A non-profit Friends Group supporting the three national wildlife refuges located on Kauaʻi.
Together, Friends can do so much…
Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges (FKWR) serves as a nonprofit “Friends Group,” supporting the environmental and wildlife conservation, historic preservation and community education programs of the Kauaʻi National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex, which are administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and includes Kīlauea Point NWR, Hanalei NWR and Hulēʻia NWR.
Our organization seeks to help by offsetting operational expenses and providing in-kind staffing assistance. Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges also manages the Friends Nature Store and Visitor Center at Kīlauea Point NWR, supports environmental education programs, administers an annual scholarship, conducts community outreach and much more!
Current Events, News and Activities
We are Hiring
We have several positions currently available including:
Nature Store Associate
Maintenance & Habitat Restoration Specialist
Shark Awareness & Advocacy
Presented by Mike Coots
Our Princeville Moʻolelo free lecture series will continue Tuesday, June 16th as we welcome Mike Coots.
From surviving a harrowing shark attack to becoming a one of Earth’s staunchest advocate for sharks, Mike's journey is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the power of turning tragedy into triumph.
Join us as he shares his story and his amazing photographs - and inspires us to rethink our relationship with these apex predators of the sea.
Free Lecture: Tuesday, June 16th, 5:00-6:30pm
Princeville Community Center and on Zoom.
Hawaiian waterbirds are facing an extinction crisis.
It has recently been estimated that state-wide waterbird counts are falling at alarming rates. We need to act now to ensure that our refuges have the resources they need to support these critically endangered populations. Our partners at Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture recently published an info sheet detailing this crisis.
Ka Pae ʻĀina O Hawaiʻi Nei
“Ka Pae ʻĀina O Hawaiʻi Nei” is a culturally centered educational program and a community created mosaic mural that is being developed through a collaboration with the Garden Island Arts Council.
The place-based inspired mural is being developed through a series of community workshops, in which volunteers will help to create an 80-foot-long by 4-foot-high mosaic mural.
The mural will depict the topography of the entire Hawaiian Archipelago, helping us tell the geographic and cultural story of these islands and atolls, how the High Hawaiian Islands fit within this long history, and how these protected lands and waters serve as a refuge for a wide variety of native Hawaiian wildlife species.
UPDATE: The finished mural is currently being installed on the retaining wall at Kīlauea Point NWR. The Refuge will be formally presenting this gift to the public on June 6th. Make a reservation and plans to join us!
Lighthouse Repairs due to Storm Damage
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has announced the start of a project for storm damage repairs to the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse (located on the refuge). Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located at the northern-most point of the major Hawaiian islands and one of three refuges within the Kauaʻi NWR Complex, provides one of the most important seabird habitat sites in the State of Hawai‘i and is home to the iconic lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. The refuge also hosts nearly 500,000 visitors annually.
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