The Nature Conservancy in Hawai'i and Palmyra

Safeguarding ocean resources and ensuring thriving ocean ecosystems benefits all of us—and is essential to the coastal communities that rely on nearshore fisheries for sustenance and coral reefs for coastal protection. Across the world, local communities are leading efforts to restore and protect these resources using traditional knowledge and practices refined through centuries of observation. Today, modern technology allows these communities to easily integrate and analyze local, indigenous and modern fishery data and management options to ensure the long-term health of these valuable resources. Introducing FishKit 🎣 🐟 FishKit is an easy-to-use, science-based decision-making app that puts local fishery data and management interventions at users’ fingertips. 🐟 FishKit promotes transparent decision-making and management interventions that have proven to work in small-scale fisheries. 🐟 Applying FishKit can help to ensure that harvest levels are sustainable, so fishery populations are able to replenish. Learn how local leaders and fishers are using FishKit to develop and implement sustainable fisheries management plans in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, and how to use the free online app at: https://lnkd.in/eaiF9VPa. #Fisheries #OceanMonth #FishPono

Mahalo nui loa to Claire Reilly and Oliver Dunn for their six months as Conservation Science Volunteers at Palmyra Atoll 🏝️ 🐠 🦀 Claire and Oliver’s dedication, hard work, and positive attitude made a significant impact on our projects at Palmyra Atoll, from seabird monitoring to coral bleaching surveys. The leadership and commitment displayed by them both has left a lasting legacy, and we are so grateful for everything they've done. We are lucky to have had six great months with them both, and we know they will bring the same level of dedication and care to their next endeavors in the world of conservation. If you are interested in paid or volunteer opportunities at Palmyra Atoll, we currently have a number of openings. Visit https://nature.ly/4cfUS3L to learn more. Claire Reilly & Oliver Dunn 📸: Mollie Ginther Claire Reilly 📸: Alie MacVicar Oliver Dunn 📸: Mollie Ginther

When you have o'opu in your stream, you know you are doing something right. Check out this video we made about ongoing work in He'eia to clear the pathways for our androgynous native fish: https://lnkd.in/gbHRgpDJ

Join Ulalia Woodside Lee, TNC Hawai‘i and Palmyra Executive Director, and guests at the Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture as they discuss how community-led conservation is helping restore coral reefs and maintain forest health to build a future of co-prosperity of ‘āina and kanaka 🌏 🌿 Hawai‘i Convention Center 🌿 Room 305A 🌿 Thursday, June 13th 🌿 1pm-2:30pm (Note: Registration is NOT required) #FestPac #FestPac2024

Anne Carter is one of the more fortunate survivors of the devastating fires on Maui. Her family survived and her house, though smoke-damaged, was spared. But the fire caused significant damage to her organic farm. “I was ready, honestly, to quit farming,” says Carter. “I thought, this is the writing on the wall.” But she didn’t give up. Born in Hawai‘i and a lifelong conservationist, her farm of 25 years helps nourish the local community in nearby Pa‘ia. After discovering federal programs funded by the Farm Bill, some specifically targeted at women and minority farmers, Carter was able to cover the cost of replacing her fences with new, fireproof material and replace her irrigation equipment. Read more about her story here: https://lnkd.in/gpzYUmAi #FarmBill #Maui

#WHOI researchers are celebrating World Reef Awareness Day with field tests in coral reefs near Maui, Hawaii! In partnership with Maui Ocean Center, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, The Nature Conservancy in Hawai'i and Palmyra and Hawaii’s Division of Aquatic Resources, the team is seeing if Pacific coral larvae respond to the sounds of a healthy reef– as they have in the US Virgin Islands. Baby corals use sound and other cues to find suitable places to settle and grow. If successful, this acoustic enrichment experiment from Aran Mooney and Amy Apprill’s labs could help restore threatened reef ecosystems in Hawaii and beyond. 📸: from left, WHOI engineer Ben Weiss with WHOI scientists Nadège Aoki, Amy Apprill, and Trevor Milliken join Maui Ocean Center's Matt and John Gorman for a pre-dive selfie. Credit: C. Keller #ReefSolutions #GiveReefsAChance

The natural resources management sector is crucial for sustaining Hawai'i's precious environment. Understanding employment, education, salaries, and expenditures in this field guides policies and workforce development strategies. Our new report "Characterizing Hawai'i's Natural Resources Management Sector: Jobs, Education, Salaries, and Expenditures" provides an updated look at 2024 data from 125 agencies across the state. This vital research, last conducted in 2019, quantifies employment trends in Hawai'i's growing NRM sector. The findings highlight opportunities to expand access to in-demand education programs, increase paid internships/fellowships, ensure competitive salaries to attract local talent, and foster partnerships to address shared challenges. With NRM employment continuing to grow, enhancing our workforce is essential for Hawai'i's culture and economy. Ongoing data is critical for informing policy decisions and developing our future NRM workforce. Check out the full report via the link! Sponsors: HAUOLI MAU LOA FOUNDATION The Nature Conservancy in Hawai'i and Palmyra Anna E. K. Pacheco Samantha Larson Ivy Kwong #NaturalResources #EnvironmentalManagement #Sustainability #Conservation #Workforce #NRMWorkforce #FutureWorkforce #HawaiiJobs #workforcedevelopment

May is a vibrant month, marked by celebrations and milestones! Let's take a moment to honor Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. This month, we celebrate the visionaries and trailblazers who have profoundly influenced AANHPI history and continue to shape our shared future. One of these outstanding leaders is Ulalia Woodside Lee, The Nature Conservancy State Director in Hawaii and Palmyra, alongside the rising conservation star at TNC Hawaii and Palmyra, Keoki Kanakaokai. #AANHPI #Conservation

A new generation of Native Hawaiian leaders are working to restore ‘āina momona to the once abundant lands and waters in the ahupua‘a of He‘eia, O‘ahu. Using traditional values, knowledge and practices, they are restoring the uplands, wetlands, fishpond and the stream that connects these mauka and makai habitats. Check out our 4 minute video Wai Aukahi (Free-Flowing Waters) to see these efforts and hear community partners discuss the significance of freshwater in perpetuating Native Hawaiian culture and life in He‘eia. Watch the full video here: https://nature.ly/4aDAB6q Learn more about Heʻeia here: https://nature.ly/3UVAUnt #WorldFishMigrationDay #WFMD2024 #Heeia

Our Coordinator Joan Drinkwin had the pleasure of visiting with the Coordinator of the Hawai'i Fish Habitat Partnership, Gordon Smith, at the estuary restoration site at Heʻeia State Park in Hawai'i. The Hawai'i Partnership works with The Nature Conservancy in Hawai'i and Palmyra, the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve, and other partners to restore the He'eia estuary and its associated indigenous-managed resources for the benefit of fish, birds, and people. https://lnkd.in/ghhNr8-8 National Fish Habitat Partnership U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Hawaii State Parks