Rights of Nature Hawaiʻi

04/02/2026

https://www.independent.com/2026/04/02/nature-is-gaining-legal-rights/

Forests, rivers, oceans, and insects are acquiring powerful rights in court.

03/30/2026

A Choctaw mother raising Hawaiian children in Haʻikū, Maui, planted the seed.

In September, her voice and her family’s experience set in motion the chain of events that became Hawaiʻi’s 33rd Legislature Rights of Nature bill, SB3323, the NĀ ʻĀINA NO IʻA (NANI) Act. What began as truth spoken from lived experience has grown into a movement grounded in love for ʻāina.

Now, after the recent Kona low storms, this same special local family is in need.

Please send your support, your care, and your aloha, not just to help them rebuild, but to honor the powerful conversations the NANI Act has sparked across Hawaiʻi and the world.

This is an extraordinary crew, raising incredible children with deep, interwoven heritage and purpose.

From one seed, something much greater has begun!

Mahalo nui loa

We weathered the storm here at five corners in Haʻikū, Maui, … Krissta Caldwell needs your support for Help Restore Our Kona Low Storm Home Damage in Haʻikū, Maui

03/30/2026

Project Priority #1:100% Municipal Wastewater Disinfection in South Maui Project TitleAccelerating Municipal Wastewater Disinfection at the Kihei WWRFOverviewKai Action Institute seeks philanthropic support to close a critical and widely misunderstood gap in municipal wastewater management in Hawai....

03/20/2026

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/ocean-granted-legal-personhood

Waves at the mouth of the Doce River now have the “intrinsic right to existence, regeneration, and restoration”

03/16/2026

03/11/2026

Rooted in indigenous stewardship, the NANI Act would have joined a growing movement to grant ecosystems inherent legal rights.

02/14/2026

Sea life returns to Maitai Bay, eight years after local hapū declares unofficial fishing ban

Eight years after local hapū took the bold step of declaring an unofficial fishing ban, Maitai Bay in the Far North is showing powerful signs of recovery.

Located near the Karikari Peninsula in Northland, the once-pressured coastal ecosystem is now teeming with life. Divers and locals report a noticeable return of snapper, crayfish and schools of bait fish weaving through the rocky reefs. Kina barrens — once a stark sign of ecological imbalance — are slowly giving way to healthier kelp forests as predator species re-establish themselves.

The rāhui, introduced by mana whenua concerned about declining stocks and habitat stress, relied largely on community goodwill rather than formal enforcement. Yet its impact is becoming increasingly visible. The resurgence of marine species highlights the strength of kaitiakitanga — Māori guardianship — and the power of community-led conservation.

Locals say the bay feels “alive again,” with clearer waters, more abundant reef fish, and signs of a self-sustaining ecosystem returning to balance.

As conversations continue about formal marine protection, Maitai Bay stands as a living example of what patience, cultural leadership and collective responsibility can achieve.

02/11/2026

https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/new-zealand-bill-seeks-personhood-for-whales/

A groundbreaking bill seeking legal personhood for whales has been introduced in New Zealand to recognise the species rights in law.

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

https://thebrooksinstitute.org/animal-law-digest/us/issue-332/hawaii-bill-would-recognize-watersheds-coral-reefs-legal-persons #:~:text=Hawaii%20Senate%20Bill%203323%2C%20the,would%20create%20%E2%80%9Cenforceable%20ecosystem%20rights

January 30, 2026 News Hawaii Bill Would Recognize Watersheds and Coral Reefs as Legal Persons Hawaii Senate Bill 3323, the “Na Aina no Ia Act” or “NANI Act,” would recognize watersheds and coral reef ecosystems as legal persons with “the rights, powers, and protections of a legal person, i...