The Nature Conservancy - Conservation Spotlights

Pretty pest

Invasive kahili ginger
Find out why this fragrant flowering plant is such a deadly beauty.

Places We Protect

Where are the places the Conservancy is protecting in Hawai'i and Palmyra Atoll?

Here are stories from the Pacific beyond the glossy postcards.

Stories that take you off the beaten path, into rainforests, reefs, bogs and remote atolls, native landscapes and seascapes that sustain an exuberance of life like nowhere else on earth.

Come explore Conservancy preserves and other areas we are protecting in partnership with local communities. Rare sanctuaries where native plants and wildlife can thrive and restore their species from the brink of extinction.

Along the way, meet the people who work every day, in different ways, to protect nature and preserve life in these islands.

Sign of the Times
With its “green” origins and aesthetic, the new sign of our Honolulu office reflects our mission — and that of its creator, local artist McD Philpotts.

Weed Busters!

Meet our dedicated Moloka'i weed crew who are on a "search and destroy mission" to rid the native forests of east Moloka'i of invasive weeds.

Our Queen of Green

Like Johnny Appleseed, Pauline Sato, our public awareness and action coordinator, sows "Earth Day, every day” awareness wherever she goes.

A Model Partnership

The President of Palau Tommy Remengesau, Jr. was in Hawai`i recently, encouraging the State to join a global challenge to help conserve the natural environment.

Keeping It Hawai'i

Grounded in Hawaiian ecology, culture, history and language, the Conservancy’s senior scientist and cultural advisor Sam ‘Okukani‘ōhi‘a Gon III is on a conservation mission of aloha.

Greening Moloka'i

For the past 25 years, Ed Misaki, director of Moloka‘i programs, has nurtured the island program to become one of the jewels of the Conservancy’s work in Hawai‘i.

Scarlet Beauty: The 'I'iwi

Come bird-watching in the deep forest with the Conservancy’s own Sam Gon for a glimpse of the brilliant-feathered 'i'iwi.

Hiking Back in Time

Strolling through the rain forest of Kamakou Preserve on Moloka'i is like visiting "Jurassic Park without the dinosaurs."

Return of the Shearwaters

The native seabird is establishing a new colony at Mo'omomi Preserve – the first to appear on Moloka‘i in decades.

Protecting the Heart of Kaua'i

Scientists acclaim the region now protected as the Conservancy's newest Hawai'i preserve as a rare gem of Hawaiian biodiversity.

Talking Story with Penny Martin

Native Hawaiian educator sows seeds of cultural and environmental awareness in and out of the classroom on Moloka'i.

Super Sucker Saves Reefs

This innovative Conservancy-developed underwater vacuum cleaner sucks alien algae right off the reef.

Be Fire-Smart

As summer sizzles, wildfire outbreaks pose an ever-present danger to Hawaii's forests, the last refuge for many rare native species that are but a blaze away from extinction.

A Bulldozer for Conservation

An unlikely conservation tool is helping to accelerate the Conservancy's forest restoration efforts in a variety of ways.

Weed Warrior

TNC's weed warrior Pat Bily battles alien plant pests to stop them from destroying native forests and wildlife.

Islands of Sustainability

TNC staff journey to Palau aboard a Polynesian voyaging canoe to learn lessons in conservation from Palau's coral reefs.

Replanting Kanaloa

TNC staff help replant and restore the centuries-ravaged landscape of Kaho'olawe, returning with lessons from Hawaii's sacred, smallest island.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): © Phil Spalding III/TNC (alien miconia field crew, Maui ); © David Boynton (anianiau chick on hand); © Naomi Sodetani/TNC (kahili ginger).