HWF Intern Stories: Ella Hartmann
Ella Hartmann was an intern with Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund during the summer of 2023. Here is her story!
CRB-Safe Home Composting Tips
With all of the recent discussion and news about store-bought soil/compost products and the growing invasion of the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) into the outer Hawaiian islands, we wanted to share some simple tips for easy home composting.
How I Helped Maui’s Baby Sea Turtles Swim Out To Sea- HWF Volunteer Story by Wendi Gordon
Wendi Gordon was a volunteer with the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund team on Maui during the summer of 2004, and recently reminisced about her experiences: How I helped Maui’s baby sea turtles crawl safely through the sand and swim out to sea- and the unique thank you gift that’s my favorite Maui souvenir. Hawaiʻi [...]
Coral Reef Creature Feature: Hawaiiʻs Subtle Reef Sponges
Did you know that Hawaiʻi has more than 80 species of coral reef huʻakai or ʻūpī (sponges)? Some types of sponges are an important food source for endangered honuʻea (hawksbill) sea turtles, and in general, sponges are a key resident on a healthy coral reef ecosystem (although some varieties will overgrow coral).
Highlights from the Hawaiʻi Predator Control and Wetland Workshop on Maui
Last week, our team at Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund joined experts from across Hawaiʻi Nei and beyond at the Hawaiʻi Predator Control and Wetland Workshop held in Kahului, Maui to share practical management expertise and help preserve our precious wetland habitats and associated native species.
High Schoolers from Volcano School of Arts and Sciences visit Honuʻapo with HWF
During the 2023-2024 school year, the Volcano School of Arts and Sciences 9th and 10th grade student’s have been learning what it means to be hands-on stewards of the historic loko iʻa (fishpond) at Honuʻapo.
Kaʻū Hoa Pili ʻĀina Training Program a Success!
Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund teams up with Ka ʻOhana O Honuʻapo to launch an environmental and cultural stewardship program for wahi pana in Kaʻū from October 2023 to February 2024. We worked collaboratively and inclusively with other local nonprofit entities as well as State, County, and Federal government agencies, and pertinent landowners to offer stewards a comprehensive training and stewardship experience for 10 trainees from the shoreline into the forest.
Embracing ʻĀina: My Journey with HWF (Intern Story by Mike Stone)
Mike Stone was a graduate student working with HWF during his internship within the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Master’s program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo from Fall 2019 to Fall 2021. During this time, Mike worked with HWF’s Megan Lamson (as his graduate advisor) and completed over 700 volunteer hours with HWF and focused on a brand audit study for marine debris collected in Kaʻū from 2013-2021. We are so appreciative of his amazing contribution to HWF.
Coral Reef Creature Feature: Lauʻīpala (yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens)
This month, we are featuring the beautiful, bright yellow lauʻīpala, also known as lāʻī pala, yellow tang, or Zebrasoma flavescens. Similar to many other types of surgeonfish, lauʻīpala are an important reef grazer, and can help promote coral reef resiliency by removing algae from reef substrates.
Legal Intervention Seeks to Protect Hawaiʻi’s Punaluʻu Beach From Development
The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a legal intervention opposing a proposed resort development on one of Hawaiʻi’s most renowned black sand beaches that would harm local residents and jeopardize threatened and endangered species, including green sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals.
