Catch Rob Pacheco during his spare time and he’ll likely be peering at the sky or trees through binoculars. He’s traveled all over the United States and Canada as well as exotic locales such as ­Botswana, Trinidad, Rapa Nui, Guatemala and Nicaragua specifically to observe birds.

“Birds and nature in general have always fascinated me,” said Pacheco, owner of Hawaii Forest & Trail, a nature adventure company based on the Big Island. “I remember how excited I was the first time I identified a bird, an American bittern, using binoculars and a field guide. It was near my home in Willows, Calif., and I was just 9 years old. I’ve been hooked on birding ever since.”

It’s not surprising, then, that Pacheco joined a committee of volunteers representing the fields of ornithology, tourism, marketing, natural and cultural history, interpretation and trail planning, and event planning and management to develop the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail. Among its goals is to promote the island’s appeal as a birding destination.

“Birds play such a vital role in ecosystems, including seed dispersal and insect and rodent predation, it’s questionable how well we humans could survive without them,” Pacheco said. “Endemic and introduced species from every continent except Australia and Antarctica live on this island. The trail provides a safe, beautiful environment for people to view them.”

As the committee met to discuss the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail, it came up with the idea of opening it in conjunction with a birding festival. More than a year of planning resulted in the inaugural Hawaii Island Festival of Birds — Haakula Manu, set for Sept. 24 and 25.

The event offers two full days of activities, presentations and dinners. Pacheco is especially looking forward to the Sept. 24 panel discussion on the Hawaii Forest Bird Survey, which was conducted in the mid-1970s to early 1980s.

Panelists include Mike Scott, one of the original researchers who documented, among other things, bird distribution and population size in forests above the 3,300-foot elevation on Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii island.

“They laid the groundwork for much of the conservation work and protected lands in Hawaii today,” Pacheco said. “Their study was one of the greatest ornithological field endeavors of the 20th century.”

Other topics of discussion that day include “Hawaii Bird and Habitat Projects,” by Chris Farmer, Hawaii program director for the American Bird Conservancy; “Hawaiian Featherwork,” by Noah Gomes, park ranger at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park; and “Digital Media for Birders,” by Brian Sullivan, project leader of eBird, an online program that has revolutionized the way information about birds is reported and accessed worldwide.

Family-oriented diversions are also planned, among them Birdwatching Basics; a Build a Bird Contest; and Birds and Beaks, a close-up look at how the beaks of Hawaii’s birds have adapted to their food sources.

The next day, festivalgoers can enjoy time outdoors with birding experts. Birding Trail Sneak Peek by Van will take participants to various sites along the Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail; wildlife biologist and professional photographer Jack Jeffrey will guide the Field Photography Experience; and Scott, Sullivan and Lance Tanino, owner and principal guide for Manu Conservation Birding and Nature Tours, will lead the Pelagic Birding by Boat tour.

“We welcome everyone to discover and celebrate Hawaii’s birds at the festival,” Pacheco said. “Whether you’re a novice birder, have been birding for years or simply enjoy being outdoors and want to learn more about birds, attending the festival will be time well spent. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the little creatures who impact our lives in a big way.”

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Tickets, required for all events, are available online or at the door, subject to availability. Admission to an invitation-only reception on Sept. 23 is included with the $275 Bundle ticket.

SEPT. 24

All events will be at Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa, 78-128 Ehukai St. in Keauhou. Admission is $10 for adults; one child 15 and under will be admitted free with each paid adult admission. Receive $5 in Birdie Bucks with each ticket purchased, which can be used at vendor booths or at the silent auctions.

7-9 a.m.: Breakfast With the Birds, $20. Includes a walk to identify birds frequently seen in Kona.

9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Talks; bird photography and bird block-printing workshops; children’s activities; an arts and crafts fair; informational booths; a silent auction; and a screening of “Struggle for Existence,” an award-winning documentary about the palila, a critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmaker Laurie Sumiye.

5-9 p.m.: Dinner, $125

The keynote speaker, Sam Gon III, the Nature Conservancy’s senior scientist and cultural adviser, will explain the significance of birds in Hawaiian culture. There will also be live and silent auctions.

SEPT. 25

7 a.m.-7 p.m.: Bird-watching tours, $150. Includes lunch and the Pau Hana Dinner. The two land tours also include transportation.

4-6 p.m.

Pau Hana Dinner, Waikii Ranch Clubhouse, 67-1026 Palekaiko Road, $65.

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.