From the board of directors at Hawaii Wildlife Center:

We are thrilled to let you know that we have reached another major milestone: the Hawaii Wildlife Center building is up.

Phase I of the building construction was completed in October, 2010. There now stands a beautiful building with a weatherproof and secure exterior and a fully framed interior ready for final mechanical, electrical, and finishing tasks.

Phase I included all site grading and underground drainage, underground utilities, septic system installation, driveway and parking lot curbing, planters and paving, as well as the building shell itself.

We are grateful to our pro-bono design and construction management team, who helped guide us smoothly through Phase I and stands ready for us for Phase II.

This team includes William T. Ruhl AIA, of Boston, Rhoady Lee Architects of Waimea, Jason Umemoto ASLA of Oahu, Ryan Associates of San Francisco and Kona, and Scott Bedingfield of Hawi. Tinguely Development was the general contractor for Phase I and compiled the detailed cost estimate for Phase II.

Our team has created a beautiful, functional, and environmentally sensitive building. They have managed each step of the way to maintain quality, efficiency, and cost savings. Their commitment and dedication are inspirational and pivotal to the success of our project.

We are confident that our donors will appreciate how well this construction project has been and will continue to be managed. We are also proud to let you know that this first phase of construction was achieved with a savings of more than $100,000 due to efforts of the board of directors, design team, general contractor, subcontractors, and material donations and discounts from vendors.

We have kicked off the Phase II fundraising campaign, Build It, They Will Fly!, to raise the $300,000 needed to complete construction of the interior of the building, inclusive of the utilities, equipment, ventilation, interior doors and windows, finishes, and the Recovery Yard. This next phase is estimated to be completed over four to five months.

Mahalo Nui Loa to Our Amazing Supporters:

We would like to share our overwhelming gratitude to the foundations that have contributed grants totaling $85,000 in 2010.

Thanks to The Thomas J. Long Foundation, Cooke Foundation, HEI Charitable Foundation (HELCO, HECO & MECO), The Pettus Foundation, Cleo Foundation, and the Stephen & Lisa Robertson Gift Fund, who join the wonderful list of foundations that have supported our project in the past, with a current total of 26 grants adding up to $1,018,500. We look forward to expanding our list in the coming months!

Our incredible individual supporters continue to grow in numbers and we are grateful that so many of you continue to renew your support annually; many thanks to all of you who have helped us raise more than $66,000 from individuals this year!

We send our heartfelt mahalo to Gretchen & Jim Mair for hosting a lovely and wonderfully successful fundraising event at their beautiful home. All of this individual generosity illustrates how all donations, no matter how large or small, help, and every ounce of good will gets the HWC closer to opening our doors in 2011.

Five Big Island Businesses joined our support team with cash contributions of more than $3,100 and several more businesses have already made commitments for the New Year.

Thank you to Ryan Associates, JT Productions, Pueo Boutique, Paradise Gourmet, and Aloha Kine for your contributions in 2010. We also want to thank all of the donated professional services from Jeff Devins, Vicky Kometani, Suzanna Gratz, and Diane Orenstien.

Waimea artist Mary Spears has made a very generous donation of two original paintings from a series of paintings of the Kauhola Lighthouse, built in 1933 but removed this past year. These paintings are at the HWC development office and are available for purchase to help us raise funds to complete the building.

In addition, Carolyn Blackburn provided a beautiful photo of a white tern to Aloha Kine for a glass cutting board now on sale with proceeds going to HWC.

Contact Linda Elliott at info@hawaiiwildlifecenter.org for more information on how to purchase these items.

Wildlife Programs and Events:

The demand for our wildlife programs continues to grow, more than doubling over our previous year. Our programs included providing training courses on Kauai, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands with the USFWS Pacific Region.

We are also developing assistance resources for American Samoa’s wildlife agency in collaboration with the National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station. HWC continues our work with the Save our Shearwater program with our participation in the working group, monthly consulting, annual training course and emergency support.

We also consulted with the Midway National Wildlife Refuge on the emergency response to oiled Laysan Albatross.

Between late July and early September, the HWC in collaboration with Focus Wildlife International sent Linda Elliott to fill the Animal Care Manager position for the oiled wildlife response to the Marshall Michigan pipeline leak into the Kalamazoo River.

There Linda led the care of nearly 3,000 oiled birds, mammals and reptiles. Currently, she is the only oiled-wildlife rehabilitation manager in Hawaii; in this capacity, she has trained hundreds of agency personnel and volunteers.

HWC was also placed on alert for a possible oiled wildlife response in February here in Hawaii for a ship grounding at Barbers Point, Oahu.

Linda continues to assist on the Big Island with banding endangered nene fledglings in West Hawaii. The total program revenue for this year was more than $47,000.

This summer we had the assistance of two college students, Maya Pollack and Eloise Morgan-Standard. Maya and Eloise were sponsored by generous community members for a portion of their summer break to help HWC with office work and the set-up and managing of Facebook networking.

We are also looking forward to the results of the hard work of the Kohala Middle School (KMS) after school program, with students led by Ms. Erin Brown and with assistance from Randee Golden.

They are working with our pro-bono landscape architect, Jason Umemoto, to propagate native plants for the planters fronting the HWC building.

Also this year, Connie Green guided the KMS art students in producing beautiful donation jars with native birds that are being featured in local businesses like the Snack Shack in Kapaau. Green is also working with the leadership class on fundraising projects for the HWC. Other education programs included tours and presentations to KMS 6th and 7th graders and the 9th grade Kohala High School Avid students.

We continue to offer tours of the HWC by appointment and have had many community members and visitors participate. We have also provided presentations and information at events at Puu Kohola National Historical Park, Rotary Club of North Hawaii, Twilight at Mauna Lani, North Kohala Merchants Association, the Earth Day Fair in Kona, the Grand re-opening of the Big Island Country Club and the World Seabird Conference.

Our project has been featured on radio programs locally and nationally on Emily T. Gail, the Dr. Pat Show, Catherine Bradford Show, Blog Talk Radio, Jeff Ferrannini of Planetary Spirit Internet Radio, and on Big Island TV with two videos produced and donated by Lyman Medeiros.

The HWC had a very productive year and we thank all of you who have contributed to the HWC, as well as to those who are now inspired to give in the spirit of the New Year.

The funding you provide will be used for the final construction phase of the HWC to complete the interior, equip and open the doors of the only exclusively native wildlife care, emergency response, and conservation facility in the region.

Without our loyal supporters, we will not be able to begin the critical work of caring for Hawaii’s endangered wildlife and expanding our education and research programs with the addition of staff, interns and volunteers.

We are so very close to opening the doors and we are hopeful that you will help us achieve this goal in 2011!

We wish you a very Happy New Year!

Thank you again for your support.

Mahalo nui loa,
Hawaii Wildlife Center board of directors

— Find out more:
www.hawaiiwildlifecenter.org