Famous turtle mom due for return
Copyright © 2010 Maui News.
April 24, 2010 - It's spring, and an old turtle's thoughts turn to romance. Not young turtles - green sea turtles don't reach breeding age until they are 20 years old or older.
Turtle fanciers are expecting and hoping that "Maui Girl" - officially turtle 5690 - will return several times this season to nest in Lahaina, which she has done every other year since 2000. A number of other turtles, none with a name, are also likely to visit Maui's beaches in about a month,

A baby hawksbill sea turtle finds itself stuck in a footprint in this 2008 photo. Starting next month, volunteers will start a Dawn Patrol to monitor Maui beaches for turtle nests. PHOTO: CHERYL KING

according to Cheryl King, research coordinator of Hawaii Wildlife Fund, which helps monitor nests.
   Finding the nests can be a life-and-death matter for baby turtles. Last year, a previously unknown hawksbill laid a nest in front of the Maui Lu, but nobody noticed. The babies, misled by street lights, crawled onto South Kihei Road.
   "(They) were squashed," King said. "It was pretty traumatic."
   HWF volunteers and professional wildlife biologists were alerted and managed to save some nestlings. The same turtle also had made two nests at Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge. Those were spotted and hatched out successfully.
   Glynnis Nakai, manager of the refuge, will announce soon a meeting to organize this year's Dawn Patrol, a volunteer watch that monitors three South Maui beaches for signs of nesting by the critically endangered hawksbills.
   King said more volunteers always can be used, because it would be desirable to expand the patrol to more than three beaches. It would be impossible, she said, to monitor them all.
> Read full article at mauinews.com

The plight of the Hawaiian Monk Seal
Copyright © 2010 Maui Times. By Rob Parsons by Trisha Smith
April 7, 2010 - A dozen years ago I met a strapping young man, just out of high school and working as first mate on a snorkel cruise boat. Much to my amazement, one of his duties on daily excursions to Molokini was to discourage a rambunctious teenage monk seal, known for making amorous advances on unsuspecting tourists.
   I had read about "Humpy," as the seal was dubbed, and his interactions with surprised swimmers, mainly in the Makena area of South Maui. Agencies responded to the ongoing incidents by relocating the frisky seal to Kaho'olawe. But within days, the seal had returned and was frequenting Molokini islet, with its hundreds of daily snorkelers and divers. While some visitors were undoubtedly thrilled to encounter the rare pinniped, they may not have been aware of the dangers associated. To humans, yes, as seals are known to nip or bite. But much more so to the seal.
[portion of article removed - read full article]
   Biologist Bill Gilmartin began studying Hawaiian monk seals in 1978, investigating die-offs on Laysan Island. He worked with the National Marine Fisheries Service from 1980 until his retirement in 1995, serving as a vital member of the Monk Seal Recovery Team (MSRT).
   The MSRT pushed for greater measures to aid survival of seal pups and launched efforts in the '80s '90s to relocate newly weaned pups, allowing them to grow and fatten in captivity before returning to the wild.
   In 1994, Gilmartin and his team relocated 21 adult males to the main Hawaiian Islands to prevent aggressive "mobbing" behavior during breeding season that sometimes injures or kills females in estrus.
   Following his "retirement" from NMFS, Gilmartin and fellow scientist Hannah Bernard formed the Hawaii Wildlife Fund in 1996, primarily to address gaps in recovery efforts for endangered hawksbill turtles and monk seals. Both believe that partnership with the community us key.
   "We've seen an increase of larger, healthier animals in the main [Hawaiian] Islands," said Gilmartin. "With that, there will continue to be more on our beaches. More education will allow for collaboration."
> Read full article at mauitime.com

HWF organizes 'More Fish in the Sea' festival

Ken Schmitt of Hike Maui, left, stops by the Hawai'i Wildlife Fund kuleana booth at the 2010 More Fish in the Sea festival to talk story with event organizers Hannah Bernard and Danielle Johnson.
PHOTO: ROB PARSONS
April 3, 2010 - Maui, Hawaii - The More Fish in the Sea ocean awareness fair celebrated one of our most precious resources, the ocean, featuring educational booths, water quality testing

lessons, reef surveys and a beach clean-up.
   Entertainment included music by Oren Masserman of Barefoot Minded, an ocean film festival, and information on island-wide projects throughout the month of April in celebration of Earth Day.
   The event organizers, which included Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, held the event to raise awareness and to provide access to actions that help bring back the health of Maui's coastal waters. This year, Uncle Mac PoePoe, of Hui Malama O Mo'omomi, and Uncle Merv Dudoit of Ka Honua Momona, Intl., were honored with the annual Malama i ke Kai Annual Kupuna award. Last year's honoree was noted educator and founder of Maui Cultural Lands/Malama Honokowai, Ed Lindsey.

Program rescues stranded sea turtles along Maui
Copyright © 2010 Maui Weekly by Trisha Smith
March 18, 2010 - Hawaiian waters are home to several protected species of sea turtles, including the honu (green sea turtle), which provides underwater delight for residents and visitors alike.
   All sea turtles (dead and alive) are legally protected. Green sea turtles are considered threatened, while many others, like the hawksbills, are deemed endangered. The state strives to provide a safe haven for our shelled reptile friends, and encourages residents to educate themselves and our visitors about Hawai‘i’s precious wildlife.
   But many people don’t know what to do when coming across a turtle in need along the beaches or struggling in nearshore waters.
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Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund (HWF) also works in collaboration with NMFS/NOAA. HWF President Hannah Bernard and Research Coordinator Cheryl King are vital parts of turtle conservation efforts on Maui.
   "The main message is to leave animals alone, give them space and contact the right people," said Bernard. "We all need to educate visitors, because they don’t know not to touch them."
> Read full article online at Maui Weekly

Get the drift - Beach cleanup mahalo
Copyright © 2009 West Hawaii Today
by Terry Miura, Aquatic Program Assistant, County of Hawaii
December 18, 2009 - I would like to thank all the volunteers, from keiki to kupuna, who participated in this year's International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), Get The Drift & Bag It, held Sept 19. Community groups, school groups and individuals participated in the largest single-day volunteer event to protect our ocean and waterways.  
   With most of the results in, we had over 841 volunteers participate this year. These volunteers picked up a huge amount of trash both in and out of the water totaling over 12,626 pounds. This year the Hawaii Wildlife Fund volunteers at Kamilo hauled out 4,000 pounds of derelict fishing nets and another 1,580 pounds of other debris. Along the Puako and Waialea Bay area, volunteers there collected over 3,957 pounds on shore and another 1,406 pounds under the water.
> Read full letter to the editor at westhawaiitoday.com
> Watch video

Teach Maui - enrichment program for children
August 13, 2009 - Local educators Evelyn and Ed Zayas have concluded that the best way to develop a sense of stewardship in our community would be an investment in the minds and attitudes of our children. “Our enrichment program for fourth through eighth grade Maui students coordinates and delivers engaging activities in a four-week Saturday morning format,” they said. “We want to teach our children to appreciate and care for the environment, making them aware of our natural resources.” ... Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Maui Research Coordinator Cheryl King gave a presentation on Maui turtles at the National Marine Sanctuary Education Center in Kihei. The children learned about turtle nesting habits and ways to help with marine conservation. “We are all so lucky to live here, but our island ecosystems need our help,” said King. “We hope that by engaging the children’s imaginations through hands-on learning, we can teach them the ethics of respect and conservation needed here.”
> Read full article at mauiweekly.com

HWF sea turtle rescue topic of online news video
August 5, 2009 - Maui Community Television's Akaku On Demand "Maui Daily" online video show featured Hawai'i Wildlife Fund's Ocean Resource Specialist Cheryl King working with Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Aquatic Specialist Skippy Hau and Maui Coastal Land Trust
to excavate an endangered green sea turtle nest, freeing hatchlings that were not able to get out of the nest on their own.
> Watch video

Animal Planet's Corwin signs MRF Diver's Pledge

Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin receives a Maui Reef Fund tag from HWF President Hannah Bernard.

Feb 2009 - Jeff Corwin, one of the nation's leading environmentalists who created and stars in Animal Planet's "The Jeff Corwin Experience" and "Corwin's Quest," has visited Maui many times and worked to preserve the island's marine environment through his films. During a recent visit, Corwin was named an honorary member of the Maui Reef Fund after saying that he was willing to sign MRF's Diver's Pledge (see below).

MRF DIVER’S PLEDGE > DOWNLOAD DIVER'S PLEDGE (pdf 22kb)
To ensure that the reefs I dive on continue to thrive, I pledge to:

• Follow all applicable State and Federal laws related to marine life and protected areas.
• Be respectful to all marine life.
• Never touch, stand, kick, stand or rest on corals.
• Never chase, harass, flush from shelter or relocate marine life.
• Not feed fish or other marine life.
• Keep a respectful distance from turtles and never chase them, block their path or try to ride them.
• Secure dive flags to the sandy bottom using weights or other anchoring device or tie off to non-living surfaces.
• Be extra careful if taking photos or videos, being aware of the reef and respectful of the marine life.
• Look before touching the bottom for balance, making sure it is non-living substrate and when absolutely necessary using only one or two fingers for contact.
• Minimize glove use unless required by a medical condition, for thermal protection, or for safety.

HWF featured in 'Preserving Paradise' book
Hawai’i Wildlife Fund is proud to have three programs featured in a new book, “Preserving Paradise,” by Maui author Kirsten Whatley. The book provides ways the island visitors and residents can volunteer with HWF and other environmental groups.
   In a description of her experience volunteering with HWF's Hawksbill Sea Turtle Nestwatch Project, Whatley writes, “Sleeping on the beach has its lures – black night skies, sand in your hair, the lullaby of waves tumbling at the foot of your bed. Then the alarm goes off and you're up again. It's 2:00 a.m. You scan the sand for turtle tracks. Nothing. You look for baby turtles wandering in the darkness, instinctively trying to reach their saltwater home. Not yet. You reset the alarm and lean back against a cushion of sand, breathing in the seaweed air, knowing that if just one in a hundred hatchlings survives its journey from nest to ocean tonight, you'll have done your job. ...”

HWF President named Conservationist of the Year

Oct 6, 2007: HWF's president Bill Gilmartin receives the Conservationist of the Year Award from Casey Jarman (left) of the Conservation Council for Hawai'i. HWF's Vice President Hannah Bernard (right) was there to see Bill receive the honor.