Maya Higa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maya Higa
FFkxGJaXsAQVlQS.jpg
Personal information
Born (1998-05-24) May 24, 1998 (age 23)
California, U.S.
EducationCalifornia Polytechnic State University (BS)
Occupation
Websitebio.link/mayahiga
Twitch information
Also known asBird Girl, Mayo [1]
Channel
LocationAustin, Texas U.S.
Years active2019–Present
GenreIRL, Reacting, Education
Followers569,000
Total views15 million
Catchphrase(s)"Twitch is an untapped reservoir for doing good"
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2019–Present
Genre
  • Reaction
Subscribers335,000 (combined)
Total views45.5 million (combined)
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg 100,000 subscribers 2021
Follower and view counts updated as of December 15, 2021.

Maya Higa (born May 24, 1998) is an American Twitch streamer, conservationist, falconer,[2] and wildlife rehabilitator. She is the founder of Alveus Sanctuary,[3] a non-profit exotic animal sanctuary and virtual education center based in Austin, Texas,[4] and the host of the Conservation Cast, a weekly conversation broadcast on Higa's Twitch channel designed to connect her audience and conservationists.[5]

Early life[]

Maya Higa was born in California on May 24, 1998, to a Japanese father and an American mother. She grew up with her two brothers and sister on a farm in Northern California.[6][7] She is the youngest of her siblings. She attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, graduating with a bachelor's degree in agricultural education and communication in June 2020.[8][9]

Career[]

Higa began streaming on Twitch in February 2019. Her streams consist of various activities such as music and falconry, along with spreading conservation awareness.[10][11] Early in her streaming career, she saw significant growth after a falconry video with her juvenile red-tailed hawk named Bean went viral on Reddit. After she celebrated her 21st birthday by holding a charity stream for 5 Cities Homeless Coalition, a local homeless coalition that she previously volunteered at, she gained media attention from local news.[12][13]

In July 2019, Higa started the Conservation Cast, a podcast where viewers learn about animals and gather information from experts such as conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts, and scientific communicators.[5] The first episode of the podcast raised US$3,000 for the American Eagle Foundation. The podcast has also featured speakers from organizations such as Save the Rhino, the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.[14] Conservation Cast has raised more than US$80,000 with 63 episodes for wildlife protection organizations around the globe.

In October 2020, Higa became a part of the Board of Directors for a wildlife rehabilitation center in Central Texas. Her role focuses on raptor rehabilitation and husbandry.

On February 10, 2021, Higa held a 21-hour charity stream for her newly founded non-profit exotic animal sanctuary and virtual education center known as Alveus Sanctuary.[1] The stream was highlighted by an auction that sold off items such as a golden shovel owned by Sodapoppin, Gucci loafers owned by T-Pain, and a signed jersey from xQc. The most expensive item auctioned off was a 1-hour gaming session with streamer and former professional CS:GO player Shroud, purchased by fellow streamer Ludwig Ahgren for $53,000.[15] Shortly after reaching her goal of US$500,000, Higa shaved her head, fulfilling a promise she made a few weeks prior. All together, she raised US$578,000.[16]

In February 2021, Higa officially joined the Make-a-Wish Foundation in Central and South Texas as a governing board.

Since November 2021, Higa co-hosts the Wine About It podcast alongside her friend and fellow Twitch streamer, Qtcinderella.

Personal life[]

Higa began dating fellow Twitch streamer Matthew Rinaudo, also known by his online alias Mizkif, in 2019.[17][18] On September 14, 2021, Rinaudo announced on Twitter that he and Higa had ended their relationship.[19]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Asarch, Steven (February 12, 2021). "Twitch streamers helped 'Bird Girl' Maya Higa raise over $500,000 to build her own animal sanctuary". Insider.
  2. ^ Wilde, Thomas (March 15, 2021). "Livestreaming market report: Women increase their presence on Twitch, and everyone's playing chess". GeekWire.
  3. ^ Higa, Maya. "Alveus Sanctuary". Alveus Sanctuary.
  4. ^ Galloway, Ryan (February 11, 2021). "Maya raises over $500,000 for her nonprofit organization Alveus during charity stream". Dot Esports.
  5. ^ a b "Maya Higa's Conservation Cast – For all information on the Conservation Cast". conservationcast.com. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  6. ^ Chase (January 5, 2020). "Streamovator: Mayahiga". StreamElements.
  7. ^ "draw my life - mayahiga". Youtube. March 27, 2020.
  8. ^ "Unconventional Wisdom for Mindset Change & Fixing Productivity w/ Maya - Dr. K Interviews". YouTube. May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Cal Poly student raises $32,000 for local homeless in video stream". Cal Coast Times. May 27, 2019.
  10. ^ Richman, Olivia (February 20, 2021). ""Animals are endlessly fascinating and so honest": Maya Higa uses Twitch to raise money for conservation". Invenglobal.
  11. ^ Desatoff, Sam (January 9, 2020). "Report: Just Chatting was the most popular channel on Twitch in December". GameDaily.biz. For creators like MayaHiga, streaming is about more than just video games.
  12. ^ Asarch, Steven (July 3, 2019). "What Makes Twitch Streamer Maya Higa So Special? Might Be the Falcon". Newsweek.
  13. ^ Goare, Aja (May 27, 2019). "Cal Poly student uses gamer streaming website to raise $32k for local homeless". KSBY 6 - San Luis Obispo.
  14. ^ Lopez, Jalen (November 21, 2020). "Maya Higa's Conservation Cast raises over $67,000 for charity". Dot Esports.
  15. ^ Galloway, Ryan (February 11, 2021). "Ludwig spends $53,000 on an hour of gaming with Shroud after streamers engage in bidding war during charity stream". Dot Esports.
  16. ^ Conlan, Daniel (February 11, 2021). "Maya's charity auction huge success as she goes bald, Ludwig pays $53k for hour with shroud". GINX.
  17. ^ Adams, Robert (November 8, 2019). "Twitch sneeze compilation shows the weird side of streaming". GameRevolution.
  18. ^ Zell-Breier, Sam (February 18, 2021). "The Truth Behind These Streamer Relationships". SVG.
  19. ^ Deschamps, Marc (September 15, 2021). "Mizkif Announces Twitch Break". ComicBook Gaming. In a Twitlonger post, Mizkif and Maya Higa revealed that they have broken up, and will both be taking a break from streaming, in order to "process and to take care of ourselves."
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