Aloha, as director of Future Forests – I direct ecological restoration work on Hawaiʻi Island, teach classes in land management and reforestation, and in seed banking.
I have been doing native forest restoration in various ecosystems for decades. I have led on the ground restoration projects for the State of Hawaiʻi, the National Park Service, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, Kamehameha Schools, Pu’u Wa’a Wa’a Ranch, US Fish & Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Oʻoma State Forest, and numerous private landowners.
As the founder of Future Forests Nursery on Hawaiʻi Island, and the director of the Hawaiʻi Island Seed Bank; reforestation and seed banking are my life’s work, which involves a deep commitment to supporting the health of our planet. I believe that communities should lead their forestry projects and receive the support they need to nurture new forests and keep existing forests standing for future generations.
I help international forestry partners create the foundation for their projects~ seed banks and nurseries, that will serve them as they build on their aspirations to heal the planet. It is important that we protect the biodiversity of our region, and we need to know the principles and practices to achieve success. I support and enable new forest creators to think about specific steps that will bring them to a professional level, so they will achieve the results of establishing healthy ecosystems that will endure for the next generation and beyond. The work can be conducted with joy, stimulation, learning, and collaboration. This approach heals us, and heals the planet.
Everything starts with the seed. I have created an off-grid solar powered seed bank that is a key infrastructure item for developing a scalable reforestation project. These seed banks represent stand alone laboratories that allow people to collect and amass their native seeds for their own projects, to sell to other projects in the region, or to sell seedlings to other projects, thus is creates it’s own funding mechanism that can serve local communities as well as supporting the critical notion of preserving standing forests for the future.
I cultivate key strategic partnerships to grow and strengthen the movement that affirms all life. This includes Governments, non-profits, and private landowners to develop strategies for conservation planning, including gender equity concerns and climate justice. I have developed projects in Vietnam, South America, Africa, Central Asia, India, and the United States. My focus is on biodiversity conservation, economic integrity, and sustainable development.
Climate action requires a holistic approach that serves people and the planet.
