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 helps to fill in the gaps in the programs administered by the Refuge team by providing funding and Friends Group staffing to support a variety of refuge priorities. 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
“Lightning Lights: The Need for Speed”
Presented by James Woodward, Lighthouse Consultant
Our Princeville Moʻolelo free lecture series will continue on Tuesday, April 21st as we take a look back in time at the history of our beloved beacon, with a talk from the consultant leading the current storm restoration work on the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse.
James “Woody” Woodward will discuss the evolution of the mercury float lighthouse lens. But first he will introduce us to the overall history of mercury: where does it come from, early uses of it, later and modern uses, as well. It is still with us. In 1825, Augustine Fresnel wrote in his engineering notes that the best way to rotate his device was to “float it” in a bowl of mercury. Unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough to see his idea turn into a reality. It would take another 65 years before the world would see his idea become a reality…and what a reality it was. Suddenly, a one-or-three-thousand-pound lighthouse lens could be rotated at 8-10 revolutions every minute instead of the one revolution every 8-10 minutes, which was the old standard for mechanical systems.
Free Lecture: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 5:00-6:30pm
Princeville Community Center and on Zoom.
2026 Daniel Moriarty Memorial Scholarship Application Process Open
We are now accepting applications for annual scholarships in honor of Daniel Moriarty, an environmental educator and conservationist who played a major role in developing Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. Students studying biology, botany, zoology, natural history and related subjects are encouraged to apply.
Applications are due April 30th.
Join us for Charity Walk on May 2nd and Walk for our Wildlife!
Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges is participating in the 2026 Kauaʻi Charity Walk on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Vidinha Stadium. This event provides a great opportunity to support our mission, make your generosity go even further and, if you’re interested, a wonderful stroll around Līhu‘e!
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.
The finished mural will be installed on the retaining wall that begins outside the Visitor Center at Kīlauea Point NWR.
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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