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Anonymous donor makes wildlife center a reality

CAROLYN LUCAS-ZENK
WEST HAWAII TODAY
July 13, 2011

Hawaii Wildlife Center director and founder Linda Elliott "can't stop smiling."

That's because a generous Big Island donor recently provided the necessary funds to complete the long-awaited facility dedicated to the care and conservation of Hawaii's native wildlife.

The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, toured the center, located on slightly more than 2 acres in Kapaau near Kohala Middle School. She was impressed with the center's objectives to protect, conserve and aid in the recovery of native wildlife through hands-on treatment, research, training, science, education and cultural programs, Elliott said.

Last month, the donor gave $400,000, which will be used to construct the state-of-the-art center's interior, caging and fencing. Construction has already begun and is anticipated to be completed before Thanksgiving. A soft grand opening is also expected to be held in November, Elliott said.

"I cannot express how grateful I am that this caring individual really understood what we're trying to accomplish here," she said. "Our fundraising will never end since as a nonprofit organization we still need money to operate, provide staffing and develop programs, but this donation is huge in many ways and means our doors will finally open."

May 14, 2011 Community Volunteer Day, more than 100 volunteers - led by landscape architect Jason Umemoto - planted native Hawaiian plants at the Hawaii Wildlife Center

When Hawaii Wildlife Center is fully operational -- which might be by the year's end -- it will be able to treat a couple hundred native species at a time. Its focus will primarily be on water birds, seabirds, shore birds, birds of prey and forest birds, such as nene, ducks, coots, stilts and boobies. However, there will be some opportunities to assist with the recovery of Hawaiian bats, Elliott said.

Open seven days a week, year-round, the center will provide medical and husbandry care for sick, injured, contaminated and orphaned native wildlife, including those affected by natural and man-made disasters. All rescued animals will be returned to the wild, Elliott said.

Approximately $360,000 annually will be needed to operate the center. Its paid staff will include Elliott, a wildlife rehabilitation manager, a wildlife rehabilitation technician, a development coordinator and an administrative assistant. Staff will participate in disaster preparedness and response efforts during major disease outbreaks, such as avian botulism and contaminant spills.

Hawaii Wildlife Center already gets calls for help weekly. It continues to assist with banding endangered nene fledglings in West Hawaii and works with the Save Our Shearwater program on Kauai by providing monthly consulting, training courses and emergency support. Last year, Elliott consulted with the Midway National Wildlife Refuge on an emergency response to oiled Laysan albatross, as well as helped with the care of nearly 3,000 oiled birds, mammals and reptiles during a pipeline leak into the Kalamazoo River in Marshall, Mich.

The Hawaii Wildlife Center has been long sought by wildlife biologists, conservationists and the community, all of whom Elliott called "the heart of the center." She credited them with helping make the dream a reality.

The effort to build the center began about seven years ago as a project of the North Kohala Community Resource Center. In 2006, Hawaii Wildlife Center became incorporated as a nonprofit and Surety Kohala donated the land. The groundbreaking and site work started in 2008. Construction of the building's exterior began in 2009 and was completed last October, Elliott said.

The more than $3 million center will consist of a wildlife treatment facility, an interpretive lanai and an education pavilion. The 4,500-square-foot building includes rooms for wildlife intake, holding, washing, drying, food preparation, lab work, medical treatment and isolation. There's also an outdoor recovery yard, where the Kohala Watershed Partnership plans to help install predator-proof fencing in a couple of months, Elliott said.

Public visitation will be encouraged to enhance awareness of conservation issues and challenges. The education pavilion will be used for training, public lectures and related projects, including opportunities for collaboration with local schools on hands-on learning programs in math, science and conservation, Elliott said.

"Hawaii is the endangered species capital of the world. With hundreds of plants and animals, including more than 30 species of birds, listed as endangered or threatened. There are more endangered species per square mile on these islands than any other place on the planet, and many of our endemic species are threatened by extinction," Elliott said. "It's critical we try to reverse the trends. We need to cherish and protect what is native so that it's not lost and will be around for the enjoyment of future generations. Our biodiversity is not just important to Hawaii. It's also important to the world."

Call 345-8421 or visit hawaiiwildlifecenter.org for more information.

clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com

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