Causes: Animal Protection & Welfare, Animals

Mission: The organization's primary purpose is to protect & perpetuate the endangered hawaiian monk seal through: (1) education through public events, school programs & media relations to increase the local community & visitor awareness of the hawaiian monk seal; (2) by developing, training and maintaining a volunteer network; & (3) by assisting federal, state and non government organizations' efforts in the recovery of the hawaiian monk seal in the wild.

Programs: During 2012, the organization spent $38,143 in grant monies received from noaa. The primary objective of the grant monies is to enhance noaa's mission in the recovery of the hawaiian monk seal in accordance with marine mammal protection act and the endangered species act. The organization accomplished this by preventing disburstance of seals through public outreach and education during responses to monk seal events such as haul outs, molting, pupping, hookings and other injuries, sightings, relocations and husbandry via the recruiting, training & scheudling of volunteers to respond to the above events. The organization recruited and trained 210 volunteers who logged over 10,500 hours of volunteer beach response on the islands of oahu & molokai. The volunteers also manned booths at 11 fairs and other events and logged over 100 hours in school classrooms to present our educational dvd about the hawaiian monk seal. Seven volunteers were sent to the marine mammal center in marin, ca to receive advanced training in captive seal care. We also assisted noaa in their two bi-annual seal count days by recruiting, training & scheduling volunteer counters for those days.