Kua'aina Ulu 'Auamo

10/13/2026

"Major military leases involving thousands of acres of state lands are approaching expiration, including leases that date back more than six decades. People should understand how Hawaiʻi got here, why these lands are significant, and what is at stake. This documentary, "Held In Trust," is really about knowing the history before we decide the future.

This documentary is about making sure Hawaiʻi has an informed conversation. National security and the military’s presence in Hawaiʻi are part of that conversation. But so are Native Hawaiian rights and interests, cultural resources, environmental stewardship, public access and the State’s responsibilities for Public Land Trust lands. These are consequential decisions, and Hawaiʻi deserves to understand all of those considerations as it looks at what happens next.

A special mahalo to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees for providing funding for this film."

Major military leases involving thousands of acres of state lands a...

10/13/2026

Significant public notice and input opportunity on state conservation lands please spread the word:

Please see below for 8 hearing opportunities to learn and provide your own input on statewide changes to the rules governing state Conservation Lands:

"Community members are encouraged to learn about proposed changes to the rules governing land use and permitting within Hawaiʻi’s State Land Use Conservation District and be part of the rulemaking process by providing testimony at one of eight public hearings.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL) is proposing amendments to Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (HAR) Chapter 13-5, which governs approximately two million acres of public and private conservation lands across the state, including beach and marine areas.

1) Strengthen conservation criteria
2) Simplify permitting for minor activities
3) Address coastal hazards and coastal erosion
4) Update and overhaul shoreline hardening provisions
5) Clarify regulations for restoration of existing structures
6) Incorporate and streamline provisions for loko iʻa (ancient fishpond) restoration"

Please note these changes will include Loko I'a, you may want to learn how this may affect your work.

More information can be found at this link and below:

Proposed Rule Amendments The Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands proposes to amend Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 13-5 relating to the Conservation District. On June 12, 2026 the Board of Land and Natural Resources gave their approval for OCCL to conduct statewide public hearings on the pr...

10/13/2026

Hawaii Marine conservation job opportunity with The Nature Conservancy, Hawaii and Palmyra

TNC is recruiting a Hawaii Marine Conservation Director to oversee all aspects of the Hawaii Marine Conservation program area encompassing the main Hawaiian Islands. The position provides strategic leadership and support for the Conservancy’s conservation work and establishes overall conservation priorities for all islands and major initiatives.

To accomplish this, the Hawaiʻi Marine Program’s strategic approach is to collaboratively develop and demonstrate science-based, community-led and Indigenous knowledge informed solutions to address major marine and coastal environmental challenges in Hawaiʻi. We scale-up successful models through partnerships and community-engagement, policy, community networks, restoration, emerging leader development, and communication.

Schedule to close on October 25, 2026.

Apply for Marine Conservation Director job with The Nature Conservancy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Conservation at The Nature Conservancy

09/17/2026

Small grassroots grant opportunity! Pass it on

Application deadline: November 10, 2026
Grant amount: $1,000–$20,000
Target population: Community members

Description: The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation supports community-based nonprofit organizations throughout the United States for whom a small grant can make a meaningful difference. Funding spans a wide range of areas including museums, cultural and performing arts, schools, hospitals, educational and skills training, programs for youth, seniors, and people with disabilities, and environmental and wildlife protection. Project and general operating support are both available.

The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation will consider grants for IRS-qualified non-profit organizations located within the United States. The Foundation aims to support organizations and programs for which a relatively small amount of funding might make a large difference. The Foundation will consid...

09/16/2026

On behalf of E Alu Pu member the Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana please check their event and celebration out!

The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana will host a four part series of events
with Bishop Museum celebrating Laʻa, Maʻa, Paʻa: 50 Years of Aloha ʻĀina.

There will be one panel for each key word of the motto: Laʻa (09/24), Maʻa (10/22) and Paʻa (11/12), and an awesome concert and massive celebration of 50 years of aloha ʻāina on November 13th.

On September 24, 2026 - 5pm - 8pm
Kicking off this series is the opening ceremony of an exhibit installation called “Kanaloa ka Laʻa o Kohemālamalama: Unconquerable is the Divinity of Kohemālamalama” followed by a riveting discussion of what it means to hoʻolaʻa (sanctify) our pilina to ʻāina and akua. The exhibit was curated by Pūlama Lima and members of the ʻOhana, and the panel will feature hoʻomana extraordinaries and living legends Huihui Kanahele-Mossman,
Kalā Mossman, Luana Busby-Neff and Kaliko Baker. Join us for an evening of ceremony and manaful conversations on laʻa!

Please register at https://www.bishopmuseum.org/pko

09/03/2026

Grant opportunity!

Christopher Reynolds Foundation.

"The Foundation is currently supporting work relating to climate justice; climate resilience and adaptation; and ecosystem health and integrity in the face of unraveling global systems. This includes local and bioregional climate justice and ecosystem resilience efforts as well as relevant linkages, collaborations and networks at the regional and global levels–especially as they look to systems change in fellowship with the natural world. Issues of equity and agroecology will be paramount."

Application deadline: None
Grant amount: Varies
Target population: General population

For Grantseekers Grant Guidelines Thank you for your interest in The Christopher Reynolds Foundation grant-making program. Please note the multiple step application process outlined below. Our Current Focus The Foundation is currently supporting work relating to climate justice; climate resilience a...

09/01/2026

Kānāwai Kaiāulu i Mea e Hoʻomalu ai kō Kākou ʻĀina Kūpuna
Act 203: A new legal pathway authorizing community co-management agreements

"ʻO Kaʻaona ka malama, ʻo ʻOlepau ka mahina, ʻo Kona ka moku, ʻo Honolulu ke ahupuaʻa, ʻo Haʻimoeipo ka ʻāina, ʻīnana i ke Kukalahale. The sun was shining, the lei were vibrant, and the distinctive clack of rubber slippers resounded in the halls on July 8, 2026, when Gov. Josh Green signed House Bill 2218 into law as Act 203.

Community leaders, governmental officials, and advocates from across Hawaiʻi gathered at the ceremonial signing room on the fifth floor of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol to celebrate this momentous occasion that many had been working on for the past year, and many more have been working to realize for much, much longer...."

ʻO Kaʻaona ka malama, ʻo ʻOlepau ka mahina, ʻo Kona ka moku, ʻo Honolulu ke ahupuaʻa, ʻo Haʻimoeipo ka ʻāina, ʻīnana i ke Kukalahale.

08/30/2026

In the news.

"The Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted Friday to reject a proposal that would have allowed commercial aquarium fish collection to resume in West Hawaiʻi and potentially other parts of the state."

The Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Friday to reject a proposal that would have allowed commercial aquarium fish collection to resume in West Hawaiʻi and potentially other

08/27/2026

Funding opportunity:

Fund for Wild Nature

Application deadline: October 1, 2026
Grant amount: Varies
Target population: Individuals working in conservation organizations
Description: The Fund for Wild Nature provides grants to grassroots organizations working to protect native species and wild ecosystems in the United States, Canada, and their federally recognized territories. Small grants fund advocacy, litigation, and public policy work, with priority given to ecological issues not currently receiving sufficient public attention or funding.

Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant from the Fund for Wild Nature. The Fund provides small grants for North American campaigns to save native species and wild ecosystems, with particular emphasis on actions designed to defend threatened wilderness and biological diversity. We support...

08/20/2026