From left to right: Professor and ELP Co-Director David M. Forman ʻ93, Josh Eddington ʻ25, Marie Sonson ʻ25, and Malia Taylor-Wolfe ʻ25.
Richardson students and alumni attended the 2024 Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference from July 30 to August 1, 2024 in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. This year’s theme was ʻAuamo Kuleana – Amplifying Strength Through Balance. ʻAuamo Kuleana is commonly used as a call to action that evokes the image of the ʻauamo, a pole used for carrying heavy loads that balances and distributes weight upon the shoulders. This phrase serves as a reminder that our kuleana, or responsibility, to the environment is both a collective privilege and an individual duty. It emphasizes the urgent need for us to embrace and advance both aspects and acknowledges that we are engaged in work that spans multiple generations.
Activities at the conference included panel discussions, exhibition booths, and conference artwork, as well as award presentations including the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance’s Outstanding Leadership award to Professor Kapua Sproat ’98! Professor Sproat also participated in a keynote panel on “What Water Rights on West Maui Can Teach Us About Fire and Conservation” along with Kekai Keahi, a Maui Komohana (West Maui) community leader.
Malia Taylor-Wolfe ʻ25 enjoyed walking around the exhibition booths and talking story with exhibitors: “There were so many interesting booths this year and the exhibitors are extremely knowledgeable. I particularly enjoyed the limu (seaweed) touch tank after attending several sessions on limu species protection! Overall, it was a great learning and networking experience.”
From left to right: Malia Taylor-Wolfe ʻ25, Charlie Taylor ʻ11, Professor Emerita Denise Antolini, David Sakoda ʻ10, Professor and ELP Co-Director David M. Forman ʻ93, and Marie Sonson ʻ25.
Emily Sarasa ‘24 presented her Second Year Seminar research about invasive free-roaming cats in Hawaiʻi during a speed talk. Her primary recommendation is for legislators in Hawaiʻi to recognize eliminating free-roaming cats as an environmental priority and adopt Australian approaches that are economically, politically, and socially feasible in Hawaiʻi. Sarasa also attended a scholarship recipient luncheon with other emerging professionals to discuss ahupuaʻa restoration and how to better connect researchers with communities.
The experience continued Sarasa’s enthusiastic participation in events supported by the Environmental Law Program (ELP). Early this summer, she traveled to Seoul for the 31st World Congress of the International Association for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy and presented her research about protest rights and restrictions at the UNFCCC COPs. Sarasa was part of ELP’s COP27 (2022) and COP28 (2023) delegation.
From left to right: Emily Sarasa ʻ24, Debbie Akane ʻ24, and Eleng Kazangiljan ʻ24 attend COP28 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Sarasa encourages students who are interested in attending this year’s COP29 convention to contact her (esarasa@hawaii.edu) about her experience for more about her experience and ideas about maximizing the possibility of obtaining financial support from ELP! Professor and ELP Co-Director David M. Forman noted that there are numerous ways that students can contribute to and benefit from participating in these amazing opportunities, so emails to dmforman@hawaii.edu and/or wallsgro@hawaii.edu with an explanation of how ELP support will help advance your goals are most welcome.
MTW