Three projects protecting endangered and threatened species in Hawaii are each receiving about $250,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The federal agency said last week it is providing funds to a state Department of Land and Natural Resources program to restore a self-sustaining population of alala, or Hawaiian crow, to Hawaii island. The project will release captive-bred crows to the wild. It also will keep the release sites free of predators and weeds.

A Hawaii island project helping 18 species including the io, or Hawaiian hawk, within the Kau Forest Reserve is also receiving money. This program will control invasive species and restore habitat.

The third beneficiary is a program to prevent the extinction of rare Hawaiian land snails in the Koolau mountains of Oahu.

Other recent grants:

» Waikiki Health (previously Waikiki Health Center) has received a grant of $90,000 from McInerny Foundation (Bank of Hawaii, trustee) toward primary care for those who are uninsured and underserved, including patients at the agency’s newest facility: Makahiki Medical and Dental Clinic, now being established in McCully-Moiliili.

In 2012, Waikiki Health served 9,315 patients, of whom 72 percent were poor or had low income, and 41 percent were homeless.

The number of patients who visited the agency increased 62 percent over two years: In 2010, Waikiki Health saw 5,733 patients.

Waikiki Health’s established primary care clinics and outreach programs include the Ohua Clinic in Waikiki, PATH Clinic in Kaimuki, Next Step Shelter (an emergency homeless shelter in Kakaako), Care-A-Van in Kaimuki and Youth Outreach in Waikiki; drop-in centers and clinics serving the homeless; medically equipped vehicles that reach out to homeless across Oahu; and Friendly Neighbors, offering assistance to older seniors. Visit www.waikikihealth.org.

» The Mediation Center of the Pacific has received a $5,000 grant from Friends of Hawaii Charities to support its Kupuna Pono program.

The nonprofit program was created to help families engage in difficult conversations, and prevent or resolve conflicts that arise around the care of the elder member, with the assistance of impartial mediators. In a news release, the Mediation Center’s executive director, Tracey Wiltgen, said: "When families are faced with the challenges of caring for an aging family member, conflicts often become more emotional and escalate."

"With Hawaii’s growing elder population, this program is a critical resource for families," Wiltgen added.

» Dr. Linda-Jane Irwin has donated a perpetual conservation easement to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust over 32,000 square feet of her property on Wright Road in Volcano.

According to a news release issued by the trust, Irwin’s small parcel is part of a larger effort by HILT and community members in Volcano to protect kipuka, or small oases of intact forest canopy, in an area that is increasingly being developed. These oases provide green corridors for birds, butterflies and other insects to use while moving around the forest and onto adjacent protected lands such as Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Kahauale‘a Natural Area and Ola‘a Forest Reserve.

Irwin’s donation brings to four the total number of conservation easements secured by HILT in its Kipuka Mosaic Project.

Regarding the conservation transaction, Irwin said, "When I purchased the property next to my home in 2004 I immediately knew that this wonderful native ohi‘a forest should be preserved in perpetuity. Finally, the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust’s Kipuka Mosaic Project has become a reality and I am delighted to add my parcel to this beautifully conceived idea."

To date, the land trust has protected 17,500 acres statewide.