KILAUEA — The public is invited to participate in two free events at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge in celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week, Oct. 14 through 20. Today, admission to the KPNWF is free from 10 a.m.
KILAUEA — The public is invited to participate in two free events at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge in celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week, Oct. 14 through 20.
Today, admission to the KPNWF is free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. People will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds while meeting the Blue Goose, mascot of the National Wildlife Refuge system, and exploring additional work being done for wildlife by other conservation groups. Visitors will also be able to have fun while learning about Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales and Kaua‘i’s endangered birds.
Some of the interactive crafts include creating a wildlife magnet and getting temporary tattoos, all while watching seabirds up close and being able to observe nene, or Hawaiian Goose, in their native habitat.
On Oct. 19, the public is invited to the Kilauea Theater for a free movie night starting at 6 p.m.
Supported by the Calvary Chapel, North Shore and the Kilauea Point Natural History Association, seating is limited and guests will be able to see lots of native footage and Kaua‘i scenery in Hawai‘i’s newest conservation film, “Endangered Hawai‘i,” followed by this year’s featured film.
During the week-long celebration, reservation required events fill the calendar including a Crater Hill Hike on Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to noon, escorted by a refuge ranger on the moderately strenuous hike to a remote portion of the refuge, where wildlife and breathtaking coastal views abound.
Oct. 16 will feature a reservations-required Hule‘ia Kayak Adventure with Outfitters Kaua‘i and Deputy Project Leader Michael Mitchell for a kayak paddle up the Hule‘ia river, enjoying a visit to the Hule‘ia National Wildlife Refuge to learn about wetland management in the “breadbasket” of old Kaua‘i. Cost is $10 per person.
Oct. 17 includes the Crater Hill and Mokolea Point hikes, another reservations required event, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. where local historian and refuge volunteer Gary Smith will lead the six-mile hike to a spectacular vantage point on the KPNWR. The hike is free and will reveal the rich history of the refuge and the past of Kilauea Town.
Oct. 18 is the Hanalei NWR Bird Tour with refuge biologist Kim Uyehara touring the Hanalei NWR and observing Hawai‘i’s endangered water birds in their native habitat and learning about steps being taken to aid their recovery. Reservations are required for this tour.
Oct. 19 is the “Hawai‘i’s Seabirds and Climate Change” hike led by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologist Beth Flint who will lead a moderately strenuous hike to a remote portion of the refuge where hikers will learn about Hawai‘i’s seabirds and climate change.
The week ends on Oct. 20 when Patrick Ching will share his “tricks of the trade” as he shares his passion for drawing Hawaiian wildlife during the drawing class with Ching. Visitors are invited to the KPNHA bookstore where Ching will be available to sign one of his books, or artwork.
For reservations on the “reservations required” events, call 635-6367.
The Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex is comprised of Hule‘ia, Hanalei and Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuges and is a part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a nationwide network of public lands set aside to protect wildlife.
The nation’s 556 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts offer Americans wonderful opportunities to fish, hunt, hike, or observe creatures in the wild, states a KPNWR release.
“Kaua‘i’s National Wildlife Refuges demonstrate dynamic components of natural and cultural resources which are being protected, restored and ‘perpetuated,’” Project Leader Shannon Smith said in the release.
By preserving and protecting America’s rich wildlife legacy, refuges benefit us in many ways.
The plants and animals they sustain help clean the air, filter the water, pollinate crops and remind us that we are part of the natural world. Without refuges, local communities would lose jobs and businesses that depend on refuge tourism.
Visitors to refuges like what they find there, states a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2012. Nine thousand out of 10,000 respondents to the survey reported satisfaction with refuge recreation, information and education, public service and conservation.
“Nowhere else do I feel such a deep sense of connection with the land, the plants and the wildlife,” one respondent said. “Visiting a refuge is truly a spiritual experience.”
Visit www.fws.gov/kilaueapoint and www.kilaueapoint.org from more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
