Hui i hala

Maybeleen Apwong

Role: Field Technician

Why Conservation: My interest in conservation started long before I even knew there was a field like that to study. I grew up with parents and family that was well surrounded by agroforestry, I understood there was a connection between people and place, especially since people back home still to this day use plants for traditional medicines. My interest grew more in college when I took a botany class and saw that we (humans) depend more on plants than I originally thought possible. Then when I came to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, I realized that there is a field of study where you can be surrounded by nature. I have been working to improve my understanding of conservation through understanding plant, place, and people interactions. It is like a cycle, the more I learn about plants, places and people the more I want to help with conservation projects and these projects will in turn help push me to study these relationships between plants, places, and people.

Man stats in native forest wearing a bright orange vest.

Jonah Kuwahara-Hu

Role: I am a Biological Science Technician working with the U.S Forest Service and the University of Hawaiʻi. I assist with any needs that the Liko Nā Pilina project has, including plot maintenance, data collection, outplanting, and greenhouse work. 

Why Conservation: I was born and raised on the Big Island and grew up in a conservation-centric household. I have always been fascinated with our natural world, especially Hawaiʻi’s unique environment. Seeing first hand how delicate our native ecosystems are and the negative changes that have occurred in Hawaiʻi’s native forests inspired me to pursue my love of nature as a career. I strive to conduct work that reflects my interest in not only conserving, but restoring our native landscape.

Amy Patterson

Role: I hold a role as a Field Assistant for the Liko Nā Pilina project. My duties vary but encompass data collection, processing, and entry. I also help with greenhouse work, outplanting, and in providing support for educational outreach efforts.

Why conservation: I grew up closely intertwined with the ecosystems of Hawaiʻi.  Throughout my childhood, I found it exceptionally difficult to sit by and watch the land which raised me deteriorate.  Our climate changes beyond our comprehension as humans exploit natural resources. I want to promote a relationship of reciprocity between society and the environment by dedicating my career to conservation and natural resource protection.

Young woman stands in Native forest smiling
Young woman measured DBH on a native tree and smiles at the camera

Jacey Savage

Role: My role as a field assistant for Liko Nā Pilina consisted of various tasks ranging from data collection, plot maintenance, greenhouse work, out plantings, and lab work, to outreach.

Why Conservation: Having been immersed in nature since childhood, I developed a deep appreciation for and curiosity in the great outdoors. This led me to major in Biology at UH Hilo, where I learned of the devastating impacts that human actions have had and continue to have on Hawaiian ecosystems. Being in the middle of a pristine forest surrounded by native plants and birds is a truly remarkable experience. I chose to pursue conservation in order to join the effort of helping to protect and preserve these valuable areas for future generations to come. 

Caitlin “Kili” Kawaiaea

Role: I began my journey with Liko Nā Pilina as a humble temporary field technician collecting leaf litter, phenology, and census data. From then, I was promoted to community outreach coordinator. I hope to bring attention to the work we are accomplishing at Pilina and educating the community about Pilina’s innovative form of restoration.

Why Conservation: I chose conservation research because at a young age I felt a responsibility to my environment and as I evolved, I found great pleasure working in aina. As a Kanaka in STEM, I hope to make space for indigenous knowledge by integrating knowledge systems and communicating traditional ecological adaptations through an academic lens.

Theresa Kimnoy Bultedaob Aten

Role: I was a field assistant in the Liko Nā Pilina team. My responsibilities included, but are not limited to, data collection, website editing, checking and correcting data.

Why Conservation: Growing up in Chuuk and Palau’s islands, I have always been aware of my natural surroundings. My need to work in conservation stems from seeing the land degradation from trash and land erosion from the sea-level rise on my home islands. When typhoon Maysak hit Chuuk in 2015, my messages and email were bombarded with photos of houses, businesses, ulu trees, and taro patches destroyed, leaving the people to rely on foreign aid while they rebuild their homes, gardens, and farms. My goal is to learn as much about nature conservation and management as to return home one day and share what I have learned with my fellow islanders.

Kyra Robinson

Role: My main role on the Liko Nā Pilina team was rough sorting arthropods collected from the field for further identification. Additionally, I helped out in the field with weeding, surveying, the annual census, etc.

Why Conservation: I have been interested in conservation since I was young and have always been in love with the outdoors! Even though I grew up in the city, my family would take trips to hike and experience nature, as well as finding pockets of nature within the city. I have always felt pulled to protect the environments that I love so much. I hope to become a mycologist and use my knowledge of fungi to aid in conservation.

Cara Carpenter

Role: My role on the Liko Nā Pilina team is that of field assistance. My objective is to help with the ongoing tasks of data collection for each set of plots. This includes but is not limited to surveying, identifying native, non-native, and invasive species at their varying life stages, weeding, and outplanting.

Why Conservation: I believe the type of relationship human society has with nature is of fundamental importance. We have an opportunity in conservation work, to define that relationship around values of equity and mutual respect between both people and our fellow species. I believe we have the responsibility to each other and our descendents, to utilize all tools and gumption available, to secure a healthy and habitable planet for everyone. The opportunity to hold both humans and other species in compassion is why I am excited to contribute to projects like Liko Nā Pilina.

Laʻakea Judd

Role: Lab and Field crew team member

Why Conservation: Interest in conservation: I am interested in conservation to learn about the science behind ecological ecosystems, and how you can restore ecosystems. I love making an impact and difference in my community, and being able to restore an ecosystem helps me to do just that. Hawaii has so much biologically diverse ecosystems and organisms, I believe we have a duty to malama and ho’ihi (respect) the land we live on. Science is a passion for me but restoring natural ecosystems and all of its Biological life is something I am passionate about. Hawaii will always hold a special place in my heart, and I am so thankful I get to help by making a positive and impactful difference in our aloha state.

Anna Staudenmaier

Role: As an ORISE fellow through the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry I supported the Liko Nā Pilina team by helping conduct monthly and annual data collections such as leaf litter, phenology, plot censuses, and seedling surveys. I also contributed to our rock star weeding efforts within the plots and outplanting efforts outside the plots to help continue to revitalize the forest at Keaukaha Military Reserve.  

Why conservation: I have always been passionate about conservation, the connection of humans to our environment, and the roles we consciously and unconsciously play in that environment. These interests have taken me to many different parts of the world, where I’ve learned of so many perspectives on conservation and what that word means to different peoples and cultures. I hope to continue to channel what I have learned to contribute positively to conservation efforts wherever I go.

Catie Roger Defosses

Role: I am a Kupu for this project! I am a natural resource specialist in training. I help out in the field, greenhouse, lab, or wherever else I may be needed!

Why Conservation: I always knew I wanted to work outside. After I took an environmental science class, I knew I wanted to go into the conservation field. I still don’t know what area exactly I want to be in but I am leading towards working on reforestation. I also love conservation work especially in Hawai’i because it is more than just the land, it is the people and the culture too. 

Kawena Kawelu

Role: Most of my work was performed in the greenhouse, such as preparing seedlings, weeding trays, and ensuring the plants had adequate nutrition and water.

Why conservation: The environment is extremely important to me because we live on an island with limited resources, and I was taught to care for the land and ocean by my kupuna.

Other team members

  • USGS volunteers: Kaitlin Webb, Grant Witynski, Matthew Richards-Perhatch V, Ellie Kaiser, Nadya Kandel, John Jackson, & Alexia Olsen
  • UH Hilo and Hawaii Community College students: Ciarra-Lynn Parinas
Niu (Coconut) — Cocos nucifera Family: Arecaceae Polynesian-Introduced Habitat: Dry to mesic, coastal Elevation: Sea level to 600 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: Not only an excellent food source, niu can also be used for oil, rope, weaving, thatching, and endless other possibilities. Ka niu peʻahi kanaka o Kaipalaoa (1502) The man-beckoning coco palms of Kaipalaoa
ʻUlu — Artocarpus altilis Family: Moraceae Polynesian-Introduced Habitat: Mesic to wet, coastal Elevation: sea level to 650 m Outplanted in: Moderate Redundant, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: An ʻulu tree is traditionally planted when a child is born to ensure that the child has a lifetime of food. ʻAʻohe ʻulu e loaʻa i ka pōkole o ka lou (213) No breadfruit can be reached when the picking stick is too short
ʻŌhiʻa ʻai — Syzygium malaccense Family: Myrtaceae Polynesian-Introduced Habitat: Mesic to wet, high humidity Elevation: sea level to 600 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant Fun Fact: ʻŌhiʻa ʻai, also known as mountain apple, not only has delicious fruits, but can also be used medicinally. Traditionally, the bark is used to treat sore throats and deep cuts, and the leaves can be crushed and injested as a treatment for bronchitis. ʻŌhiʻa noho malu (2362) Mountain apple in the shade (Said of a beautiful person compared to an ʻōhiʻa ʻai that ripens perfectly in the shade)
Noni — Morinda citrifolia Family: Rubiaceae Polynesian-Introduced Habitat: Dry to wet, coastal Elevation: 1 to 800 m Outplanted in: Slow Complementary Fun Fact: Noni is not known for being particularly tasty. However, it is well known for its medicinal properties, used to treat a variety of ailments. The roots and bark can also be used to create a dye for kapa. Noni is the kinolau of Kū, the Hawaiian god of war. He noni no Kaualehu, he pūhai aʻa (845) It is a noni tree of Kaualehu whose roots are in shallow ground
Milo — Thespesia populnea Family: Malvaceae Indigenous Habitat: Dry to wet forest with volcanic soil, coastal Elevation: Sea level to 150 m Outplanted in: Slow Complementary, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: Milo flowers start out bright yellow with a maroon center in the morning, and fade to orange throughout the day. Milo is traditionally used in cordage, to produce tannin, dye, oil, medicine and gum, and also skillfully crafted into food bowls called ‘umeke ‘ai. He milo ka lāʻau, mimilo ke aloha (818) Milo is the plant; love goes round and round
Manakō (Mango) — Mangifera indica Family: Anacardiaceae Introduced Habitat: Dry to wet, coastal Elevation: Sea level to 1,200 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant, Moderate Redundant, Slow Complementary Fun Fact: Mango was introduced to Hawaiʻi in the late 1800s. Although the fruit is delicious, you must be careful when picking it! The white sap that oozes from the fruit and stem during harvesting is toxic and can cause rashes or blistering, much like poison ivy, which is in the same family.
Monkeypod — Samanea saman Family: Fabaceae Introduced Habitat: Dry to wet forest, riparian corridors Elevation: Sea level to 300 m Outplanted in: Moderate Redundant, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: Native to South and Central America, monkeypod trees are stars when it comes to carbon sequestration. One mature tree can absorb 28.5 tons of carbon per year!
Pea (Avocado) — Persea americana Family: Lauraceae Introduced Habitat: Mesic to wet forest, well drained soils Elevation: Sea level to 2,500 m Outplanted in: Moderate Redundant, Slow Complementary Fun Fact: There are 107 varieties of avocado grown on Hawaiʻi Island. Not only are they delicious, but you can also use the pits and skins to make a dusty-rose colored dye.
Kukui — Aleurites moluccanus Family: Euphorbiaceae Polynesian-Introduced Habitat: Mesic to wet forest, gallery forests Elevation: Sea level to 800 m Outplanted in: Slow Complementary, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: Kukui has an abundance of uses, from creating lei with the leaves and nuts, to spreading the oil over the surface of the sea to allow fishermen to see the fish more clearly. The most well-known use, which Kukui gets its name from, is lighting the oily nuts to use as a light source. Ka malu hālau loa o ke kukui (1474) The long shelter of the kukui trees
False Kamani — Terminalia catappa Family: Combretaceae IntroducedHabitat: Mesic to wet forest, coastal Elevation: Sea level to 400 m Outplanted in: Moderate Redundant Fun Fact: False kamani was introduced by the first European settlers for shade and as an ornamental. It is native to southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Kamani — Calophyllum inophyllum Family: Calophyllaceae Polynesian-Introduced Habitat: Dry to mesic to wet forest, coastal Elevation: Sea level to 200 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant, Slow Complementary Fun Fact: Kamani was brought to Hawaiʻi by early Hawaiians for the utility of the wood, which could be fashioned into waʻa, ʻumeke, and food vessels. In kapa making, the fruit can be used for dye, the flowers for scenting, and the oil for waterproofing.
Hame — Antidesma platyphyllum Family: Phyllanthaceae Endemic Habitat: Mesic to wet forest Elevation: 500 to 1,100 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant ** No longer present in the plots due to high mortality Fun Fact: Hame has edible fruits that can also be used to make a red dye. The wood is traditionally used as an anvil to prepare wauke fibers for kapa.
Loulu — Pritchardia beccariana Family: Arecaceae Endemic Habitat: Dry to mesic to wet forest, coastal Elevation: 300 to 1,270 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant, Slow Complementary, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: In Molokaʻi moʻolelo, a person could use loulu leaves as wings to glide on the wind from Molokaʻi to Maui. However, they would only succeed if they were good with their naʻau and ʻaumakua.
Kōlea lau nui — Myrsine lessertiana Family: Primulaceae Endemic Habitat: Mesic to wet forests Elevation: 300 to 2,290 m Outplanted in: Moderate Redundant, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: A red dye made from the sap of Kōlea is traditionally used to dye kapa. Evidence of Kōlea char in ancient oceanside fire bits on Oahu show that it once grew at much lower elevations than it is found at today.
Hāpuʻu — Cibotium spp. Family: Cibotiaceae Endemic Habitat: Mesic and wet forest Elevation: 250 to 1,700 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant, Moderate Redundant Fun Fact: Our plots have two endemic species of hāpuʻu: hāpuʻu pulu (C. glaucum), which is known for the golden hairs at the base of the fronds, and hāpuʻu iʻi (C. menziesii) which is characterized by black hairs at the base of the fronds. Hapuʻu is considered a famine food because it takes so long to prepare. He hāpuʻu ka ʻai he ʻai make (568) If the hāpuʻu is the food, it is the food of death
Alaheʻe — Psydrax odoratus Family: Rubiaceae Indigenous Habitat: Dry shrubland, dry to mesic forest, sometimes wet forest Elevation: 10 to 860 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant, Moderate Redundant, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: Alaheʻe is the kinolau of Kanaloa. Its leaves can be used to create a black dye, resembling the ink of its ocean counterpart, the heʻe (octopus). The dense wood is often used to create fishing implements.
Hala — Pandanus tectorius Family: Pandanaceae Indigenous Habitat: Coast or slopes of mesic valleys Elevation: Sea level to 600 m Outplanted in: Slow Redundant, Slow Complementary, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: Lei hala are traditionally used for funerals and to honor the dead. The leaves are often used for weaving; people once demonstrated their wealth based on how many woven hala mats they had stacked in their home. He iki hala au no Keaʻau, ʻaʻohe pōhaku ʻalā e nahā ai (624) I am a small hala fruit of Keaʻau but there is no rock hard enough to smash me
Māmaki — Pipturus albidus Family: Urticaceae Endemic Habitat: Mesic to wet forest Elevation: 70 to 1,870 m Outplanted in: Slow Complementary, Moderate Complementary Fun Fact: Māmaki can be made into a tea that is both calming and good for the circulatory system. The fruit is traditionally eaten by women to aid in child birth. Māmaki is the host plant for the increasingly rare King Kamehameha butterfly.
Neneleau — Rhus sandwicensis Family: Anacardiaceae Endemic Habitat: Dry to wet disturbed areas Elevation: 150 to 750 m Outplanted in: Moderate Redundant, Slow Complementary Fun Fact: Neneleau was one of few native plants that was able to re-colonize old sugar cane fields in which the soil had been severely degraded and contaminated with toxins like arsenic. Pua ka neneleau, momona ka wana (2696) When the neneleau blooms, the sea urchin is fat
Hawaiʻi ʻOhe — Polyscias hawaiensis Family: Araliaceae Endemic Habitat: Mesic to wet forest Elevation: 150 to 800 m Outplanted in: Moderate Redundant Fun Fact: The ʻOhe is among trees at Maunaloa, Molokaʻi posessed by the poison gods, Kāneikaulanaʻula and Kahuilaokalani, and the goddess Kapo. To tamper with the wood is to invite serious trouble. The berries are traditionally eaten by mothers to help produce milk that improves the growth and health of their baby.
Lama — Diospyros sandwicensis Family: Ebenaceae Endemic Habitat: Dry to mesic forest Elevation: 5 to 1,220 m Lama was already present at the project site and was left during clearing; it is therefore found in all treatments though none were outplanted. Fun Fact: The wood of lama is traditionally used medicinally and to fence off areas that are kapu such and for heiau construction. The small, red fruits are edible when ripe! Lama translates to “light”, as the plant is associated with enlightenment.
Kōpiko — Psychotria hawaiiensis Family: Rubiaceae Endemic Habitat: Dry, mesic, to wet forest Elevation: 150 to 1,590 m Kōpiko was already present at the project site and was left during clearing; it is therefore found in all treatments though none were outplanted. Fun Fact: Kōpiko has a hard, dense wood that is traditionally used for beating kapa. Kōpiko is named for the the distinctive line of glands along the bottom of the central vein (piko) of each leaf. Ke kōpiko i ka piko o Waiʻaleʻale (1756) A kōpiko tree on the summit of Waiʻaleʻale (A boast about an outstanding person)
‘Ōhi‘a lehua — Metrosideros polymorpha Family: Myrtaceae Endemic Habitat: Dry, mesic, to wet forest Elevation: Sea level to 2,500 m ‘Ōhiʻa was already present at the project site and was left during clearing; it is therefore found in all treatments though none were outplanted. Fun Fact: While in a jealous rage, Pele transformed her romantic interest, ʻŌhiʻa, into this gnarled tree. The lover of ʻŌhiʻa, Lehua, asked her ʻaumakua for help, so they transformed her into the flower to keep the lovers together. It is said that if you pick the lehua, it will rain because the lovers mourn their separation. Welehu ka malama, liko ka ʻōhiʻa (2932) Welehu is the month the ʻōhiʻa put forth leaf buds