L to r: Professor Emeritus of Animal, Veterinary and Aquatic Sciences Robert O. Hawes, Frankie Bozzino from Winterport, holding a Cochin Bantam that Bob had given him as a chick and Alice McKinstry Hawes

Dr. Robert O. Hawes and his wife, Alice, recently created an endowed fund at the University of Maine Foundation to support poultry projects in Maine 4-H clubs with a preference for projects involving heritage breeds. Dr. Hawes and Alice Hawes have been longtime supporters of poultry projects, Cooperative Extension, the Page Farm and Home Museum and 4-H Clubs in Maine. The Hawes’ poultry fund will support projects that provide learning experiences in areas such as business, entrepreneurship, record keeping, documentation, problem-solving, food safety, and animal husbandry for Maine youth. With Carolyn Christman of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Dr. Hawes co-authored “Birds of a Feather: Saving Rare Turkeys from Extinction.” As a result of his commitment to turkey conservation, he received, in 2003, the Bixby-Sponenburg Breed Conservation Award from the ALBC. In 2014, he was recognized by the American Poultry Association for his long-term commitment to the breeding and exhibiting of pure-bred poultry. Dr. Hawes has degrees from the University of Maine, the University of Massachusetts, and the Pennsylvania State University and is now Professor Emeritus of Animal, Veterinary and Aquatic Sciences at the University of Maine.