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State of the Society For 2010
By John Harrison, President
continued, page 5
Products:Hundreds of As noted earlier, product sales are a vital component of HAS's annual income stream, and we are grateful to Ron Walker for the many hours he has devoted to processing and filling the steady stream of PayPal orders that come in on a regular basis. Sales of the 2 disc CD set of Voices of Hawaii's Birds which became available in July of 2009, culminating many years of hard work by HAS, Dr. Doug Pratt, and the Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory, have been brisk. This audio companion to HAS's book, Hawaii's Birds, includes unique recordings of species which, sadly, no longer are found, such as the Kama`o, `O`u, the Kauai `O`o, and probably the Po`o-uli. Hawaii's Birds remains the definitive, full color, soft cover field guide published by HAS. Now in its sixth edition, this field guide serves as an important educational tool for thousands of residents, visitors, educators, and decision makers. Other educational products produced by HAS include the Hidden Treasures of O`ahu map featuring locations and detailed information on sites for exploring nature and ancient Hawaiian culture, Hawaii's Rare and Endangered Birds art collection greeting cards with artwork by Patrick Ching, current checklists of the Birds of Hawai`i, Micronesia, and the Mariana Islands, a field check card of Hawaii's birds, and the Edge of Forever poster, an art-quality, limited edition print featuring two endangered nėnė. HAS also offers several T-shirt designs, an embroidered patch featuring the `Elepaio, and polo shirts embroidered with the HAS logo. Sales proceeds go to support HAS efforts to protect and conserve native species and habitats in Hawai`i and the Pacific.
Looking to the Future:: HAS Officers, Directors, and other leaders gather every year in January for the Annual Chapter Leaders' Retreat to discuss the state of HAS and how best to guide the organization in the coming year. The Retreat offers an annual opportunity to assess and evaluate the progress made towards meeting our mission goals in the prior year, while laying out plans and goals for the future. I was We are proud to introduce five new Board members for 2011, all highly qualified and eager to get started on the work of HAS.
The Hawaiian Islands often are called the endangered species capital of the nation, drawing attention to the State's disproportionate share of both listed species in peril and historical extinctions. As noted earlier, many HAS activities serve to either directly support recovery efforts or to offer educational outreach to raise local and national awareness of endangered species issues. Through the programs and activities of HAS, the community has opportunities to become involved in some of the most pressing conservation issues of our time, including but not limited to ongoing efforts to control invasive species, the struggle to ensure the survival of Palila in the Big Island, and the challenge of bringing additional resources to bear on the recovery of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Looking back on 71 years of continuous dedication by HAS members to solving environmental conservation challenges we face in Hawai`i, our commitment, expertise, and hard work have built an impressive record of accomplishment. Taking full advantage of the resourcefulness of our membership, as well as the incredible opportunities we have to pursue effective conservation at the FSP and elsewhere, we anticipate another year of exciting challenges and accomplishments as well as continued opportunities to build and expand conservation partnerships. On behalf of my fellow Officers and Directors, I sincerely thank each and every one of our members and supporters, and look forward to effective and sustaining accomplishments in this, our 72nd year of operations.