Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance Open House Day Wednesday, July 29, 12-9 pm Hawai‘i Convention Center, 1801 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI Free to the public Community Sustainability Market 12-7 PM, Palolo Room 306B and Charlot Courtyard (near Lili‘u Theater Room 310)   Learn how to live and work more sustainably while enjoying hands-on activities, locally grown foods, and live entertainment!   What makes this market different from other sustainability events? A focus on the intersection of native ecosystem conservation, Hawaiian cultural heritage, and sustainable business practices. The Market showcases local organizations and businesses that understand and respect the finite nature of our islands’ natural resources.   • Learn how to make aromatic salves using native and Polynesian plants • Plant propagation demo and native plant landscaping tips • Free food and beverage demos and tastings      Public Presentations 10 AM-5:20 PM, Lili‘u Theater Room 310   Presentations include a discussion of the statewide assessment of forest resources for Hawai‘i and educational symposia. Education experts will present on exciting and successful environmental education programs offered throughout Hawai‘i. Topics include outdoor education programs, nature storytelling, and engaging students in scientific research. They are open to HCC participants and the public.   10 AM-12 PM State-wide Assessment of Forest Resources for Hawai‘i (SWARS) People of Hawai‘i, how are we doing managing our forested lands? What services are provided by the trees in our cities and neighborhoods? How much is our water really worth? What do we value most about our environment? What about fire, invasive species, endangered species, our wildlife. What kind of data, technology and tools are being used for planning and managing our forests and urban areas? And how will we pay to manage our precious natural resources in this time of economic crisis? How can you stay informed and involved in caring for our forests, both public and private? This session is geared to the general public. Our five panelists will introduce you to an ongoing planning process called the Hawai‘i Statewide Assessment of Forest Conditions, and the Statewide Resource Strategy (also called the Hawai‘i SWARS project). Each state in the country is required to produce a SWARS plan, and submit them to the Secretary of Agriculture by June of 2010 in order to qualify for a number of Federal programs. But Hawaii‘ is unique, and so is our SWARS project. We will introduce you to the team of State, Federal and nonprofit partners working on this exciting project. And we hope that you will share with us your thoughts and feelings about how we as a society should proceed in protecting our beloved island home, our forests, our reefs, our communities and our precious resources and sacred places. Please join us.   1-3 PM Environmental Education Efforts in Hawai‘i Presenters in this symposium will describe some of the various environmental education programs that are being implemented throughout our state. Hawaii has a multitude of conservation efforts occurring throughout the state, including environmental education. Integrating information of Hawaii’s environment into the school curriculum, community activities, and public enjoyment is crucial to the success of conservation. The awareness that is built among people beyond those working in the conservation field brings increased participation towards a sustainable future for Hawaii’s ecosystems. The programs to be presented include curriculum for grades K-12, terrestrial and marine education, integration of Hawaiian culture, service learning, partnering with scientists, and more.       3:20-5:20 PM Experimental Education for Hawaii’s K-12 Students This forum “Experiential Environmental Education for Hawai‘i 's K-12 Students” will focus on specific projects supported by the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Pacific Services Center (PSC) in partnership with other federal and state agencies, as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations. NOAA PSC administers the Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Hawai‘i Program and the Pacific Science Challenge. Both programs focus on connecting K-12 students and their teachers with first-hand, outdoor experiences that provide them a tangible, natural link with science. Professional development opportunities for educators to study earth system sciences, hazards, and climate change will translate to more students getting access to NOAA science over time. Ultimately, NOAA hopes to inspire students to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers and therefore develop a workforce that can make well-informed decisions regarding the environment. Forum presentations will highlight ongoing efforts to get students and educators out of the traditional classroom and involved in real-time, on-the-ground science.   HCA Open House 5:30-7 pm Palolo Room 306B, Charlot Courtyard   Meet representatives of HCA’s fifteen member organizations and learn about the important work they do to conserve Hawai‘i’s rich natural and cultural heritage, from ridge to reef to open ocean. Special appearance by Leilani Münter Race car driver, biologist, and climate change activist   Live entertainment by Kupa‘āina During the Open House, members of the public are invited to view poster presentations by conservation scientists, managers, and educators, and enjoy the 2009 Conservation Through Art exhibit in Room 313ABC.        Conservation through Art Exhibit 5:30-7:30 pm, O‘ahu Room 313ABC   Creepers, Crawlers, and Flights of Fancy: A Tribute to Bill Mull’s Extraordinary Photographic Legacy   In his lifeftime, Bill Mull achieved something that few conservationists have succeeded at: he photographed and lectured on Hawai‘i’s native invertebrates in a way that captured the hearts and minds of everyone. Through his magnificent photos and his infectious good humor, Bill highlighted the rich diversity of the smallest critters and their important role in Hawaiian native ecosystems. His photographs are found in numerous accounts on native Hawaiian insects and other invertebrates. In 1992, he co-authored a book with Hawaiian entomologist, Frank Howarth, entitled “Hawaiian Insects and Their Kin.” By coming up with catchy and descriptive names like happy face spider and wēkiu bug (which is found only on the summit or wēkiu of Mauna Kea). Bill also identified an endemic fly that was named after him, Drosophila mulli. HCA is honored to display a selection of Bill Mull’s stunning photographs in this exhibit. Read Remembering William P. Mull and his Magnificent Minutiae through his Photographs (PDF) by Betsy Gagné.   "Inheritance: Reclaiming Land and Spirit" by Melissa Michelle Chimera and Adele Nash Ne Jame   Honolulu-born painter and conservationist Melissa Chimera together with her mother and poet Adele Ne Jame debut “Inheritance: Reclaiming Land and Spirit” to Hawai‘i audiences at the Hawai‘i Conservation Conference.  The poetry and painting project offers a glimpse into Haleakalā rainforests, Kaho‘olawe deserts and their rare floral gems.  The work first premiered in March at the Sharjah Biennial, an international art exhibition in United Arab Emirates.  This collaboration is a first for poet and daughter.  Chimera, a Haleakalā National Park ranger, helps volunteers preserve endangered ecosystems of the park.  Ne Jame is a poet and English professor at Hawai‘i Pacific University in Honolulu.         Natural Treasures of Hawai‘i: from Mauka to Makai by Nathan Yuen and John Johnson  6-7:30pm, Lili‘u Theater Room 310     Nature photographers, Nathan Yuen and John Johnson, will share their images of the native plants and animals of Hawai‘i from the summits of the mountains to the bottom of the reefs and bays. As volunteers with hiking and conservations groups, Nathan and John have been able to access and photograph some of the amazing natural treasures of the Hawaiian Islands found nowhere else in the world. Nathan and John are volunteers with hiking and conservation groups around town. Nathan is a volunteer on the trail maintenance crew for the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club and John is a longtime volunteer with the Waikiki Aquarium and Hanauma Bay. Nathan and John are also nature photographers who specialize in photographing on the native flora and fauna of Hawai‘i.                Public Lecture 7:30-9 PM, Lili‘u Theater Room 310   Each year the HCA sponsors a free public seminar that is open to both conference attendees and the general public. This year’s presenters represent two compelling voices in the broader dialogue about climate change and energy sustainability: Dr. Stephen Schneider, HCC keynote speaker and internationally renowned climate change scientist, and Ramsay Taum, cultural practitioner and noted authority on Hawaiian sustainability. These insightful and engaging speakers will address global and local climate change impacts and how Hawai‘i can prepare for what lies ahead.    Raising the Blue Continent by Ramsay Taum Ramsay Taum is the Director of External Relations and Community Partnerships and Special Assistant to the Dean on Host Culture at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa’s School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) where he lectures on host cultural values in the work place. Taum is also founder, CEO and President of the Hawaii based Life Enhancement Institute (LEI) of the Pacific, and Board Chair of Sustain Hawaii, a not-for profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable living and development in Hawai‘i and in the Pacific region. Born and raised in Hawaii, he graduated from Kamehameha Schools, attended the US Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration at the University of Southern California. Taum is the recipient of the East West Center Leadership Certificate Program’s 2008 Transformational Leadership Award in Sustainability recognizing his work promoting environmental education and sustainability based on the Native Hawaiian Ahupua’a management system. He was also named the 2008 “Who’s Keeping Hawaii Green” Individual Educator by Hawaii Home + Remodeling, HONOLULU & Hawaii Business magazines, and was recognized by the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Business Center as one of 2009’s Stars of Oceania. Mentored and trained by respected Hawaiian elders, he is a practitioner and instructor of several Native Hawaiian practices including ho‘oponopono (stress management and conflict resolution), lomi haha (body alignment) and Kaihewalu lua (Hawaiian combat/battle art). He is a recognized cultural consultant who works closely with Hawaii’s development, travel, leisure and retail industries integrating Native Hawaiian cultural values and principles into contemporary business models through lectures, training classes, and seminars.   From the Local to the Global: Stewardship of the Climate takes Leadership at all Levels by Dr. Stephen H. Schneider Stephen H. Schneider has been a leading voice on climate change for more than 20 years. He served as a National Center for Atmospheric Research scientist from 1973-1996, where he co-founded the Climate Project. He focuses on climate change science, integrated assessment of ecological and economic impacts of human-induced climate change, and identifying viable climate policies and technological solutions. He has consulted for federal agencies and White House staff in six administrations. Involved with the IPCC since 1988, he was Coordinating Lead Author, WG II, Chapter 19, "Assessing Key Vulnerabilities and the Risk from Climate Change" and a core writer for the Fourth Assessment Synthesis Report. He along with four generations of IPCC authors received a collective Nobel Peace Prize for their joint efforts in 2007. Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 2002, Dr. Schneider received the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Westinghouse Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology and a MacArthur Fellowship for integrating and interpreting the results of global climate research. Founder/editor of Climatic Change, he has authored or co-authored over 500 books, scientific papers, proceedings, legislative testimonies, edited books and chapters, reviews and editorials and has been featured in numerous televisions and film productions. Dr. Schneider counsels policy makers, corporate executives, and non-profit stakeholders about using risk management strategies in climate-policy decision-making, given the uncertainties in future projections of global climate change and related impacts. He is actively engaged in improving public understanding of science and the environment through extensive media communication and public outreach.  •Full bio  •Dr. Schneider's Web page   Concerned about parking?   Reduce your carbon footprint by walking, riding your bike or taking the bus to these events. Parking is available at the Hawai‘i Convention Center for $5. Plan your trip using Google Transit.