#the nature conservancy

The forests stretching from Honokōwai all the way up to Honokōhau, and the watersheds they protect, have been managed for nearly two decades from the top of the mountains to the ocean. “You can’t just manage one part of it. You have to manage the whole, from the peak all the way to the ocean. They’re […]

An East Maui coastal forest, along the Hāna Highway, is among the beneficiaries of a grant award from the Legacy Land Conservation program.

The US Senate unanimously passed a resolution led by Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), designating April 2025 as “National Native Plant Month.”

Hawai‘i’s congressional delegation has introduced legislation aimed at protecting more than 10,000 plant and animal species native to the islands. The Hawai‘i Native Species Conservation and Recovery Act, introduced by US Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and US Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, would fund conservation and recovery efforts to combat invasive species, habitat loss and climate change impacts.

The Wildfire Resilience Through Grazing Research Act, aims to promote research on using grazing as a strategy to mitigate wildfires, reduce fuel loads and support post-fire recovery efforts.

The Care for ʻĀina Now Coalition, a diverse alliance of leaders and organizations advocating for a dedicated environmental stewardship fee to restore and protect Hawaiʻi’s natural resources, announced today that a January 2025 poll conducted by FM3 Research confirms broad visitor support for such funding.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. has leased over 1,000 acres of land in West Maui above Kapalua Airport to Ka Ike Ranch, a local family-owned and operated business, in continued efforts to reactivate its agricultural lands and strengthen local food sustainability.

The US Department of the Interior has announced $41 million in funding through the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support 21 water and ecosystem health projects nationwide, including two in Hawaiʻi.

This year was “Makahiki o nā Manu Nahele: Year of the Forest Birds,” officially proclaimed by Gov. Josh Green, M.D., in January. An estimated 47,000 people engaged in bird-related education events over the year with the goal of raising awareness about Hawaiian forest birds and their plight. But for the birds themselves, it was a complicated year filled with both troubling declines and new rays of hope.

Conservation divers have successfully removed and relocated nearly 11 years’ worth of coral growth from a decommissioned offshore fish farm pipe ring that was towed into Honokōhau Small Boat Harbor last week on Hawai‘i Island.

Conservationists are taking their first “baby steps” toward the dream of Summit-to-Sea restoration of the reef at Olowalu.

Five ʻalalā (Native Hawaiian crow) were gingerly and ceremoniously transferred last week from their sheltered home at the Maui Bird Conservation Center in Olinda to a temporary field aviary on the slopes of Haleakalā.

Nine extinct-in-the wild sihek (also known as Guam kingfishers) arrived at their new home at The Nature Conservancy’s preserve and research station at Palmyra Atoll, 1,000 miles south of Hawai‘i, on Wednesday. The chicks—four females and five males—completed their historic 4,500 mile flight from Wichita, Kansas safely and are temporarily settled into aviaries within their new home.

Hui O Ka Wai Ola released a new report on coastal water quality at dozens of locations from Honolua Bay to ‘Āhihi-Kīna’u Natural Area Reserve. The report summarizes changes—both improvements and declines—in water quality over eight years of data collection and confirms that measurements at sites in the Lahaina area remain within normal ranges.

A second grey-backed tern chick has been documented at Palmyra Atoll, further validating that seabird attraction efforts are working, according to leaders with The Nature Conservancy. TNC says providing safe havens that are predator-free, like Palmyra Atoll or areas with predator-proof fencing, gives these birds a chance to thrive.

A virtual town hall event focused on Maui cesspools is planned on Thursday, May 30, 2024 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Organizers say many cesspools in Central Maui are classified as high priority by the Department of Health meaning they pose a threat to the health of nearshore waters, coral reefs and drinking water.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that the Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority is receiving $62.45 million in grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to deliver solar power to low-income households across the state.

Ahupua‘a Stewards helps high school students on Maui develop and implement environmental decisions informed by ahupua‘a systems. The summer session runs from June 11-July 18, 2024, with in-person classes at the UHMC Kahului campus and field trips to HILT lands and conservation partner sites on Maui, including the Keālia National Wildlife Refuge, Haleakalā Ranch, East Maui Watershed Partnership and The Nature Conservancy. Students meet Tuesdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Duke’s Maui presented its inaugural Koho Pono award to 2024 honoree Edwin “Ekolu” Lindsey during a private ceremony at the restaurant last week.

The Hawai‘i Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism has established a Military and Community Relations Office which will focus on effective collaboration and transparency between the State of Hawai‘i, county governments, the community and the US Department of Defense (DoD).