About Oikonos

Mission

Oikonos is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization working locally and internationally to increase ecosystem knowledge through science, art, technology, education, and applied conservation.

What does Oikonos mean?

The name Oikonos is derived from Greek and Latin roots and is pronounced "oi·kô´·nôs."

The literal translation of "oikos" is home. It is commonly applied to "earth as home" and the word ecology is derived from it. The root "konos" is derived from the Latin "cognoscere," which means to recognize, learn, inquire or examine. Hence we define Oikonos as ecosystem knowledge.

What does Oikonos do?

Oikonos works locally and internationally to improve biodiversity conservation on imperiled islands and increase understanding of human impacts on marine ecosystems.

Accomplished by:
Leading community based conservation
Conducting rigorous science
Engaging communities and stakeholders in stewardship
Sharing knowledge through creative, alternative, and traditional means

The Egg

Oikonos' logo is an egg from a seabird related to the extinct Great Auk that is known as the Common Murre (pronounced MER). The genus name Uria (YOU-rih-ah) is from the Greek ourein, to dive. The species name aalge (AHL-geh) is the Scandinavian word for bird.

These expert divers lay a single egg in a breeding season that varies in color from cream to bright aqua. The squiggly pigments also vary greatly. The egg is pyriform or pear-shaped which prevents it from rolling off of the steep, crowded, nesting cliffs. A Murre egg would fill your palm as it is larger than a chicken egg. Both parents share some responsibility for incubation, using close neighbors and sharp bills to protect their egg from predators. After approximately 28 days, the chick breaks the shell, and hatches.

This marine bird inhabits oceans and islands of the Pacific and Atlantic Northern Hemisphere. Known in some regions as the Common Guillemot (Atlantic), Allpaq (Alutiiq Alaskan Yupik), Trottellumme (German), or Langvía (Icelandic).

As Oikonos' logo, an egg has diverse meanings, representing systems that are connected, interdependent, and changing.

Art by Sophie Webb © 2002