What, you may ask, is a nene (“nay-nay”)? A nene, my friends, is the Hawaiian goose, a distant relative of the Canadian goose, and the state bird of Hawaii.
Because it has the best name ever, the nene captured my heart on this vacation. Sadly, I didn’t see one, but the signs about them were awesome. My favorite: A nene silhouette with the words “GO SLOW” beneath it. My second favorite: A sign proclaiming “A fed nene is a dead nene!” (I’m still mad I didn’t get pictures.) I guess I’ll just have to go back.
This is not a nene:
It’s a rooster living in the parking lot of:
And what does Akaka Falls look like? Big and damp:
And remember–A FED NENE IS A DEAD NENE. Don’t feed the nene.