{"id":210050,"date":"2025-02-02T08:00:18","date_gmt":"2025-02-02T18:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=210050"},"modified":"2025-01-31T13:55:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T23:55:58","slug":"25-years-of-conservation-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/02\/02\/25-years-of-conservation-education\/","title":{"rendered":"25 years of conservation education at Hawai\u02bbi CC<\/abbr>"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"two
TEAM<\/abbr> students Alison Lofton and Tiala Kailianu-Carvalho transplant native Hawaiian plants for out-planting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hawaiʻi<\/span> Community College\u2019s Tropical Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management (TEAM<\/abbr>) program<\/a> plays a vital role in training local students for careers in conservation and natural resource management in Hawaiʻi<\/span>.<\/p>\n

“We are the only college here in Hawaiʻi<\/span> that trains undergraduates for doing conservation [work] after an associate of science degree, which is really amazing,” said Orlo Steele, TEAM<\/abbr> program director.<\/p>\n

\"Person
Second-year TEAM<\/abbr> student Lana Frutoz uses a GPS<\/abbr> receiver to collect a waypoint of a native tree.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, blends academics with hands-on training in agroforestry, forest surveying, silviculture (the growing and cultivation of trees) and Geographic Information Systems. Students gain experience using drones and field sampling tools, and gain skills, such as compass navigation and plant identification. Hawaiian cultural knowledge is also integrated into forest management practices.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m doing an internship right now with the U.S. Forest Service, and I\u2019m walking into it hitting the ground running,” said second-year TEAM<\/abbr> student Michael Davis. “I know exactly what to do. There are a lot of spaces in Hawaiʻi<\/span> that haven\u2019t been cared for in a long time, and it\u2019s our responsibility to do something about it.”<\/p>\n

\"person
Second-year TEAM<\/abbr> student Tiala Kailianu-Carvalho uses a clinometer to measure the height of a tree.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The TEAM<\/abbr> program has produced more than 120 alumni, many of whom now work with organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service, the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Department of Land and Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy. Several have pursued advanced degrees, further contributing to Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> conservation efforts.<\/p>\n

“Our graduates have a positive impact on conservation policy and decision making in Hawaiʻi<\/span> because they bring local knowledge and a deep understanding of our unique ecosystems,” Steele said. “They\u2019re not just conservationists; they\u2019re ambassadors for Hawaiʻi\u2019s<\/span> natural and cultural heritage.”<\/p>\n

An associate in science conservation track, in collaboration with the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa and Kapi\u2018olani CC<\/abbr> has been proposed. This initiative aims to help students transition into higher degree programs, expanding career opportunities in conservation and resource management across the islands.<\/p>\n

For more information about the TEAM<\/abbr> program, contact Steele at (808) 934-2623 or via email at orlo@hawaii.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"3
TEAM<\/abbr> Program Director Orlo Steele, right, with students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hawaiʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s Tropical Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management (TEAM<\/abbr>) Program celebrates silver anniversary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[643,61,1670,71],"class_list":["post-210050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-anniversary","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-tropical-ecosystem-and-agroforestry-management","tag-uh-community-colleges","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210050"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210068,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210050\/revisions\/210068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}