We recently discovered Hawai'i Wildlife Center when looking for ways we could volunteer during our vacation on the Big Island. This amazing facility rehabilitates native Hawaiian birds, and the Hoary Bat, for release back into the wild. We are excited to tell you about our time spent exploring and to share with you how our family was able to give back to help the animals. We hope you'll consider stopping by Hawaii Wildlife Center if you are ever on the Big Island. We are so glad we did!
Hawaii,  Pay It Forward,  Travel

Giving Back on Vacation: Hawai’i Wildlife Center, Big Island

February 11, 2019 / 46 Comments
Share
Tweet
Pin192
192 Shares

When most people think of Hawaii, one of the first things that come to mind are the unique wildlife that call it home. We do for sure! Animals are a big deal in our family… our daughter actually wants to be a wildlife rehabilitator. She loves nothing more than caring for animals and it is contagious.

This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

We are no strangers to our local wildlife rehabilitation center! We’ve participated in their education programs, donated supplies, made enrichment treats and have even taken in four different animals for care.

Nashville Warbler we brought to our local wildlife rehab center.
Nashville Warbler we brought to our local wildlife rehab center.

My daughter’s love of animals once even convinced me to stop on the side of the road to make sure there were no babies inside a dead possum. Yup! We were actually coming home from a funeral so I wound up investigating the scene in a pencil skirt and high heals (I’m serious). My efforts were fruitless except for easing her mind.

When looking for ways to volunteer on the Big Island, I came across Hawai’i Wildlife Center, a rehabilitation center that specializes in Hawaii’s native birds and the Hawaiian Hoary Bat. The animals being rehabilitated are protected by laws, so volunteering with them was not an option… but bringing supplies off their wish list was!

Hawai'i Wildlife Center, Kapa‘au, HI
Hawai’i Wildlife Center, Kapa‘au, HI

Hawai’i Wildlife Center not only cares for sick or injured wildlife, they also wish to educate others on the importance of their work and the species they help. The center is home to the Ho‘opūlama Science and Discovery Center which is full of information and hands-on learning stations about the center’s patients and the care they receive.

There is also a gift shop full of items from local artists as well as Hawai’i Wildlife Center apparel. So many lovely bird (and bat) gifts to choose from and your purchase helps support a great cause.

Native plant garden.
Native plant garden.

My family really enjoyed spending time at Hawai’i Wildlife Center and I’m excited to share our visit with you! The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. We learned about birds we had never seen before.

I hope our experience will inspire travelers to the Big Island, to stop in and take a moment to get to know this amazing place and the creatures they help.

We recently discovered Hawaii Wildlife Center when looking for ways to volunteer during our vacation on the Big Island. This amazing facility rehabilitates native Hawaiian birds, & the Hoary Bat, for release back into the wild. Read all about our time spent exploring and how we were able to give back to help the animals. #hawaiibirds #wildliferehab #hawaiistatebird #givingback #volunteeronvacation #payitforward #volunteering #hawaii #bigisland #hawaiilife #hawaiivacation #venturehawaii #gohawaii

Don’t forget to check out our list of Over 50 Amazing Resources for Kids, All About Hawai’i!

A Peek Inside the Center

Please note, Hawai’i Wildlife Rehab does not offer tours to the public, nor are visitors (including us) allowed to see the wildlife patients in their care. We would like to thank Hawai’i Wildlife Center for giving us special access to tour inside their facility. Mahalo for your kindness and dedication towards preserving Hawaii’s stunning wildlife.

Hawai’i Wildlife Center is a beautiful 4,500 square foot facility that sits on two acres of gorgeous tropical land. It is the only facility of its kind in the Pacific Islands Region. The center helps animals on all of the Hawaiian islands and even goes as far as the Kure and Midway Atoll. 90% of the native wildlife they help are either federally threatened/endangered or are high on the list of species in need of conservation.

Food prep and kitchen area.
Food prep and kitchen area.

There are lots of mouths to feed, so a well equipped food prep area is a must! Many of the patients are seabirds, and fish are a large part of their diet. For younger birds, the fish are made into a “soup” and fed through a syringe to mimic how they’d be fed in the wild.

Patient care area.
Patient care area.

Taking care of so many unique animals requires a lot of organization and record keeping, not to mention dedicated volunteers! Thankfully, Hawai’i Wildlife Center has plenty of amazing people helping and lots of room to house patients, store supplies and keep things running smoothly.

Outside there are enclosures to house wildlife that are well enough to be back out in the elements. Some enclosures even have large pools designed to allow seabirds a safe space to regain strength on the water before release.

Hawai’i Wildlife Center frequently shares updates and videos of patients and releases on Facebook Instagram and Twitter. The birds are pretty adorable!

Tweezers and hemostats we donated.
Tweezers and hemostats we donated.

Hawai’i Wildlife Center offers many education and outreach programs. Some of the items on their wish list were requested for use with them. We decided to donate tweezers and hemostats to help eliminate the need to share what they already had between patient care and educational uses.

After our tour, we were curious to know more about the work Hawai’i Wildlife Center does and the animals it treats. Luckily, they have a beautiful exhibit outside, just waiting to be explored!

Are you headed to Hawaii? If so, be sure to check out our post What to Pack for Hawaii ~ Top 10 Things You Don’t Want to Forget

Ho‘opūlama Science and Discovery Center

The Ho‘opūlama Science and Discovery Center is an open-air exhibit that is full of information about Hawai’i’s native birds and the work they do to protect and heal them.

Outdoor Ho‘opūlama Science and Discovery Center
Outdoor Ho‘opūlama Science and Discovery Center

On display are gorgeous, life-like sculptures, carved by Japanese artist, Haruo Uchiyama, featuring a variety of Hawaii’s forest birds. The carvings are SO detailed and you are close enough to be able to really appreciate how beautiful they are.

Haruo Uchiyama has recently begun work on sculptures to be included in the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. Uchiyama’s carvings are so accurate he has actually been able to help people who are visually impaired “see” birds by holding them. That is pretty incredible!

Haruo Uchiyama carving.
Haruo Uchiyama carving.

The Micro Lab station was a big hit with the kids. There are samples of parasites (yuck!) and feathers which can be viewed on a large screen using a “wand” which magnifies the specimen.

Fun at the Micro Lab station.
Fun at the Micro Lab station.

There are also interactive screens where you can try your skill at diagnosing patients with problems often seen at Hawai’i Wildlife Center. It is definitely very tricky.

Nene Goose

One of our favorite displays was all about Hawaii’s State Bird, the Nene. We fell in love with these endangered geese after our first trip to Hawaii. We learned about them before visiting Haleakala National Park, on Maui, however weren’t lucky enough to see any then.

Nene are endemic to the islands and have made a major comeback from the brink of extinction. Shockingly, around the 1940s and 1950s there were less than 50 left in the wild.

Nene Goose wall photo at Hawai'i Wildlife Center.
Nene Goose wall photo at Hawai’i Wildlife Center.

Nenes are herbivores and their favorite berry in the wild is the ‘Ohelo. During their stay at the rehab center they eat a variety of fresh greens and berries.

Looks pretty tasty.
Looks pretty tasty.

During this trip to the Big Island, we were very fortunate to finally see Nene in the wild. I was SO excited and grateful for the opportunity. We actually took a drive (in the rain) near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park specifically in search of these adorable geese. I was determined to see Nene and my husband was such a good sport! Their honking and chatter was so sweet and was loud enough for us to hear from our distant lookout. Such a great memory.

Nene we saw near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Nene we saw near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park!

If you are lucky enough to see Nene in the wild, please remember to keep your distance and do not approach, feed or interact with them. Nene are endangered and are protected by law. They are counting on you to help keep them wild and free!

The work Hawai’i Wildlife Center does to rehabilitate sick or injured Nenes is of great importance to help their population continue to thrive. Mahalo!

Truly Thankful

We are so grateful to Hawai’i Wildlife Center for allowing us to take a peek inside their facility and for teaching us so much. You inspired my daughter and she is happy to know there are so many other people who love animals as much as she does. She actually “adopted” a Nene plush while we were in Hawaii.

Enjoying the native plant garden.

With so much to see and learn, we hope you will consider giving back to Hawai’i Wildlife Center if you are ever on the Big Island. Your donation, support and willingness to learn is very important to the species, and people, that call Hawaii home.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, wish lists, hours and directions or how to make a monetary donation please visit the Hawai’i Wildlife Center’s website.

Want all the latest news and patient updates?! Be sure to follow Hawai’i Wildlife Center on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Read about our other Hawaiian adventures:

Big Island

Maui

Be sure to check out our Top 30 Gift Ideas for Travelers. It is full of unique ideas to give to those in your life who love to travel… or to add to your own personal carry-on. We’ve even included the one item we won’t go to Disney without, it might surprise you!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtvuDK9lhqm/

Share
Tweet
Pin192
192 Shares

You May Also Like

Kona House Condo, Big Island, Hawaii
January 16, 2019
The Best Luau in Maui ~ The ‘Aha’aina Wailea Luau, at Grand Wailea Resort
April 10, 2020
Does Maui Have a Cat Cafe? Yes! Check Out CAT CAFE MAUI Now!
February 23, 2023

46 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.