HEGPS Projects

Starting in 2009, HEGPS members and friends contributed to purchasing equipment and paying the costs associated with streaming and broadcasting the Hornby Eagles webcam. In addition, HEGPS volunteers donated their time and expertise to public education and data collection, plus building and maintaining the website and forum.

In July 2010, Phoenix died of acute aspergillosis at 76 days of age. With the outpouring of grief over her death, we began to promote and assist wildlife rehabilitation facilities such as Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) on Vancouver Island, the group that ensured Phoenix was examined and that her legacy would continue to benefit other wildlife in need of rescue.

HEGPS has been involved, directly or indirectly, with several rehabilitation facilities and several wildlife species. Our Hornby ground crew has responded to and rescued wildlife in crisis as the "Hornby Eagles Advanced Response Team" (HEART).

In 2010, 'Niner' and 'Brig' were recently fledged eaglets who were downed but rescued and taken to the MARS facility where they received treatment until released back to the wild later that summer. A third eaglet, 'Decker', was rescued and treated first at MARS, then spent several months at North Island Wildlife Recovery Association (NIWRA), also on Vancouver Island. Decker was released to the wild in July 2011.

In 2011, an orphaned seal pup was found on a rocky beach and taken to the IWNCC facility on Salt Spring Island - 'Oriole' was fattened up and released in October 2011. Another eaglet, 'Shredder' was rescued in July from Helliwell Park on Hornby Island and later released after rehab at MARS and O.W.L. in Delta, BC.

One member provided the formula for a nutritious milk replacer used by researchers at the North American Bear Center (NABC) when Hope the bear cub was abandoned (briefly) by her mother Lily . She has also formulated treatments for emaciated eagles rescued in British Columbia.

HEGPS members and friends volunteer at their local animal hospitals and rehab centers, demonstrating their commitment to providing care for individual wildlife.

Our live chat group (the Hornby Chatters) gathered online support that enabled two rehab facilities (Cascades Raptor Center and Badger Run Wildlife Rehab both in Oregon) to win new Toyota trucks.

Chatters and Facebook friends have also joined us in a variety of fundraisers to purchase rescue equipment and nutritional supplements used by rehab facilities in both Canada and the US.

HEGPS artists have designed and sold or auctioned artwork as part of several of our fundraisers. Others have donated items to various rehabs for their own fundraisers, or have auctioned off their art to support HEGPS.