AKIAPOLA'AU LOVE, ʻAkiapōlāʻau Love, by Caren Loebel-Fried, is an 11x14", limited edition fine art print from an original hand-pulled, hand-colored block print. The materials used in this museum quality print are all of the highest quality, printed on acid-free, 100% cotton paper, with archival, pigment-based inks. The art comes inside a resealable poli bag, with an acid-free backing board, description, and certificate of authenticity.

The ʻAkiapōlāʻau is a small forest bird living only on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, in the higher elevation in koa and ʻōhiʻa lehua trees. They are yellow and olive green colored, the females having a more subdued coloration. The most recognizable aspect of this lively bird is the beak, with a short pointed lower bill, used to tap on tree bark, and an upper bill that is long and curved, used to probe under lichen and bark for insects. The ʻAkiapōlāʻau is highly endangered, with less than 2000 individuals left, due to dwindling forests. Serious efforts are being made to plant koa and put in fencing to keep out ungulates that eat and kill the young plants, creating more habitat and hopefully one day reconnecting the corridors of forested land where the ʻAkiapōlāʻau once thrived.

Caren learned the ancient art of block printing from her mother. She volunteers and researches on Midway Atoll, Kīlauea Point, and other wild places around the Hawaiian Islands. Caren creates art for many organizations, supporting the work they do on behalf of wildlife, conservation, and the perpetuation of Hawaiian Culture.

Caren’s award winning illustrated books include Manu, the Boy Who Loved Birds, A Perfect Day for an Albatross, Naupaka, Lono and the Magical Land Beneath the Sea, Hawaiian Legends of Dreams, Hawaiian Legends of the Guardian Spirits, Pua Polu, the Pretty Blue Hawaiian Flower, Tree of Souls, and Legend of the Gourd.