Hawaii Wildlife Fund

Ka'u coastal restoration -- hwf team and volunteers work to protect native coastal and marine flora, fauna, and ecosystems through marine debris recovery, native plant conservation efforts and estuary restoration. Much of this work takes place within the 1,353 acre forest reserve in wai'ohinu but it has expanded both on hawai'Hawaii'i island, as well as on maui and kaua'i. The program also includes environmental education and estuary restoration efforts across hawai'Hawaii'i island (and now virtually with online curriculum available globally). With various gov't, foundation grants and private donations continuing since 2003, hwf has conducted marine debris recovery efforts along the coast, and initiated projects to protect endangered and endemic species, native coastal-strand plants and to restore anchialine pools in this region and wetlands in other nearby areas.

Ho'okuleana: ho'okipa honu -- research, education and green sea turtle protection project to manage basking and nesting green turtles at ho'okipa, maui and evaluate the importance of in-water habitat. Through its honu watch program, hwf monitors basking honu (turtles) and educates the community about the phenomenon called "basking," a rare behavior in which green sea turtles crawl ashore for reasons other than nesting. Hundreds of people a day come to witness this behavior and hwf provides protection for the turtles. Nesting and hatching events are also monitored closely to ensure survivability of nesters and hatchlings.

Hawai'Hawaii'i Wildlife discovery center -- in collaboration with noaa's Hawaiian islands humpback whale national marine sanctuary, hwf designed, curated and operates a 5,000 square foot Wildlife discovery center in maui's iconic shopping center at whalers village. With interactive exhibits and artifacts that focus on native marine life, the discovery center houses a dynamic blend of art and science to educate visitors and residents about the island's native marine life.

Hawai'Hawaii'i hawksbill turtle recovery -- monitor nesting, protect nests and hatchlings, investigate sea turtle migration routes and identify foraging and resting areas. Through conservation efforts, public awareness, beachfront lighting reductions, fence repairs, dune restoration, beach cleanups, radio and satellite telemetry, coordination of a turtle watch program, and determining in-water distribution and abundance. Hwf is helping to save hawksbills and their nesting habitants.

Kahakuloa valley ahupua'a restoration and fish farming -- a program that provides a sustainable fish resource for community consumption while reducing fishing pressure on wild fish populations in nearshore waters of wailuku moku, maui. Currenlty this program involves a partnership between hwf, an ecotravel nonprofit (bluecology), and a taro farming family to teach local youth to cultivate mullet (mugil cephalus) and tilapia (oreochromis spp. ), in and amongst Hawaiian taro patches (lo'i). Volunteers visit maui's west mountain rain forest to learn about traditional taro and fish farming practices from uncle oliver and auntie valerie dukelow's remote and "off the grid" farm where they practice traditional and contemporary management and land-use practices.