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Home >
Support >
Volunteer
HWF's Volunteer Programs
To become a volunteer, please email wild@aloha.net.
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 SEA TURTLE PROJECTS
> Hawksbill Recovery Project
> Hawksbill Turtle Watch
> Hawksbill Turtle Nest Watch
> Dune restoration
> Fence building
> Coastal lighting guidelines
MONK SEAL PROJECTS
> Maui Monk Seal Watch
MARINE CONSERVATION PROJECTS
> Makai Watch
> Marine debris cleanups
> Beach cleanups
Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project
 Within
the Hawaiian Archipelago, endangered hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) predominately nest on Hawai‘i Island. Lower numbers are also known to nest
on the islands of Maui, Moloka‘i and O‘ahu, with a statewide estimate thought to be at least 50 reproductive females (but probably fewer than 100)
with only ~6-20 of these nesting each year. Hawksbill nesting activities were first documented on Maui in 1991, and an organized community-based
effort to systematically monitor these occurrences began in 1996.
MORE > HAWKSBILL RECOVERY PROJECT
MORE > TURTLES
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Hawksbill Turtle Watch
 Volunteer with HWF researchers as they monitor Maui beaches for female hawksbill sea turtles returning to their birthplace to nest. We work in the dark, since hawksbill turtles nest at night.
We patrol the beach hourly on foot to search for turtle tracks or for mother turtles hauling out onto the beach to nest.
When a turtle is spotted, we watch from a distance with a night vision scope to ensure that the animal is not disturbed.
We note nest locations so that our team of turtle nest watchers can return to “turtle sit” the nests two months later when the hatchlings are due to emerge.
 After each turtle successfully nests, HWF staff and volunteers measure her shell and make sure she appears healthy.
We note a tagged flipper, if any, which can lead to comparison growth information. If the animal is not tagged, HWF does so for future identification.
Sometimes HWF attaches small tracking devices to the turtle’s shell in order to study habitat usages and behavioral patterns.
MORE > HAWKSBILL RECOVERY PROJECT
MORE > TURTLES
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Hawksbill Turtle Nest Watch
HWF leads constant vigils of each hawksbill nest
right
 before
and during the hatching period. Hatchlings often need a little assistance getting to the ocean as they can get trapped in sandy footprints or debris,
become disoriented by coastal lighting or get entangled in vegetation. HWF camps by each turtle nest to wait for the hatchlings to emerge. Our presence
keeps cats, dogs, birds, mongooses, and crabs from preying upon these hatchlings.
When the tiny turtles crawl up out of the sand, nest watchers clear the way to make sure the hatchlings make it to the ocean safely.
Turtle nest watches occur in the summer and fall. Choose either sunset-to-sunrise or daytime shifts.
For both our turtle watch and nest watches, volunteers typically bring a beach chair, cell phone, small flashlight (which we will make “turtle friendly”),
snacks and water. They wear dark-colored, warm clothes. A positive attitude, patience, good jokes and stories to share are important!
MORE > HAWKSBILL RECOVERY PROJECT
MORE > TURTLES
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Fence Building
 A multi-agency collaboration has been essential for protecting this small population from dangers caused by human disturbance,
coastal lighting, non-native vegetation, predators, and vehicular traffic. Although these intensified efforts have greatly
improved the dataset for each nesting and hatching occurrence, the nesting numbers are not increasing. The fence along
nesting habitat at Kealia Pond, Maui, needs constant repair. A state-wide modeling and overall assessment of this species
and its habitats desperately needs to be undertaken to prioritize and implement research and conservation measures.
MORE > DUNE RESTORATION FENCE PROJECT
MORE > TURTLES
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Coastal Lighting Guidelines
- Keep outdoor beachfront lighting turned off during the nesting
and hatching season May-December in Hawai'i.
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 Place security lighting on motion sensor switches to keep lighting off when not needed.
- Draw curtains soon after dark or apply dark window tinting to windows visible from the beach.
- If lights must be used, reduce lights pointing directly onto beaches and near shore waters by lowering, shielding, recessing and/or
redirecting light sources.
- Minimize the number and wattage of outdoor lights.
- Replace existing lights with those that emit less detrimental lights to sea turtles.
The best lights to use are low pressure sodium vapor lamps which emit a pure yellow light.
Yellow incandescent light bulbs, commonly called "bug lights", are also preferable if they are kept at low wattage.
- AVOID: fluorescent, mercury vapor, high-pressure sodium vapor, metal halide and white incandescent lighting.
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Maui Monk Seal Watch
 In
addition to teaching thousands of visitors each year out in the
“living classroom” about Hawai'i's monk seals, Hawai'i Wildlife
Fund coordinates the Monk Seal Watch on the island of Maui. When
monk seals haul out onto the beach to rest, Monk Seal Watch
volunteers place police tape around the area and stand by to
educate the public, ensuring the animals are not harassed while
they rest. Recent years show an increase in both the numbers of
adult seals sighted in the Main Hawaiian Islands and an increase in
pups born here. As monk seal numbers increase, incidents of
human/seal interactions are increasing. Volunteer support is more
critical than ever.
MORE > MONK SEAL WATCH
MORE > MONK SEALS
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Makai Watch
  The Makai Watch
program is a partnership effort among the Department of Land and Natural Resources and several non-governmental
organizations including The Community Conservation Network (CCN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Hawaii Wildlife Fund (HWF)
and several community-based organizations. The goal of Makai Watch
is to enhance the management of near-shore marine resources by
providing community members an opportunity to become directly
involved in this management. The public is encouraged to assist
by volunteering.
MORE > MAKAI WATCH PROJECT
MORE > MAKAI WATCH BROCHURE (pdf)
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Marine debris cleanups
 In
2006, HWF was in charge of giving Big Island's southern Waiohinu-Ka
La'e (South Point) coastline a facelift, with kokua
(cooperation) from NOAA and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale
Sanctuary. More than 42 tons of debris were removed from the
area with the help of Matson Shipping. For their efforts, HWF
nominated Matson to receive the USCG’s William M. Benkert Marine
Environmental Protection Award. They did.
HWF also assists in coordinating regular underwater reef
cleanups in La Perouse Bay and off MacGregor Point on Maui
through the Maui Reef Fund.
Contact HWF to participate.
MORE > HWF MARINE DEBRIS REMOVAL PROJECT
MORE > MARINE THREATS
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Beach cleanups
 HWF
has participated in numerous beach cleanups including Waiohinu
Coast, Midway Atoll, Kealia Pond strand, the Pali, etc. We
encourage everyone to participate in Get the Drift and Bag It.
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