In this re-released interview, we talk with renowned chanter, dancer, songwriter and educator Kekuhi Keali’ikanaka’ole about the intimate connection between humans and the Hawaiian landscape as practiced in Hawaiian lifeways. Her perspective is that of a descendent from the legendary Kanaka’ole family, most notably her grandmother Edith Kekuhi Kanaka’ole, one of Hawaii's first educators who made language and dance accessible to all. She talks about connecting conservation science to Hawaiian thought and understanding through her work with Hālau `Ōhi`a and the ways in which we might connect more deeply with the creatures and plants which surround us. Visit https://www.kekuhi.com/ for more information on how you can enroll in programs and learn directly from Kekuhi.

Dr. Rhonda Loh has over thirty years of experience at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, starting out as a volunteer and now in the top position as Superintendent. Rhonda explains how her graduate experiences in science (she holds both a Master’s biochemistry and a PhD in botany) were in tandem with her discovery of Hawaiian ecology and conservation. We get into careers within the National Park Service, her community challenges in fencing and removing feral ungulates, and her perpetual wonder and amazement that Kilauea volcano continues to instill in both staff and visitors.

Husband-wife team Dr. .Susan Cordell and Dr. Pat Hart have made their conservation careers in Hawai`i since the early 1990s in their respective fields of native ecosystem restoration ecology and Hawaiian forest birds. In addition to Susan’s research with the U.S. Forest Service Institute of Pacific Island Forestry and Pat’s work on Hawaiian forest bird ecology at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo, the pair have undertaken the restoration of 20 acres of prime farm lands at their home in north Hilo since the early 2000s. Their son Colin Hart has led the transformation of former agricultural fields into the selection, cultivation, processing and selling of boutique chocolate for his company Honoli`i Orchards. The family describes their commitment to Hawai'i's land and people–from students learning about Hawaiian birds, to restoring endangered plants in native ecosystems, and finally cultivating the land to produce a homegrown agricultural product.