Categorized | Environment

Hawaii Wildlife Center reaches milestone

MEDIA RELEASE

Linda Elliott, Hawaii Wildlife Center president and director, has announced the Hawaii Wildlife Center in Kapaau has reached a major milestone.

Following a tour of the facility and a briefing of the organization’s goal to help preserve Hawaii’s native wildlife, a generous donor provided funds needed to complete construction of the building’s interior.

“I cannot express how grateful I am that this caring individual really understood what we’re trying to accomplish here,” Elliott said. “Our fundraising will never end since as a non-profit 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.”

The Hawaii Wildlife Center is planning a Grand Opening in November, allowing Tinguely Construction and other sub-contractors sufficient time to complete the build-out.

The Center’s objectives – to protect, conserve and aid in the recovery of Hawaii’s native wildlife through hands-on treatment, research, training, science education and cultural programs – will be achieved through the integrated operation of three related components: the 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. The Center’s location on just over two acres of land provides sufficient space for an outdoor Recovery Yard.

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 the Kohala School Complex for hands on learning programs in math, science and conservation both during and after school.

Joining the anonymous donor in helping Hawaii Wildlife Center reach this final construction phase milestone are a combination of many individual donors, in-kind donations, and grants from TheThomas J. Long Foundation, Cooke Foundation, Ltd., Hawaii Electric Light Co., Cleo Foundation, The Pettus Foundation, Kaulaunani Urban Forestry Cost-Share Grant, Change Happens Foundation and Patagonia Environmental Grants.

The Hawaii Wildlife Center was acknowledged recently by Scenic Hawaii, Inc. with an Award of Honor in the Community Gardens category presented during the 2011 Betty Crocker Landscape Awards dinner on Oahu.

The awards are held annually to recognize the many people who work every day to make Hawaii a more beautiful place.

Landscape Architect Jason Umemoto of Umemoto Cassandro Design Corporation donated time and expertise when hundreds of volunteers planted Loulu Lelo, Hoawa, AeAe, UkiUki, Palapalai fern, Naio Papa, Pohinahina, Akia and many native plants at the Hawaii Wildlife Center and this award validates their efforts.

The Hawaii Wildlife Center will become the first state-of-the-art response facility in the Pacific islands exclusively for native wildlife.

The HWC will provide for the best achievable medical and husbandry care for sick, injured, contaminated and orphaned native wildlife, including those affected by natural and man-made disasters and by returning those successfully treated animals back to the wild.

— Find out more:
www.HawaiiWildlifeCenter.org

One Response to “Hawaii Wildlife Center reaches milestone”

  1. MAHALO to all our supporters that have helped us reach the construction goal!! We are so excited to see the final construction taking place and how beautiful and functional the Center is becoming.

    Please join us in raising the rest of the funds needed to open the doors and begin the daily wildlife and education programs. We will keep you updated and announce our Grand opening date.

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