David Okita has flown helicopters on Hawaiʻi Island for many decades, first for emergency responders assisting with fire department search and rescues and then later for conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy and the Department of Land and Natural Resources. David reflects on how flying for him has been a family affair, growing up on Hawaiʻi Island beginning with his dad in the 1970s, and now with his son as his assistant. He speaks to the unique relationship between helicopter pilots and the forestry and biology field crews he supports–one of mutual respect and admiration for the skills and hard work required to build fences, monitor ecosystems and conserve endangered species in the remote wilderness.

In this interview, Clay and Melissa talk to husband and wife biologists Colleen and Ian Cole about their respective careers as land stewards and conservation program managers. Both have been working in Hawaiʻi for 25+ years; Ian as a forester and now Wildlife Biologist for the Hawaiʻi Island’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and Colleen as a land manager for the Three Mountain Alliance and now as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Colleen and Ian speak to the hard work of managing land and people which sometimes equates to small victories over time. They tell us about forging alliances between land owners, hunters, conservationists and biologists and how these experiences bring both unique challenges and lasting rewards.

In this re-release, Clay and Melissa interview Hannah Kihalani Springer of Hawai`i Island, a storyteller, environmental activist, and scholar of Hawaiian history for many decades. As a former trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and advocate for land and sea conservation, she has headed up the nonprofit `Ahahui o Pu`u Wa`awa`a which advocates for the conservation and management of forest systems including endangered Hawaiian plants. Her perspective and that of her husband retired fire fighter Michael Tomich is one of hybridity--in their support for ranching and sheep herding in fire prone grasslands while at the same time restoring native species. She brings us the mo`olelo (place based stories) of Kaʻūpūlehu which demonstrate how we might bring a holistic and reverent relationship to `āina (land) based in aloha kekahi i kekahi (love for one another).