Tressa Hoppe is a PhD student and multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Mākaha, O’ahu. Their art is informed by their experience in conservation, as well as growing up playing in the dirt or exploring tidepools on the reef. They capture this love of nature through many artforms including illustration, painting, pottery, and beadwork.

When thinking on this year’s theme, the main thing that came to mind was how important it is that we as conservationists, scientists, and mālama ʻāina practitioners take the things that we have learned and pass them on to the next generation. When I dream on a future for Hawai’i and elsewhere I like to hope that the generations to come will be able to learn from and expand on what we have taught them, and that this will continue until one day our children’s children will have a more vibrant and sustainable world to live in. Hearing stories from kūpuna talking about how momona the ʻāina of their childhood was and imagining that we can bring that back for future generations is a thought that keeps me committed to this line of work and study.

I represented that in this piece with the central image of a pair of adult hands passing kalo on to a pair of children’s hands. Kalo is such an important plant in Hawaiʻi for so many reasons, and for me, one of my early memories with mālama ʻāina was a field trip to the Kaʻala farms loʻi in elementary school. Getting to stamp around in the mud and learn in a hands-on way was very important to me. It was one of many, many experiences leading me to where I’m at, and I tried to represent the various Hawaiian plants and animals that may have inspired or contributed to other folks at the conference pursuing their careers; from mauka to makai.

I hope that everyone at the conference can look at this piece and reflect on experiences that led them to where they are, as well as imagining an abundant future for the next generation.

Follow Tressa on Instagram: @Kipuka_studio
Contact Tressa at: Kipuka.studio@gmail.com