The 2009-2010 Jack Jeffrey Conservation Education Grant

The following grant is closed for the 2009 cycle.

The Jack Jeffrey Conservation Education Grant will be awarded each year, pending available funds, to honor Jack’s commitment to conservation education. Up to $1000 will be awarded for the proposal that best fits the criteria and spirit of the grant. Deadline for applications: December 1, 2009.

Projects should contribute toward the conservation education of Big Island students, teachers, residents and/or visitors of all ages and should focus on native terrestrial species/ecosystems of the Big Island, preferably those occurring at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. Funds may be requested for materials, supplies, travel, labor and other items appropriate for the proposed work. Partnership projects with other organizations and agencies and projects that include in-kind contributions will be given preference. 

See below for more details about the grant and application instructions.

A long time resident of the Big Island, photographer, and retired wildlife biologist, Jack Jeffrey is intimately familiar with Hawaii's hidden valleys and remote rainforests. Jack moved to Hawaii in 1974 and began a life dedicated to the protection and preservation of Hawaii’s endemic birds. He started working as a biologist conducting forest bird surveys for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1978, and from 1990 to 2009 was the senior wildlife biologist at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the Big Island. 

Jack has long been a strong proponent of conservation education and outreach. Over the past 30 years Jack has provided hundreds of informational presentations about Hawaii’s avifauna, and led thousands of volunteers, students, and members of the general public on informative nature hikes at Hakalau Forest NWR and in other forests throughout Hawaii to increase awareness of the conservation and management of Hawaii's unique natural heritage.

Jack has received several prestigious awards including: The National Wildlife Refuge Employee of the year (1997), Hawaii Audubon Society Conservationist of the Year Award (1998), Hawaii Sierra Club Conservationist Award (1999), The National Sierra Club Ansel Adams’ Award for Conservation Photography (2002), The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii Kako’o Aina Award for Conservation Education (2007), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Recovery Champion Award (2009). 
Jack has co-authored several books and his photographs of Hawaii’s native birds have been featured in numerous local, national, and international magazines, books, and calendars. Upon Jack’s retirement in December 2008 from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service he was asked about a retirement gift and his reply was “something to give back to the Refuge”. Thus in lieu of a personal gift, monetary gifts were given to the Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR (FOHF) in honor of Jack Jeffrey to establish a fund to promote conservation education and outreach on the Island of Hawaii.

See above for background info and other details about applying for this grant. Proposals should include a one-page narrative description of the proposed work and expected results, plus a separate itemized budget which identifies other potential sources of funding and in-kind contributions, if applicable.

Applications must be submitted to Friends Of Hakalau Forest by December 1, 2009 via email to friendsofhakalauforest@gmail.com as Word or PDF attachments. Recipient(s) will be announced at the Annual meeting of FOHF in early 2010. Questions about the grant should be addressed to Pat Hart (pjhart@hawaii.edu) or Creighton Litton (litton@hawaii.edu).