The Hawai’i Wildlife Center is a one of a kind facility that fills an invaluable need on the Big island, as well as all the other Hawaiian islands. HWC is there to serve any native Hawaiian bird that is in distress and needs medical care, and rehabilitation, as well as the Hawaiian Hoary Bats.
I have personally called the HWC for assistance on a few occasions with injured native birds that I have come across. They have responded immediately to my questions, and when it was deemed a necessity, they have sent out staff to find the bird I called about. There is no such thing as a weekend or holiday when the HWC isn’t available. They are there to serve the needs of all of Hawaii’s native birds any day of the week.
The HWC provides top notch medical care and rehabilitation that is so fundamental to keeping our native birds thriving. Linda Elliot has brought this state of the art facility to life, and is helping sustain Hawaii's many threatened and endangered birds.
I have been involved with the Hawaii Wildlife Center since 2007 - first as a pro-bono consultant, then as an Advisor and finally serving on the Board of Directors. I first became involved due to the site of the Hawaii Wildlife Center being located on the former Halaula Sugar Mill and plantation, where my father's family lived and worked. They attended the adjacent Halaula Elementary School (now called the Kohala Middle School). However, it took just moments to become affected by Linda Elliot's infectious enthusiasm for her concern for Hawaii's native bird and bat populations. It was easy to understand what an important function the Center would provide for both crisis and on-going rehabilitative treatments for injured birds. Beyond the rehabilitation and release efforts for native birds, Hawaii Wildlife Center is a resource for conservation, education and community volunteerism. Now that the Center is operational, Linda has been able to begin realizing all of those goals and now has a talented staff, a dedicated group of volunteers and Board to support her efforts. HWC and Linda are an inspiration to witness and participate with. I am excited to be able to part of this journey and look forward to the future. Jason Umemoto
When I first heard of the creation of the Hawaii Wildlife Center, it immediately jumped to to the top of my list as THE place I wanted to be involved with. Hawaii's extremely unique and threatened native wildlife needs ALL of us to help, in whatever way we can! Having worked in wildlife care at wildlife centers in other states, I've experienced both good and bad wildlife rescue and rehabilitation practices; at Hawaii Wildlife Center, not only is it the top priority of the Director and staff to save and sustain ALL our endangered native wildlife, but they truly appreciate what they're striving for, including anyone who is interested in helping them! I feel extremely privileged to be working with them as a volunteer in wildlife care. Please consider helping in any way you can, too, be it volunteering, donating needed supplies to the Center, planting native trees and plants in your yard, or simply leading the cause by example! You may also enjoy spending time on http://www.hawaiiwildlifecenter.org :)
When I lived in Kailua Kona Hawaii I was looking for a place to volunteer. I found the WIldlife Center and met Linda. I believe in what they do and am so proud to have been even a little bit of a part of their growth. I was impressed with LInda and the community and how they pulled together in some of the toughest economic times in a while and were able to get this center up and running! Hats off to all of the crew! Not only are they helping the wildlife in Hawaii, but I know that the plants that children planted in the front part of the Center are also native species. What a way to teach the kids about their native island! This Center is not only helping the wildlife but also the culture!
The Hawaii Wildlife Center is a stellar effort to further the conservation effort in the islands and the Pacific as a whole, as it's the only center of its kind in the area. Linda's enthusiasm and well thought out efforts have caught hold in the community and not just people; Linda tells me that a pue'o did a careful fly-over inspection and then perched atop a pole to indicate approval. What better stamp of approval can you have? Mahalo Linda! Jan Wizinowich
As the HWC Director I am immensely grateful to work with a highly qualified and wonderfully dedicated team working tirelessly to achieve our mission to conserve native Hawaiian wildlife through hands-on rehabilitation, education and research. As president of the HWC board of directors I am also honored to work side by side with the diverse group of board members that are accomplished professionals, compassionate, committed and resourceful supporters of HWC. The journey to realizing the dream of this critical resource for Hawai‘i’s endangered birds and bat has been entirely a community effort and a heartwarming experience. Our enthusiastic volunteers have put forth untold hours and expertise to bring HWC to life. HWC is truly an outcome of Aloha!
I volunteer at the Wildlife Center. The first time I went, I was given a tour of the facilities. I am really impressed with this state of the art place. It is amazing! I am also glad I have met such dedicated, knowledgeable and friendly staff! It is very important for Hawaii's future to have a place like this that will protect and preserve Hawaii's native wildlife.
Linda Elliott and her crew at the Hawai`i Wildlife Center an amazingly committed group. Linda spent more than 12 years getting this wildlife rehabilitation organization off the ground, then battled through the deepest recession our country has seen since the Great Depression raising money and awareness for the cause of protecting Hawai`i's endangered wildlife and building a state of the art facility to ensure the survival of these endangered species. Hawai`i has more endangered species than the rest of the country combined, and yet Hawai`i used to be the only state that did NOT have such a facility. No longer! Hawai`i's endangered species now have a much better chance of survival, thanks to the HWC. As a volunteer architect, as a donor, as a bird-lover, I feel so blessed to have met Linda and her team, and to have been able to play a role for such a critical cause.
The Hawai'i Wildlife Center is offering a critical service in rehabilitating injured and ill wildlife. Thank you for how hard and long you've worked to be able to provide the care that these native species need in order to be released back into the wild.
From the first day I started volunteering at the Hawaii Wildlife Center, I knew it was a special place. The energy in the garden is not unlike the feeling of being in Waipio, of returning home. The more time I spend here, the more I believe that the Hawaii Wildlife Center was destined to be. The proof of that can be seen by the continuous support from the community, to the efforts and backing from the other Hawaiian Islands and beyond. This place has a natural healing vitality and I feel so privileged to be a part of it. I am fortunate to be here at this time, as the facility is opening and growing in all directions. From the education side that offers children and adults a unique look into how life evolves and how our actions can affect the environment and the wildlife within it, to the opportunity to research our findings and most importantly to rescue and rehabilitate the sick and injured native species found in this part of the world. Linda Elliott’s vision truly is inspirational and an important part of the history and culture of Hawaii. Let’s keep it alive, let’s help it thrive!
A need for Hawaii & one person's passion have been realized in the dream facility that is the Hawaii Wildlife Center. With the dubious distinction as the "endangered species capital of the world," Linda Elliott has provided a ray of hope for Hawaii's wildlife through the Hawaii Wildlife Center. Many have contributed to the dream but the vision Linda has had from day one has never wavered. The combination of state-of-the-art rescue and rehabilitation facilities along with education and cultural awareness from vegetation to the building's design make for a Center for which all Hawaii - and the world - can be proud. Mahalo to Linda for her tenacity, to her board of directors for the their support and to her team at the HWC for providing hope for our children's future....and for Hawaii's wildlife!
The Hawaii Wildlife Center has done everything right . Through a variety of fundraising efforts they have built a state of the art facility for native birds, they have involved the community and its native culture from day one, they have not only focused on the much needed rehabilitation aspect of the mission (prior to the Hawaii Wildlife Center being built there was not a facility in the entire State of Hawaii that could take in the number of birds for rehabilitation in the event of a disaster such as an oil spill), but they have integrated education into the center, which is conveniently located behind the middle school in this rural island community. The Hawaii Wildlife Center has the capacity to build and shape a new generation of biologists and naturalists. It is not only a haven for wildlife, it is a much needed opportunity in this community, and the State, for children to experience and be a part of real science at work.
Linda Elliott is the best! Walks the walk and is there 100% of the time for the birds of the Pacific. She has been in this field for decades, thousands of miles all over the world rescuing birds, always with a cheerful face and warm heart to go with the skilled, industrious hands. P2
A great group of people work at the Hawaii Wildlife Center, a state of the art facility dedicated to supporting injured and needy Hawaiian wildlife. The care and dedication shown by the staff is an incredible model for the youth of Kohala and those who will visit from afar. The grounds are filled with Native Hawaiian plants, and the facility if filled with aloha for the creatures who populate these beautiful islands. Director and founder Linda Elliot is a leader with true passion and deep knowledge. Her consistent perseverance, along with the help of her Board and many volunteers, has been responsible for developing this much needed facility that will serve all of the Pacific come true.
Hawaii is a unique place and there are many things we take for granted as part of history and culture. The work that the Hawaii Wildlife Center does helps preserve today what we can share with generations to come. The Hawaii Wildlife Center is a state of the art native wildlife recover facility that restores Hawaii's indigenous birds and bats and returns them to the wild so they can prosper. Each employee at the Center has a passion for what they do. Also what makes the facility and the work that they do even more special, is that they also give back to the community, they support other organizations, and teach students about Hawaii wildife to the young and old so they may learn the value of what the Hawaii Wildlife Center is all about.