Pacific-Hawaii Conservation Exchange Program

The origin of this exchange began with the New Zealand/Hawaii Conservation Exchange Program where the Hawaii Conservation Alliance (HCA) and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in New Zealand established an exchange program to enhance communication of approaches, techniques, and philosophies relevant to their common conservation management issues.

The natural environments of Hawaii and New Zealand have much in common. Isolated in time and space for millions of years, both places have evolved unique flora and fauna in the absence of browsing mammals, are subject to a steady inflow of alien species, and face high rates of species extinction. In addition both islands harbor indigenous populations and cultures and must design management strategies to respect these populations.

Common conservation management issues have been addressed in both places by dedicated researchers and managers, sometimes with similar approaches and philosophies, sometimes with greatly different ones. Each place has made advances and found solutions or part-solutions that may be applicable in the other. Regular communication and interaction between conservation professionals in Hawaii and New Zealand is encouraged and considered extremely valuable.

The Pacific-Hawaii Conservation Exchange Program seeks to expand this information exchange to other similar geographic areas and to broaden the scope of communications to include the integration of social, cultural, and political approaches, techniques, and philosophies relevant to common conservation issues.

These exchanges require cooperative agreement between exchange nations. The NZ/HI Exchange agreements are between the HCA and the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Center. Other Pacific locations are eligible for exchange (for example the Galapagos Islands, the Philippines, Fiji, Seychelles, etc.). The burden would be on the proposer to make the case for the utility of an exchange. The financial arrangement would be negotiated by the HCA and the proposed partner.

When a conservation professional from Hawaii goes to New Zealand, the HCA provides international round trip airfare, and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research provides actual costs of transport and living expenses while in New Zealand. When a conservation professional from New Zealand travels to Hawaii, the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research provides international round trip airfare and the HCA provides actual costs of transport and living expenses while in Hawaii. The exchange program supports three conservation professionals per year (one from NZ, one from HI, and one to or from an alternate Pacific location) for visits of 2-3 weeks. The Exchange visits can be arranged around workshops, symposia or conferences, held in New Zealand or other Pacific locations, but a two-week minimum stay is required. Visits to Hawaii should be centered around the Hawaii Conservation Conference with an oral presentation here to maximize exposure. Visits with Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research staff are required and at least one seminar must be given at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. Participants are encouraged to visit other NZ-based organizations as well. And likewise, the major conservation organizations within an alternate Pacific locale should also be visited.

To date, the arrangements made between Hawaii and alternate Pacific locales are on a one-to-one basis. Please contact the program coordinator, Dr. Christopher Puttock for details.

For information about organizations, people and projects in New Zealand relevant to your topic, please contact Eric Spurr at: spurre@landcareresearch.co.nz. Also, visit the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research website.