Trained to Preserve

The Conservancy trains a new generation of natural resource managers for Hawai‘i

Assistant Natural Resource Manager Fellows

Honolulu, Hawai‘i—October 27, 2006 —Assistant natural resource managers Eldridge Naboa, Francis Quitazol, Sam Aruch and Kahale Pali have spent the last two years living and breathing conservation. Their transformation into well-trained and experienced professionals was no accident. It’s part of a new initiative by the Conservancy to help increase the pool of local natural resource managers.

"One of the biggest challenges we face in protecting Hawaii's native ecosystems is a lack of qualified land managers," said Karen Poiani, the Conservancy's Hawai‘i Conservation Programs Director. "Finding skilled natural resource managers to protect large landscapes with intense management needs has been a critical problem. There is just too much area to cover and not enough skilled people to do the job."

To help alleviate the shortage, the Conservancy started an Assistant Natural Resource Managers Fellowship Program (ANRM) in 2004, investing $500,000 over a two-year period to begin training a new generation of leaders. As part of their fellowship, the four ANRM’s worked alongside Conservancy staff in the field and in the classroom, receiving hands-on training at one or more of the Conservancy’s 11 Hawai‘i preserves.

The fellows also completed 21 training modules, which covered everything Hawaiian natural history and protocol to fence building, fire prevention, predator control, helicopter safety, monitoring and data analysis, and geographic information systems and map making. In addition, each fellow developed and implemented a year-long field project useful to their specific preserve. A work exchange program also was set-up, so that the fellows could learn the latest management techniques being used in any of the Conservancy's statewide preserves. But for the most part, the program allowed the fellows to live and work in their own backyards.

For Eldridge Naboa, the island of Hawai‘i is home. Born and raised in the district of Ka‘u at the island's southern end, Naboa had never been to many of its more remote natural areas. Now, two years later, he has received on-the-ground training at all three of the Conservancy's Hawai‘i Island preserves, including the 3,500-acre Ka‘u Preserve near his home. His typical day consisted of waking up at 5 a.m. in order to reach the preserve before heavy clouds and rains descended on the mountains. At the summit, he and other members of the Conservancy field crew surveyed fence lines, checked for rare plants, and documented weed invasions.

For his fellowship project, Naboa established transect lines in the preserve using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Position Systems (GPS). With 100-meters of spacing between transects, Naboa kept tabs on each area, taking inventory of invasive weeds infiltrating the preserve. “I don’t have the words to describe the experience of being able to live and work in my own back yard," he said. "Because of this opportunity, I’ve been able to help ensure that my home will be protected for future generations."

Maui's Francis Quitazol spent the majority of his time in Waikamoi, a 5,230-acre preserve located on the windward side of Haleakala. There, he worked with natural resource managers Melissa Chimera and Pat Bily, and with East Maui Watershed partners to finish a large section of fencing. “Most of the staff didn't have experience building fences, so I took a lead role in that project," said Quitazol, who previous work experience included managing feral animals at Haleakala National Park. "Everyone involved, including me, learned from the experience. I received a lot of support from the Conservancy's Maui staff. Everyone was determined to make this program a success, and I think they achieved that.”

On the Friendly Isle, Sam Aruch divided his time between the Mo‘omomi Beach Preserve on the island's northwest end and the adjoining Pelekunu and Kamakou preserves in the east Moloka‘i mountains. At the latter, Aruch gained hands-on experience implementing GIS programs for data collection on invasive plants, while at Mo‘omomi he helped monitor and protect a population of wedge-tailed shearwaters, a native seabird that nests along the shoreline. “One of the best things about this fellowship was learning the on-the-ground details of conservation, as well as seeing the bigger picture," he said. Even better was getting to know the island of Moloka‘i and its people. “Moloka‘i is a special place and one of the last places in Hawai‘i that has retained its integrity," he said. "It's been a real learning experience working there."

For Kahale Pali, learning about Hawaiian natural history and protocol was the highpoint of his fellowship. According to Sam Gon, the Conservancy's senior scientist and cultural advisor, having a foundation in Hawaiian natural history and culture should be a key part of any natural resource manager's tool chest.

Pali agrees. "Learning how natural resource management should be done in relation to Hawaiian culture really put things in perspective for me," he said. "Knowing the place names and the historical and cultural background gives it a deeper cultural and spiritual meaning. If you know this, you think of our preserves as more than just a beautiful landscape. They are significant in every way."

All of the fellows plan to stay in Hawai‘i and work on local conservation issues. Pali will continue his work on O‘ahu with Army Environmental, while Aruch plans to continue working with the Conservancy on several GIS projects. Quitazol took a position as the Conservancy's new Maui natural resource manager. And Naboa took the same position in his own backyard.

"The program has been a success for conservation from almost every angle," said Poiani. "The fellows receive comprehensive training and Hawai‘i gets experienced natural resource managers to continue working across the state. It's been a win-win for everyone involved and a program that we will continue to invest in."

The Conservancy would like to thank the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, the Strong Foundation, the Atherton Foundation, and Wilcox Foundation for their funding support of the Assistant Natural Resource Managers Program.