'VOLUNTOUR' VACATION
SEA TURTLE PROJECTS
> Hawksbill Recovery Project
> Hawksbill Turtle Watch
> Hawksbill Turtle Nest Watch
> Turtle Fence Building
> Turtle Transect Team
> Honu Watch (Maui)
MONK SEAL EDUCATION
> Maui Monk Seal Watch
MARINE CONSERVATION PROJECTS
> Makai Watch
> Marine Debris Recovery
EDUCATION PROJECTS
> Taro and Fish Farming Project
'Voluntour' your next vacation to help wildlife

This fall, give back and learn new skills by signing up for a
Bluecology Voluntour
volunteer vacation
guided by Hawaii Wildlife Fund team members on Maui. Participate in
our
weeklong volunteer program to learn firsthand about the health of Hawaii's
coral reefs and native marine wildlife.
For a week on Maui, you will assist our biologists as they survey sea turtles
both on the beach and underwater. You will learn more about Hawaii's coral reef health,
help monitor sea turtle habitat, and help assess potential impact to Maui's
reefs.
Participants receive on-site training and can choose from a variety
of tasks. No prior research experience necessary.
Choose between two Voluntour options for Fall 2016:
>
SEA TURTLE MONITORING AND TRADITIONAL TARO FARMING
>
CORAL REEF HEALTH AND SEA TURTLE MONITORING
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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.
> HAWKSBILL RECOVERY PROJECT
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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.
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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!
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Turtle Fence Building
Hawaii Wildlife Fund has collaborated with other agencies to
help protect Maui's small population of nesting h awksbill sea
turtles and their hatchlings 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
turtle
nesting habitat at Kealia Pond, Maui, needs constant repair, which
is costly and time consuming. A state-wide modeling and overall assessment of
the hawksbill sea turtle species
and its habitats desperately needs to be undertaken to prioritize and implement research and conservation measures.
> PHOTOS: HAWAII WILDLIFE FUND FENCE REPAIR VOLUNTEERS
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Turtle Transect Team
Are you a very skilled snorkeler who loves to explore new areas and can stay in the ocean for hours?
If yes, then you’re perfect
for this project, especially if you have an underwater camera.
HWF leads turtle transects along the coastline searching for hawksbills and turtles in trouble (hooked or entangled).
It’s always an adventure!
> TURTLE RECOVERY PROJECT
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Honu Watch (Maui)
HWF responds to and educates the community about basking green sea
turtles (honu) and conducts research to help assess
the
population. Ho‘okuleana means "to take responsibility," which we are doing by creating this project because we truly care about the turtles
and want them to survive. It's everyone's responsibility to help, so please join us!
Qualifications needed: dedication, reliability, excellent people skills and an "aloha attitude."
HWF provides turtle training, incorporating our
Makai Watch principles.
> HONU WATCH PROJECT (MAUI)
> VIDEO: HWF HONU WATCH ON 'OUTSIDE HAWAII'
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Maui Monk Seal Watch
In
addition to teaching thousands of visitors each year out in the
"living classroom" about Hawaii's monk seals, Hawai'i Wildlife
Fund helps with NOAA's 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.
Monk Seal Hotline: (808) 292-2372
Contact Nicole Davis (nicole.davis@noaa.gov)
> MONK SEAL WATCH
> 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.
> MAKAI WATCH PROJECT
> MAKAI WATCH BROCHURE (pdf)
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Marine Debris Recovery
Are you interested in helping us keep Hawaii's beautiful
coastlines clean from marine debris and land-based trash? Joining
our beach cleanups is a great way to kōkua the ocean we all
love, gain valuable information by hands-on experiences,
learn how
to make a difference, get some exercise, meet cool people, and have
fun!
Please bring your friends, gloves if you have them, re-usable water
bottle, sturdy footwear that you don’t mind getting wet/sandy, sun
protection, and a positive attitude!
Maui: Contact HWF to particpate
in quarterly cleanup
events Ka‘ehu Beach in Waiehu. Ka‘ehu Beach is located at the end of
Kukona Place Road, which is the second road on the right (by the
bus stop) after you pass over the I’ao Stream bridge driving from
Kahului. Please drive slowly through the little neighborhood,
through the gate and drive towards the ocean where you'll see the
HWF Team.
Hawai‘i Island: please check
the calendar on our Home page for the current Ka‘u cleanup schedule
and other activities so you can join this qualified team that has
removed >130 tons of debris from this coastline since 2002.
Reef Cleanups
Sadly, disguarded fishing line, weights and other gear litter our
nearshore reefs, which can entangle coral and other animals.
Removing these items is a delicate and dangerous process, but it
needs to constantly be done. Please check our
Home page for the
current schedule of in-water cleanups all around Maui. Contact HWF to participate.
> HWF MARINE DEBRIS REMOVAL PROJECT
> MARINE THREATS
> BEACH CLEANUP FLYER (PDF)
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