#conservation

Three students with roots on Maui—a Maui High graduate researching plant-based fire suppressants, a Seabury Hall senior focused on native plant restoration and a college student who found her calling working with the Maui Invasive Species Committee—have been selected as the 2026–2027 recipients of the Friends of Haleakalā National Park’s annual memorial scholarship.

A statewide environmental coalition is applauding Hawaiʻi lawmakers for advancing what it calls a historic first round of Green Fee investments — while pressing for stronger transparency as the money begins flowing to projects across the islands, including Maui.

On Maui, the Honolua Hands-On Conservation — Aloha Pūʻu Kukui program is among those receiving support. Through the program, community volunteers work in the upper slopes of Honolua Valley, learning to identify native and invasive plants, plant seedlings and understand the watershed’s role in feeding the reefs of Lahaina and Kāʻanapali.

Ten high school students from Maui recently completed the 2025 programming of Stay Maui Nui, a youth career exploration and leadership program developed by the Ka Ipu Kukui Fellows. Held June 23–27, the week-long program offered students opportunities to explore career pathways, develop leadership skills, and deepen their connection to Maui through site visits, workshops, and mentor engagement.

Removing black wattle is important to fire mitigation in Kula because the invasive species burns fast and it chokes out more fire-resistant native species.

The land went on the market for $3.5 million last year, but the price recently dropped by $1 million.

Federal laws prevent the state from barring commercial boat activity in the area.

Both the nonprofit and a land conservation expert described the $1.5 million purchase as a rare victory in a state where so many other lands are being sold and developed.

Nonprofit For the Fishes said it has found that the Maui Ocean Center has repeatedly violated its special permits over the years, and that the state has allowed them to do so with minimal consequences.

Conservation groups and the Grand Wailea Resort have reached a settlement agreement to protect endangered Hawaiian petrels (‘ua‘u) while the resort seeks a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

“It’s important because it is connected to a much larger set of lands that go all the way to the summit (of the West Maui Mountains),” said Scott Fretz, the Maui branch manager of DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife. “Fires often start at those mauka lands and come down in the direction toward the highway. And often they start at the highway and go up this parcel into the mauka lands. So, that connectivity is important.”

The Garden Island Arts Council teamed up with Hallux Ecosystem Restoration, LLC, to create the large window display.

Akakū Upstairs returns Thursday, May 16, with a free screening and discussion of the short film, “The Green Wave: Maui,” which showcases threats the Hawaiian islands are facing and solutions local communities are implementing, from rainforest conservation to ocean preservation.

House Bill No. 2329 allocates $150,000 to establish a one-year pilot program to reduce the population of rose-ringed parakeets on the Garden Isle.

The Nature Conservancy’s Kākoʻo ‘Āina Award has been presented to David Okita, a dedicated pilot who has supported Hawaiʻi Island’s watershed conservation efforts for four decades.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries have responded to a legal agreement with environmental groups by proposing to designate approximately 2,233 acres of nesting and basking beaches in the main Hawaiian Islands, with additional areas in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, American Sāmoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Nearly $16 million has been allocated to the Hawaiian Forest Bird Conservation Keystone Initiative, aimed at protecting the distinctive bird species of the Hawaiian Islands and addressing urgent challenges such as habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, and disease.

“As a councilmember, the public often approaches me about lands they would like to see protected for environmental and cultural reasons,” said Council member Johnson. “The point of Resolution 23-146 is to seek the Conservation Planning Committee’s expert opinion on what the County should do with some of these lands that have been identified by the public and community groups.” 

“Our ʻāina is the foundation from which our people thrive. I look forward to serving Hawai‘i as [Hawaiʻi Land Trust’s] president and CEO.” — ʻOlu Campbell.

The 2023 Environmental Legislative Caucus package includes bills to establish green fees, create a tax credit for cesspool conversion and implement a soil health initiative.