The Hawaii Conservation Alliance: Leaders in Environmental Management, Research and Education

Held annually in the last week of July, the Hawaii Conservation Conference (HCC) is the largest gathering of people actively involved in the protection and management of Hawaii’s natural environment. The purpose of the conference is to facilitate information transfer and interaction between natural resource managers and the scientific community.

Link to conference page

The theme of the 16th Annual Hawaii Conservation Conference is Island Ecosystems: The Year of the Reef. Although the 2008 theme commemorates the International Year of the Reef, all aspects of science and management of island ecosystems - terrestrial and marine - will be covered.

Link to conference page (program, videos, awards, etc.)

The 2007 conferece attracted an attendance of over 930 registered participants. This anniversary year focused on “Conservation Strategies: Matching Science and Management.” Keynote and plenary speakers included Professor Michael Soulé, University of California, Santa Cruz; Dr. J. Michael Scott, Senior Scientist at U.S. Geological Survey, University of Idaho; and David Helvarg, Blue Frontier Campaign, Washington DC., with a welcoming address provided by Governor Linda Lingle. The conference had more than 230 oral and poster presentations, and conservation exhibitors, presenting on such diverse conservation topics as Hawaii’s Marine Managed Areas, Alternative Energies, Investing in Hawaii’s Environmental Future Workforce, Economic Perspectives of Invasive species, and Insect Conservation.

On May 13, 2007, the 24th Legislature of the State of Hawaii passed House Concurrent Resolution 127 recommending the last week of July each year to be Conservation Week. Over the past several years, the HCC committee has developed activities that bring the public into closer proximity to conservation activities. Our first Conservation Week activities included the My Hawaii Nature Writers' Workshop, Conservation Film Festival, Conservation through Art Exhibition, and public lecture, "50 Ways to Save the Ocean" presented by David Helvarg.

More than 800 people participated in the 2006 conference, featuring over 90 oral presentations and 65 poster presentations on a wide range of conservation issues centered on the 2006 theme of Sustainability: Mauka to Makai. The opening session featured an address by Governor Linda Lingle and a keynote speech by world renowned marine ecologist, Dr. Thomas Goreau, President of the Global Coral Reef Alliance. Plenary speakers included Kameran Onley, Assistant Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior; and Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, Environmental Studies Program, Evergreen State College. The conference also featured two free public events: 1.) Restoring Songs of the Forest, three author discussions hosted by the Pacific Writers Connection on Wednesday evening; and 2.) Global Warming and the Future of Coral Reefs, a presentation by Dr. Goreau on Thursday evening.

The focus in 2005 was on Restoration techniques and experiences. Individual oral presentations, posters, symposiums and discussions were featured throughout both days. Dr. Joy B. Zedler, Professor of Botany and Aldo Leopold Chair in Restoration Ecology at the University of Wisconsin offered the keynote, Restoration Challenges in Coastal and Inland Wetlands: Adaptive Approaches. Symposiums in Offshore Islet Restoration in the U.S. Pacific, Models & Maps for Management and Restoration, and Lowland Wet Forest Restoration are just a few titles that were featured in this conference. The conference concluded with the Public Event, featuring The North West Hawaiian Islands: A Visual Journey, presented by celebrated nature photographer, Susan Middleton.

Highlights from the 2004 conference include: a keynote address by Tim Low, Invasion in Hawaii: A Perspective from Australia; a session on a draft protocol for the evaluation of exotic plants in Hawaii; a symposium on communication and outreach featuring speakers from television, theater and the visual arts working on conservation-related projects; a symposium on techniques for invasive mammal control; and a workshop on early detection and rapid response for invasive species. The conference concluded with a public presentation by Tim Low: Alien Species, Trade and War.

Oral and poster presentations at the 2003 Hawaii Conservation Conference highlighted the theme, "Year of the Hawaiian Forest". Along with forest restoration topics there were presentations that enhanced understanding and progress towards native species recovery, alien species control, birds and their environment, as well as community ecology. Model land manager and researcher cooperative activities in developing applied management information and techniques were presented. This improved knowledge will provide us with the necessary tools for preventing the future endangerment of additional species and ecosystems.

Oral and poster presentations at the 2002 Hawaii Conservation Conference highlighted the enhanced understanding and progress towards ecosystem restoration, native species recovery, alien species control, ecological economics and successful public awareness campaigns. This improved knowledge will provide us with the necessary tools for preventing the future endangerment of additional species and ecosystems.

The 2000 conference featured a keynote address by Harold A. Mooney of Stanford University Department of Biological Sciences: The Global Invasive Species Program and its Implication for Hawaii. Presentations focused on 1) Invasive Species Impacts and Control (feral ungulates, herps, and invertebrates); 2) The Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge; and 3) Natural Area Management.

The keynote speaker, Senator Bob Nakata, Chair of the Committee on Labor and Environment, provided insight and useful advice on how to work more effectively and successfully at the State Legislature. Members of the Secretariat for Conservation Biology* Advisory Group provided an overview of their collective effort to develop a shared conservation strategy, based on lessons learned from the past decade. Plenary sessions and poster presentations focused on increased scientific understanding and management techniques.

Presentations at the 1998 conference highlighted the enhanced understanding and progress towards ecosystem restoration, native species recovery, alien species control, ecological economics and successful public awareness campaigns. Concurrent panels discussed four distinct conservation issues: community participation and volunteerism in resource management; dry forest recovery efforts; conservation benefits of certifying sustainable forestry; and a strategic approach to native invertebrate conservation. The keynote address, Coming Face-to-Face With Sustainability, was given by Hal Salwasser of the USDA Forest Service, Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry.

James Kent gave the keynote address on Working With Communities: Approaches, Skills and Tools for Natural Resource Managers. The 1997 conference offered a showcase of conservation efforts on the island of Maui, illustrating various partnerships working towards a common vision. Four concurrent panels were offered on the following topics: protection and restoration of lowland wetlands; the Kaho‘olawe restoration plan; rare plant reintroduction; and strategic goals of environmental activists.

The 1996 conference featured a panel on private sector efforts in conservation which stimulated discussion on how to encourage and improve public/private partnerships in conservation activities. Four concurrent panels were offered on the following issues: conservation and restoration of Hawaiian streams; alien plant control methods; value of exclosures as a conservation tool; and revenue enhancement strategies for conservation. The keynote speaker on July 18 was David R. Towns from the Department of Conservation, New Zealand, who spoke about restoration in the Mercury Islands of New Zealand. On July 19, Michael Wilson of the State Department of Land and Natural Resources delivered the keynote address on embracing sustainability as a concept for natural resource management.

Phyllis Windle of the Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress provided the 1995 keynote address, The Nationwide Impact of Harmful Alien Species. The 1995 conference featured a panel of speakers on Hawaiian perspectives on the natural environment. A short session on invertebrates was offered in preparation for a future workshop on invertebrate research priorities. Concurrent panel discussions were offered on the following four topics: social and cultural issues in conservation in Hawaii; biological control as a conservation tool; using captive propagation in restoring ecosystems; rat impacts and control.

The 1994 keynote address on Pararestoration was given by John J. Ewel, Director of the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, U.S. Forestry Service. The first day of the conference featured a symposium on restoration. Traditional Hawaiian perspectives were incorporated in the conference; the restoration symposium included a “kama‘aina” perspective and a panel featured three Hawaii speakers who discussed the traditional Hawaiian uses of the forests and other parts of the natural environment. Also as part of the conference, a number of organizations were invited to give a brief update on new initiatives.