State of the Society For 2008

By John Harrison, President

continued, page 2

Freeman Seabird Preserve: Most members and friends of HAS by now are well aware of the acquisition by HAS of the one-acre coastal property at Black Point, on O`ahu`s southeast coastline. This parcel has long been a nesting area for a colony of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (`ua`u kani, Puffinus pacificus), and the preservation and restoration of this unique native ecosystem will help this state- and federally-protected species at a time when habitat and other resources are becoming scarce. The seabirds nest during the months between March and December, leaving January and February available for major habitat restoration work. During the past year, under close supervision by HAS First Vice President Wendy Johnson, Board members and volunteers made numerous service visits to the Preserve, clearing overgrown and invasive vegetation, opening up blocked Shearwater burrows, cleaning and removing litter and trash, establishing and servicing predator (rats/mice/mongoose) control bait stations, and creating barriers to prevent Shearwaters from burrowing under neighboring fences. A Shearwater population survey begun in October 2008 with the assistance of Dr. Holly Friefeld, Dr. David Hyrenbach, and graduate students from Hawai`i Pacific University provided a baseline for continuing studies of the bird population in the Preserve. During a recent update of the population survey, Dr Hyrenbach reported an increase in the number of active nests from 64 to 78. The research team followed progress in 30 of the nests this year and reported hatching success of 70%. Only one of the hatched chicks in the monitored nests died, and the rest gained mass and presumably fledged successfully.

Final preparations were concluded during the latter part of 2009 for the first phase of major landscape improvements, which began on schedule after New Years Day this year. Improvements completed during 2009 included repair and extension of the rock wall adjacent to the road and installation of a new gate. Generous gifts have helped considerably in the early phases of site work, and a concerted fundraising effort to continue the work was launched at the beginning of December 2009. By year's end, we were well on our way to meeting our goal of raising $30,000 to fully cover the costs of the first phase of landscaping and habitat restoration efforts, and we look forward to a successful completion of that fundraising effort by the end of March. As well, HAS looks forward to creating graduate student research opportunities at the preserve to monitor and study seabird population dynamics and nesting behavior and success. The preserve offers excellent possibilities for establishing remote, web-based observation platforms for observing nesting and rearing activities, and records collected by these and other methods would form the basis for further educational products and presentations.

Educational Outreach: The `Elepaio is the central component of the Society's educational outreach efforts, and HAS published nine issues of the journal `Elepaio in 2009. This publication is mailed to all HAS members, subscribers such as libraries, and a number of complimentary recipients such as exchange institutions and other conservation organizations. Distribution of the `Elepaio spans the U.S. and includes international recipients. Volume 69 included six peer-reviewed scientific articles, all of which first were published in `Elepaio. A special acknowledgement is due to Ron Walker for coordinating with scientists to elevate the profile of `Elepaio as an important voice of ornithological literature. Throughout the year, `Elepaio also included nine educational articles and news releases, two book reviews, historic literature, poetry, six program reports, event listings, announcements, and other important news of the Society.

Operating under the auspices of the Society, The Pacific Fisheries Coalition (PFC) program, under the direction of Linda Paul, has produced a variety of reports, publications, brochures, posters, and curriculum materials on marine resources in Hawai`i and the Pacific. These products are distributed to the general public, students, fishermen, resource managers and policy makers throughout the U.S. and internationally.

The HAS website, www.hawaiiaudubon.com, is a comprehensive source for up-to-date information relating to HAS and its mission. It provides access to electronic versions of the `Elepaio, field trip and program meeting announcements, grant and scholarship application guidelines and deadline reminders, information on projects and activities, HAS membership information, an online store of HAS products, extensive information on birding in Hawai`i, a gallery of beautiful bird photos, and links to a number of related organizations and issues.