Hawaii Audubon Society

HAWAI`I AUDUBON SOCIETY RECEIVES GIFT OF COASTAL LAND

Black Point site home to protected native Wedge-tailed Shearwater seabird colony

An announcement was made at the Hawai`i Audubon Society's Annual Awards Dinner on Monday, October 15, of the gift of a one-acre Black Point site that is home to a large colony of protected native Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ua`u Kani). Mr. and Mrs. Houghton Freeman deeded the property to the Society for the purpose of establishing the Freeman Seabird Preserve for the protection of native birds, plants and habitat. The Officers and Directors of the Hawai`i Audubon Society are deeply grateful to the Freeman family for their selfless generosity and commitment to support our natural resources conservation and education mission.

The Society intends to monitor the seabirds and their nesting activities and to control seabird predators. Habitat restoration and maintenance will include removal of alien species, debris and trash. The Society also plans to create opportunities for scientific research as well as bird watching and education for members of the Society, the Black Point Community Association and their guests. Access to the property will be limited however, especially during the active nesting season from March thru mid-December. The Society is looking forward to working with the community as the planning proceeds.

Planned improvements include installation of interpretive signage and upgrading existing trails. Much of the work will be performed by volunteers. The Society will be requesting assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A Freeman Seabird Preserve Advisory Board will be established, which will include representatives from the Society, the Black Point Community Association, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the State Department of Land & Natural Resources.

In September of 2006, before the land was donated, about 30 fragile Shearwater nests were accidentally destroyed at the site and volunteers from the Society and other organizations rallied to tend the orphaned chicks twice daily for three months. Each chick was fed and monitored under the careful direction of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service personnel. Amazingly, 26 of the 31 orphaned chicks survived and left their burrows to join the colony's annual migration. Society Vice-President Wendy Johnson said, "The Freeman Seabird Preserve will ensure the safety of future generations of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Our challenge is to create an endowment to fund this site in perpetuity." Contributions may be made to the Hawaii Audubon Society's Freeman Seabird Preserve fund.