2011 Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance Awards

The Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance strives to recognize achievements in the Hawaiian conservation community at all levels, from high school students to seasoned professionals. Each year the HCA presents a variety of awards, the recipients of which are honored at the Hawai‘i Conservation Conference.

Distinguished Service Award

Given to a person who has excelled by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, thereby making distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position. This individual has reached the highest esteem within the conservation community and embodies the spirit of hope, the dedication of purpose, and the tenacity of firm belief that our native ecosystems are a valued component of our heritage and our gift to Hawai‘i’s children.

Robert Masuda, University of Hawai’i

Bob has served a diversity of public service capacities, including director of several Hawai’i YMCA programs, Deputy Director of the Hawai’i DLNR, and founder and critical visionary for Hawai’i Restoration and Conservation Initiative. He has filled diverse advisory capacities to government officials, educators and conservation groups, and currently serves on the Hawai’i Conservation Alliance Foundation board – for which he is providing both leadership and vision.

In 2007, Bob began interacting with a group of individuals who had started discussing the need for a large scale restoration and conservation program for Hawai’i. This original effort and guiding vision was narrow in scope and focused entirely on plant and animal species conservation. Bob transformed this initiative into broadly integrative effort that sought to more fully bring Native Hawaiian culture into the conservation movement. He pulled together critical partners in the Native Hawaiian community including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, EKF and DHHL. Under Bob’s guidance, these individuals initiated a series of discussions that led to the formation of the Hawai’i Restoration and Conservation Initiative, and through Bob’s efforts this group has provided state wide leadership on the integration of Native Hawaiian and western perspectives on conservation. His contributions have been tremendous, but one that stands out particularly strongly was his investment in the past year in bringing hunters, Native Hawaiians, DOFAW managers and scientists together on the Hamakua coast to discuss natural resources issues as a larger community. Again his leadership resulted in healthy, positive dialogue, tremendous progress in finding common ground and now a framework for seriously addressing conservation issues on windward Hawai’i Island.

Jim Maragos, Retired Coral Reef Biologist, Pacific Reefs National Wildlife Refuge Complex, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

As the senior coral reef biologist for the National Wildlife Refuge System and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1999, Dr. Jim Maragos initiated, led, or participated in dozens of ship based expeditions to some of the most remote islands and atolls in the vast Pacific Ocean, documenting species and surveying ecosystem health. His data, over approximately 100 permanent monitoring stations at 71 atolls and islands, has begun our understanding of changes to these systems through time. Jim first established permanent coral reef monitoring plots at multiple islands and atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, documenting for the first time the extensive endemism of corals in the Hawaiian archipelago. His species inventories, photographs, and rapid ecological assessments spurred significant interest from the scientific community and have had a multiplying effect for producing purposeful science necessary to conserve these fragile systems. His widespread scientific work, published reports, and outstanding behind-the-scenes education provided background rationale and enthusiasm which led to the extraordinary conservation achievement established by four marine national monuments (Papahānaumokuākea, Pacific Remote Islands, Rose Atoll, and Marianas Trench).
Dr. Maragos’ coral conservation accomplishments span decades. His doctoral thesis focused on assessing the impacts of sewage and other anthropogenic stresses on corals in Kaneohe Bay, Hawai’i. This research helped compel local governments remove the sewage outfalls from the bay and led to coral recovery. This seminal project is recognized as one of the first successful habitat restoration programs for coral reefs and helped introduce the necessary discipline of coral reef management to the world stage.

Jim’s career is culminated in wide recognition as the Hawai’i-central Pacific field specialist in coral taxonomy and biodiversity, compiling records, guides, and photos of corals for thousands of reefs throughout Oceania. With his extensive coral taxonomy knowledge, Jim described one new species and, with partners in the 2010 summer, helped identify at least ten other species that are likely new to science.

Dr. Maragos’ surveys documenting Pacific coral distribution and abundance informed the extinction risk assessment of 83 species of corals petitioned for Endangered Species Act listing, including 75 species reported in the U.S. Pacific. Evidence based on Jim’s collaborative work with molecular geneticists suggests that two of the petitioned taxa may represent population level variation or incipient species rather than distinct species, alternatives that have very different conservation implications.

In 2005, there were no “marine national monuments.” Because of pioneering work by Dr. Maragos and many others with whom he has worked, today, the U.S. boasts protection and management over more than 215 million tropical marine habitats acres in the Pacific that are unparalleled in biodiversity and intact ecological structure. As many reefs degrade world-wide in response to multiple anthropogenic stressors, the reefs in these four monuments provide an unparalleled scientific resource, as models of the structure and dynamics of near-pristine tropical marine ecosystems. Their biodiversity and intact trophic dynamics represent a huge investment in improving the planet’s resilience to climate change; offering an opportunity for Monument managers to better ensure their marine ecosystems endure into the future.

Outstanding Leadership Award

Given to a person who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing environmental conservation in Hawai‘i over the short to medium term (several years to a decade). Marjorie Ziegler

Marjorie Ziegler, Executive Director, Conservation Council for Hawai’i

Alan C. Ziegler’s legacy includes newly discovered native bird species, connected histories, an award-winning book on Hawai’i’s natural history and, most treasured of all, his daughter Marjorie Ziegler. At birth she inherited the passion and ‘ike (knowledge) of her father; as a result, Ms. Ziegler is a force that has effected positive change for the betterment of Hawai’i’s people, plants, animals, and environment. Since her small kid days growing up in Kane‘ohe, Marjorie enlivens her passion and ‘ike through advocacy, collaboration, humble servant leadership, and dedication to protect and enhance the ecosystems of ka pae ‘āina o Hawai’i.

In her fourteen years as a resource analyst with Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific office, the assiduous Ms. Ziegler engaged the community as a passionate advocate for Hawai’i nei and its bio-cultural resources. She was instrumental in building strong community-based coalitions to support legal campaigns seeking to protect Hawai’i’s environment. Recognizing the power of the media, Ms. Ziegler also co-founded Hawai’i’s leading environmental news resource, Environment Hawai’i.

As Executive Director of Conservation Council for Hawai’i since 2003, Ms. Ziegler recognized the vital role of youth in addressing environmental problems, developing the Poster Partner program to bring environmental issues to students by providing annual educational wildlife posters that adorn classrooms of every school throughout the state. Through CCH, she has launched numerous campaigns seeking to protect native species, including keeping pressure on the state to fence critical habitat on Mauna Kea for the palila, a highly-endangered native honeycreeper that is threatened by ungulates; preventing development at the site of the ‘Ewa sinkholes on O’ahu, where unique and extinct Hawaiian bird species were discovered and their fossils remain; pushing for responsible game management that concurrently allows for hunting while also protecting the native habitats game animals have historically destroyed; and the Manu Kai campaign, raising awareness about the plight of Hawaiian seabirds which are threatened by introduced predators, the longline swordfish industry, and the loss of nesting habitat due to sea-level rise.

Recognizing the importance of mobilizing the community effectively lobby the legislature to achieve environmental goals, Ms. Ziegler also spearheaded and continues to dynamically lead the Environmental Legislative Network, bringing together individuals and environmental organizations as a united front each legislative session. Ms. Ziegler also recognizes the role of public volunteerism in government initiatives to increase Hawai’i’s land conservation capacity as the chair of the City and County of Honolulu’s Clean Water and Natural Lands Commission.

Through her tireless dedication, hard work, and aloha, Ms. Ziegler has an enduring ability to give a voice to Hawai’i’s plants, animals, land, and sea, to make environmental issues relevant, and to embolden human beings to mālama individual species, entire ecosystems, and ka pae ‘āina o Hawai’i.

Conservation Innovation Award

Given to the instigators or champions of a procedure that leads to significant advances to the structure or nature of environmental conservation in Hawai’i.

John Leong, Gerry Kahookano, Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC

Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC (Pono Pacific) was founded in 2000 to assist conservation managers and landowners with the monumental task of protecting natural resources in Hawai’i and the pacific. Pono Pacific is a Hawaii-based, locally owned, SBA designated 8(a) company. Pono Pacific’s culture revolves around the Hawaiian word “pono” or doing what is right and living with integrity.

Their mission is: “to provide knowledgeable and reliable natural resource management services through which conservation managers and land owners can further increase the effectiveness of every dollar spent towards the improvement of our natural resources and the restoration of our ecosystems.”

Pono Pacific was contracted by The Nature Conservancy Hawai’i to remove 22 acres of alien algae (Avrainvillea amadelpha) from Maunalua Bay in East Oahu. This 3.4 million dollar ARRA funded project supports 50 full and part time crew members, daily hauling and disposal of the algae, monthly and quarterly reporting, extensive GPS/GIS use, and significant community involvement. The 12 month project not only completed the contracted work but did it ahead of schedule and under budget. More than 3 million pounds of algae was removed and Pono Pacific is continuing to remove algae beyond the contracted target with the funding saved.

The success of this effort has restored significant habitat area to a condition suitable for native fish, invertebrates and algae. An unexpected benefit is the restoration of natural water movement. The dense matting of algae actually delayed tidal affects by more than an hour. This severely degraded water movement and substrata condition. As a result of the algae removal, the community has noticed natural fauna (fish, algae and invertebrates returning to cleared areas and has hopes of a restored bay.

The marine invasive algae issue is a major management challenge in Hawai’i. This effort represents a major effort to provide a management tool to potentially control the invasive algae in Maunalua Bay and restore suitable conditions to allow some natural recovery. Pono Pacific has developed their capacity to achieve this huge task. They have adaptively improved their efficiency and assembled and managed an amazing staff team. They represent the professionalism, community engagement, accomplishment and the natural resource conservation innovation that we can all be proud to have in Hawai’i.

Student Awards

Each year at the conference, the HCA awards prizes to the top student oral and poster presenters. Monetary awards were sponsored by the Hawai’i Conservation Alliance and The Wildlife Society-Hawai’i Chapter.

Best Student Oral Presentation:

Mark Chynoweth, “Movement Patterns and Habitat Utilization of Nonnative Feral Goats in Hawaiian Dryland Montane Landscapes”

Mark Chynoweth 1, Christopher Lepczyk1, Creighton Litton1, Susan Cordell2, James Kellner3

1Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA, 2Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, HI, USA, 3Department of Geography, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

Large populations of nonnative, feral goats (Capra hircus) are present on five of the eight main Hawaiian Islands where they have been notable components of the landscape for at least a century. However, very little information exists on their spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use. Such an understanding is essential to manage not only the goats, but also the native and nonnative plant communities that they inhabit. We deployed GPS satellite collars (n = 12) to track movement patterns of feral goats every two hours for one year in one of the last remaining montane dry forest habitats on the Island of Hawai‘i in the Pohakoloa Training Area. Movement data from collars were combined with land cover data and remotely sensed imagery (NASA’s MODIS sensor; Carnegie Airborne Observatory LiDAR) to quantify how movement patterns are correlated with seasonal changes in vegetation dynamics and plant community composition. Using a Euclidean distance-based analysis, results of this work indicate that feral goats did not use habitat uniformly, but rather showed preference for native-dominated shrublands during the day and barren lava at night. Males generally had larger home ranges (27.8 km2) than females (12.8 km2). Displacement data also suggested that three movement phases ocurr over diel scales: (i) resting; (ii) searching; and (iii) foraging. Ultimately, the results of this study can be used in the context of both the conservation and restoration of native Hawaiian dry forest ecosystems, arguably the most degraded ecosystem in the Hawaiian Islands.

Runner-up:

Devon Francke, “Juvenile Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Diving Behavior in Relation to Habitat Heterogeneity and Water Temperature in Kawainui, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i”

Devon Francke, K. David Hyrenbach
Hawaii Pacific University, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States

Few studies have focused on the diving behavior of juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) within their foraging habitats because their movements and residency patterns can be unpredictable. The Kawainui Marsh Estuary (KME) in Oahu, Hawaii, supports a large number (seasonal estimates: 40 – 100 turtles) of juvenile green turtles during spring – summer. Sea turtles at this site overlap with recreational activities and are susceptible to incidental hooking and entanglement in discarded debris. We quantified the diving behavior of six resident green sea turtles (11 total tracking periods) in relation to habitat and environmental variability on diel, tidal and seasonal (spring – summer) time scales. We used four complementary methods to achieve this goal: deploying time-depth-temperature recorders on turtles; monitoring water temperature using loggers placed throughout KME; measuring algal biomass and percent cover in areas of high algae concentration; and conducting behavioral visual surveys of turtle behavior. We integrated these disparate datasets using multivariate analyses and related turtle diving behavior to environmental variables. These results highlighted two distinct behavioral patterns: turtles spent considerable time foraging during the day in the shallows with high algal abundance, particularly at higher tides, and spent more time resting in the deeper channel and canal, particularly at night. This information will help managers to both interpret turtle activity patterns at this high-use site and to assess locations and times when juvenile turtles are most at risk from human activity. These results may be applicable to other shallow foraging locations.

Best Student Poster Presentation:

Katie Kamelamela, “Imo o Nui Mai Mauka i Makai: Contemporary Native Hawaiian Gathering Practices in Culturally Vibrant Communities”

Katie Kamelamela
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Botany Department, Honolulu, HI, United States

Communities around the world depend on plants for subsistence and cultural perpetuation. There is limited data available on contemporary gathering practices in indigenous communities worldwide. Factors affecting current gathering practices in Hawaii include ungulates, disease, invasive species, water diversion, urbanization, climate change and national security. This research addresses 1) what (42) plants Hawaiians commonly gathered and cultivated historically, 2) plants currently gathered in culturally vibrant communities, and 3) plants currently wanted or sold in Hawaii. In an ahupua’a case study it was observed that 60% of plants gathered were in support of imu practices. Imu, or umu, is a traditional food preparation technique utilized across Oceania for over 4,000 years, where staples are baked or steamed in an underground oven, for nutritional or ceremonial purposes. A comparison of gathering practices was conducted utilizing 2 years of participant observations, (20) semi-structured interviews, (130) national surveys and online market tracking methodology. The gathering of native species for timber is a historical preference on Hawaii Island for imu and is possible because of continued land clearing in areas such as Puna and Hilo, but invasive species are heavily harvested in comparison. Practitioners would rather see timber, native and invasive, be put to use rather than rot or used for mulch. Native Hawaiians still depend on plants for subsistence and cultural perpetuation. Understanding what plants are commonly gathered and what species the community would like to gather more of can provide insight for conservation efforts and place based partnerships in Hawaii.

Runner Up:

Cynthia Nazario-Leary, “Understory Forest Cultivation of Three Native Plants under Different Light Conditions”

Cynthia Nazario-Leary, Travis Idol
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States

Understory cultivation within a forest farming system is a promising approach to increase abundance of desired plant material while reducing collection pressures on wild plants. We assessed the impact of cleared forest understory and resulting light availability on the establishment and growth of three culturally valued native plants: palapalai (Microlepia strigosa), māmaki (Pipturus albidus) and maile (Alyxia stellata). Species were outplanted within a wet-mesic non-native forest on O‘ahu in 2006. Survival and species-specific plant measurements were monitored for two years; percent light transmittance and canopy cover measured once in 2007. Palapalai had the highest survival; maile and māmaki only survived in the cleared understory treatments. Growth of surviving plants for all three species was greatest in plots cleared of understory species and under a non-continuous overstory. Thus, palapalai can survive in low light levels (1-5%) of an intact forest understory, but higher light levels associated with understory clearing (15-20%) maybe necessary to support harvesting. Maile and māmaki did not establish well in the intact understory and growth rates, even with understory clearing, were insufficient for harvesting after two years. Our study suggests that within lowland wet mesic forests dominated by non-native species, light availability is the most critical resource limiting establishment and growth of understory native species. Successful and sustainable cultivation will require some level of canopy opening or manipulation to ensure adequate light levels.