets the planet has to offer. A small bike parking area and some old fishing buoys mark the start of a trail that leads through the local naupaka shrubs to the beach.  Although the beach itself is actually closed to the public, you can find a nice place to sit just before you reach the signs marking the off-limits area that affords a great view of the western sky. Watch for the green flash just after the last drop of sun disappears below the horizon.

Sunset from Cargo Pier

 ( 9 )  8 P.M. Ø PARTY LIKE THERE’S NO YESTERDAY

Captain Brooks, the one and only pub on the island, makes up for its small size with its large reputation as a great place to cut loose and have a good time on a Saturday night. Be sure to arrange for the pub to be opened in advance ($30 / hour minimum purchase) and spread the word to ensure a good turnout. Only beer, wine, and soft-drinks are served so if you are hankering for the hard stuff, be sure to BYOB. Pizza, popcorn and other snacks are also available. In addition to foosball, darts, and board games, the pub’s ring game often draws a small crowd (watch out, it’s addicting!). Dancing is encouraged, just put in your musical request with the bartender and he’ll likely be able to oblige you.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself at the Aree House instead of at your hotel room after last call as the heat generated at parties on the island takes a while to dissipate!

Sunday

 ( 10 )  10 A.M. Ø BEACH WALK AND BRUNCH

Sleep in, enjoying the sounds of albatross courtship through the open window as you slowly awake to your third and final day on the atoll. The Clipper House doesn’t open until 9 am on Sundays and stays open through the morning giving you the opportunity to take a leisurely walk on North Beach before enjoying a leisurely brunch. From the Clipper House walk west towards Rusty Bucket watching for glass fishing floats among all the other flotsam washed up on the beach. Or maybe you will find some other treasure among the toothbrushes, lighters, fishing gear and other random trash? This might also be a good time to evaluate the impact that you are having on the environment and to think about how you might reduce the amount of trash you generate. As refuge regulations don’t allow for the collection of anything living or dead, small plastic figures or interesting bottles can make for pretty nice keepsakes of your visit to the atoll. North Beach is also a favored hauling out spot for endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals. Seals need their beauty sleep too so if you see one remember keep your distance (at least 150 feet) so as not to disturb its slumber!

The Old Generator Building is one of over a dozen notable historic sites at Midway Atoll.

( 11 ) 1 P.M. Ø WWII REMEMBRANCES AND COLD WAR RELICS

Before Midway became famous for its abundant wildlife, its renown stemmed primarily from its role in defeating the Japanese Navy during World War II and paving the way for a US victory.  Official recognition came in 2000 when Midway Atoll was designated as the Battle of Midway National Memorial. For history enthusiasts, Midway offers not only a wealth of wartime artifacts but also important relics from both before and after. Start your tour at the memorials across from the Visitors Center. Each of the three stone slabs is inscribed with dedications to the various fighting forces that shaped the war’s outcome. Next, head towards the Ship’s Store veering right at the intersection to visit the Navy Memorial (also known as the Gooney Memorial for the large wooden albatross statue that once stood there). The Navy Memorial is located adjacent to the Midway Mall which was, during the Cold War years, the hub of social activity for the thousands of folks (Navy personnel, contractors, and families) once stationed at Midway. Although most of the facilities have been closed for some time, some – bowling alley, library, barber shop – are still in use. Check out the now defunct Midway Theater where Bob Hope once entertained the troops. Continue towards the harbor and check out the Seaplane Hangar. This giant building was actually once twice its current size but had to be refashioned after Japanese fighter planes bombed it during the war. Next stop is the Old Generator Building where the valiant Marine Lieutenant George H. Cannon sacrificed his life when he refused to give up his post despite severe injuries incurred during the Japanese bombing of Midway on their way to Pearl Harbor in 1941.  Now head back towards town and check out the Midway House just across from the hotel. This elegant structure, designed by famed Detroit architect Albert Kahn, was once the home of the Naval Officer in Charge of the Naval Station. Heading back towards the Clipper House check out the sole remaining Cable Company Building.  Built in 1903 this, along with several other structures of identical design housed the workforce of the Pacific Commercial Cable Company which selected Midway as a hub for the communications cable they stretched from San Francisco to the Phillipines. Your historic tour would not be complete without taking a moment to reflect on the effect the war had on the Japanese people. Just west of the Clipper House you will find a small clearing with a black granite stone resting on a tree stump dedicated in 1999. The inscription, written in Kanji can be roughly translated as “Rest, the deep blue”, perhaps expressing hope that peace will reign over this remote outpost into the future. The flight back to Honolulu is a long one so some point it would be wise head back to the Clipper House for one final, hearty, and no-doubt eclectic, meal.

Postscript: This post was inspired by the "36 Hours" feature of the New York Times, Sunday Travel Section.