The Kohala Center Leaflet: Island Profile

: September 2005

Island Profile: Linda Elliott

The i'iwi was from an avian malaria study
at Pu'uwa'awa'a Forest bird sanctuary,
sponsored by the State of Hawai'i
Department of Land and Natural Resources,
Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

Linda Elliott has been immersed in wildlife response for over a decade, working in 17 oiled wildlife responses worldwide. As Rehabilitation Director for the world's largest and most successful oiled penguin response in South Africa, Linda was instrumental in releasing 93% of 20,000 treated penguins.

The hawks (i'o) were fledglings
that had fallen from their nest
and were unable to return.
They were raised and released
by Linda. They have been sighted
several times since their release.

She has been an energetic member of the Hawai'i Oiled Wildlife Area Contingency Plan Working Group since 1992. Linda has facilitated/presented numerous volunteer and first response training programs for Hawai'i, Midway Atoll, and Guam, and has developed response plans and protocols specifically for the Pacific. These include recent trainings at USFWS National Oil and Contaminants Training program, and the Hawai'i FWS 40-hour HAZWOPER Training.

Linda began her wildlife career with reptiles, birds, and mammals at the Honolulu Zoo, where she successfully ran the wildlife health center. She developed major improvements and standards for the care of captive animals at the Zoo and for a national resort corporation, including unique public-private partnerships for State conservation programs. She originated native wildlife rehabilitation programs for the State of Hawai'i, developing a permanent center for this program.

The owl, an injured pueo, was
rehabilitated by Linda and released
close to its discovery spot on the
Kohala Coast between Kawaihae and Hawi .

Linda is formerly the Hawai'i Audubon Society's Oiled Wildlife Program Director and Hawai'i and Pacific Islands Regional Response Coordinator for International Bird Rescue Research Center, respectively. As Avian Botulism Rehabilitation Director, she directed and provided care for two endangered and endemic species and several migratory species of water birds in 1994.

Linda helped design the State's first protocol to deal with outbreaks in the native avifauna. She works with the State of Hawai'i's Division of Forestry and Wildlife, studying avian malaria in Hawai'i's forest birds. Linda works with green sea turtles in a tagging and monitoring program with the Hawai'i office of the National Marine Fisheries Services. She co-produced an international seabird handling and by-catch mitigation educational poster and assisted the USFWS and NMFS to develop endangered short-tailed albatross and seabird handling protocols and training materials for the long-line fishing industry. She also participates on the Hawai'i West Nile Virus Prevention and Response Working Group.

Linda has been a dedicated conservation educator throughout her wildlife career, starting with public and school groups at the Honolulu Zoo. She hosted community education programs, developed educational displays and articles, and provided Hawai'i middle school students with mentoring programs at the wildlife facility at a large Hawai'i resort chain. Additionally, Linda instructed and designed programs for a noted ocean science course for 8-12 year olds.

Canada geese, recovered and
rehabilitated from the Lake Wabamun
oil spill, being released into the wild
earlier this month.

Linda has managed/directed 17 spill responses: the Metrolink, Long Beach, CA (Feb.1995); the Pribilof Islands/Citrus, Alaska (Feb. - March 1996); the Waiau Pipeline, O'ahu, Hawai'i (May - June 1996); the Cordigliera, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Nov.1996 - Jan. 1997); the Santa Cruz fish/vegetable oil (Oct. - Dec. 1997); Point Reyes Mystery spill #2 (Dec. 1997 - March 1998); the SPM Hose spill, O'ahu, Hawai'i (Sept. - Oct. 1998); the New Carissa, Coos Bay & Waldport, Oregon (Feb. - March 1999); the Stuyvesant, Humbolt Bay, California (Sept. 1999); the BEI Sulfuric Acid spill, O'ahu, Hawai'i (Dec. 1999); the Erika, Brittany France (Jan. 2000); the Treasure, Cape Town, South Africa (June - Sept. 2000); the Jessica, Galapagos Islands (Jan. 2001); the Ehime Maru 1 & 2, O'ahu, Hawai'i (Feb. & Aug. - Oct. 2001); the Prestige, Galicia, Spain (Nov. 2002 - Jan. 2003); and the CN Railway derailment, Wabamun Lake, Alberta, Canada (Aug. - Sept. 2005).

Linda Elliott holds BS in Wildlife Biology from Arizona State University.

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The Kohala Center
P.O. Box 437462
Kamuela, Hawaii USA 96743
Phone: 808 887-6411, Fax: 808 885-6707
Email: info@kohalacenter.org