Learn more about Hakalau Forest
Getting involved, our Board of Directors, our annual meeting and more!
The Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge (FOHF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 2006 and devoted to helping the Refuge achieve its mission of conserving the flora and fauna of Hawaii. We provide vital fundraising, volunteer and advocacy support to help make Hakalau Forest NWR one of the most significant refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
FOHF has contributed directly to the quality of habitat at Hakalau Forest NWR by such efforts as providing volunteer labor to propagate and out-plant native trees and rare plants, conducting weed control efforts and by raising funds for the construction of much needed facilities including a 10,000 gallon tank to store water for the plant nursery and a new roof for the Volunteer Cabin.
FOHF is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who work to support the Refuge. The Board has a wealth of experience in history, biology, refuge management, nonprofit organization, education, law and information technology. The Board meets once a month in Hilo to receive updates from Refuge staff and decide how best to support current needs. Members wishing to attend should email via our CONTACT US page to confirm the meeting time and date. Our Annual Meeting is held each January in Hilo. Anyone interested in supporting FOHF is eligible for membership and can be considered for a committee position or the Board of Directors.
Restated FOHF bylaws can be found here. Our EIN number is 68-0634915.
Read about Hakalau Forest
Hana Hou, the Hawaiian Airlines magazine, profiles Baron Horiuchi, the Refuge horticulturist, in an article entitled “The Green Baron.”
A Return to the ‘Āina: Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge in Ke Ola magazine by Brittany Anderson.
Board Members
Debbie Anderson (President) is an entomologist by training but spent her career in marketing and advertising after earning an MBA at the University of Hawai’i. Debbie co-founded the annual Hawai’i Island Festival of Birds in 2016 to help draw national and international attention to Hawaii’s endangered endemic birds. The Festival brought many visitors to Hakalau for educational field trips.
Dr. Peter Stine (Vice President) has been involved in wildland conservation and management for over 40 years, from Florida, to the Pacific Northwest, Hawai’i, and California. The first half of his career was with the USFWS, including a 5 year assignment in Hawai‘i as the endangered species recovery coordinator. This work included the design and preparations for establishing Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. From 1984-1987 he worked closely with TNC and landowners to secure the sale of private lands to form the Refuge. For the last 20 years Dr. Stine been a research landscape ecologist with the Pacific Southwest Research Station of the US Forest Service in California.
Joe Vierra (Treasurer) was born and raised in Hawai’i. Joe graduated from M.I.T. with degree in Life Sciences. He is retired from Straub Hospital where he worked as a Critical Care Physician for 35 years. Joe has managed five rental properties on Kaua’i for the last 9 years. He has visited Hakalau Forest NWR for the past 25 years and continues to visit two to three times per year. Joe would like to help support the efforts to maintain and promote Hakalau Forest NWR in any way possible.
Susan Miyasaka (Secretary) is a retired professor of Agronomy from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, where she conducted research on alternative crops at the Komohana Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Hilo. She conducted three field trials at Hakalau NWR on mycorrhizal inoculation to determine whether early growth and survival of koa could be improved through this nursery practice. (Sadly, the answer was ‘no’, not under the environmental conditions at the Refuge.) Her hobby is photography and she enjoys the challenge of photographing native birds at Hakalau under the tutelage of Jack Jeffrey and has had prints accepted by the Hawaiʻi Nei Art Contest. She has been a member of Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR since 2010.
Members at Large
Dr. Patrick Hart is a Professor with the Department of Biology at UH Hilo in the LOHE Bioacoustics Lab. He received his undergraduate degree in Aquatic Biology for the University of California at Santa Barbara. He transitioned from a marine to a terrestrial focus when he entered graduate school at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, earning his Ph.D. with a focus on behavioral and community ecology fo native birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. He spent 3 years as a post-doc with the NSF-Funded Biocomplexity of Avian Disease project in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Jane Mayo is originally from York, PA, is retired as office manager/secretary/treasurer from a manufacturing service company, small business, that is focused on providing advanced design and build services to the automotive, defense, commercial and aerospace industries. Services include design and build of specialty machines, welders, gages, check fixtures, and progressive and multi-station dies. Additionally, the company is involved in the process of reverse engineering complex shapes and precision digital document conversions. Prior to that experience she worked in a family business as office manager of a manufactured housing development of 175 homes and ran a small sales office in the community. Jane’s activities & hobbies have included: riding instructor and judge for dressage and combined training; organized several horse shows; owning and lure coursing Scottish Deerhounds; birding in various countries; golf; travel. Living in Kohala by the Sea, she was chair of the Firewise Committee for several years. Since 2013 she has worked as a volunteer on the membership database for FOHF.
Dr. Alyssa MacDonald is a Biology Professor at Leeward Community College on O’ahu. She received her Ph.D. at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering with a focus on feed ingredients and their impact on the fish intestinal microbiome and health. While the majority of her work has been on fishes, she has a lifelong passion for birds that began in the forests of Western Massachusetts. She currently serves as the Technology Committee Chair and Newsletter Editor for the Friends of Hakalau Forest.
Bruce Omori is an international award-winning photographer and, along with his wife Sheryl, owns and operates Extreme Exposure Fine Art Gallery in downtown Hilo. Born and raised on Hawai’i Island, he grew up fascinated by the island’s beautiful flora, fauna, and volcanic activity, and documenting them has become his life’s passion. Prior to moving back to Hilo in 2005, Bruces was a mechanical designer and partner in an engineering firm on O’ahu, where he worked for 24 years. He is the official photographer for the Merrie Monarch Festival and spends his free time caring for his avocado orchard and chasing lava, honeycreepers, and storms.
Sharon Scott was born and raised in southern California, and lived on the Big Island for 10 years (1974-84) during which time she worked with her husband Mike Scott on the Hawaii Forest Bird Survey. The data from that survey was what identified Hakalau as a “hotspot” for Endangered birds. Back on the mainland she worked for 20 years as a student adviser at the University of Idaho, but has stayed interested in Hakalau, and since retirement she and Mike started and raised funds for the Hakalau Forest Management Endowment.
Bill Stormont was born in Honolulu and raised ina long-time kama’āina family on the east side of Hawai’i Island. He is kānaka maoli, keiki o ka ‘āina, a proud Hilo High Viking, and earned his B.S. in Wildland Recreation Management for the University of Idaho. He has been deeply involved in the protection and management of watersheds, native ecosystems, recreational resources, and historic and sacred landscapes across Hawai’i Island and the state during his nearly 40-year professional career. This includes serving as: Program Manager of the DLNR’s Natural Area Reserves System (NARS) program; coordinator for DLNR’s response to Rapid ‘Ōhi’a Death on Hawai’i Island; statewide Manager for the Nā Ala Hele Train and Success Program; along with various other management positions within DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife. From 2001-2008 he served as the first permanent director of the newly-created UHH Office of Mauna Kea Management and has returned to Mauna Kea, currently serving as Project Director for DLNR’s Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority.
Phil Tinguely, President of Tinguely Development, Inc. (TDI), is a 35-year Kona resident and businessman. In addition to pursuing conventional development opportunities in the residential and commercial sectors and is currently working with numerous community service providers including the Salvation Army, YWCA, and Hope Services. Tinguely Development is also focusing efforts to help address the “affordable housing” and “homeless” crisis having aligned with the Hawai’i Island Community Development Corp. and (Phil) as a Board Member on the Housing and Land Enterprise of Hawai’i County (HALE O HAWAI’I), LAND TRUST. Both entities actively working on projects on the Hawai’i Island. He has also worked on construction projects at the Hawaii Wildlife Center in North Kohala, several charter schools in Kona and Waimea, the Hawai’i Island Humane Society Animal Shelter and Vet Clinic in Kona, and several other non-profit organizations.
Peter T Young was born and raised on O‘ahu. After 25-years in private real estate practice, he entered public service, first as Deputy Managing Director of Hawaiʻi County (2000-2003) then as Director/Chairperson of the State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and Chairperson of the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) (2003-2007). Starting in 2007, and continuing today, he operates Ho‘okuleana LLC, a real estate planning and consulting firm. In 2023, the Honpa Hongwanji designated Peter T. Young a Living Treasure of Hawai‘i. Some other awards he has received include, Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance’s Outstanding Leadership Award; Hawaiʻi Audubon Society’s President’s Award; Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s Individual Achievement Award; and American Red Cross (West Hawai‘i) Volunteer of the Year and Clara Barton Leadership Award. Since 2011, Peter has posted daily historical summaries calling attention to people, places and events in Hawai‘i’s past. These are on social media and at www.ImagesOfOldHawaii.com.
Chris Yuen is Hilo born and bred. From St. Josephs to Stanford (Biology) to the State University of New York (Masters Forestry) to UH Law; Chris then then dabbled in private practice, Deputy Corporate Counsel, County Planning Director and became the owner of a 20-acre certified organic farm. Along the way he has served his community in many ways: two 8 year terms on the State Land Board (where he helped negotiate the Awake`e-Manini`owali land exchange and a revision of the conservation district rules), Vice President of Ka ‘Ahahui o Pu’uwa’awa’a and Friends of Makalawena. Chris has planted trees at the Refuge and has been involved in a number of pro bono efforts representing access and sensitive area protection.
