Skip to Main Content
UH Manoa Logo

Biocultural Initiative of the Pacific

Our mission is to cultivate a vibrant community of practice across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific that supports the linked wellbeing of peoples and places of care.

About the BCIP

logo for biocultural initiative of the pacific
Ecology and environment, and culture and society are interdependent, mutually reinforcing, and inseparably woven together. At a time when we face tremendous global threats to the wellbeing of peoples and places, we need innovative approaches, new thinking, and concerted efforts to provide appropriate solutions. Based at the University of Hawai‘i, the Biocultural Initiative of the Pacific is a knowledge center and network linking scholars, students, and communities who share the common goal of thinking holistically to enhance understanding of biocultural systems.

We envision the University of Hawaiʻi and our partners as a biocultural hub that nurtures reciprocal relationships across generations, disciplines, and regional communities. By sustaining spaces for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collective action, we aspire to enhance resilience, well-being, and stewardship of lands, waters, and relationships between people and the more-than-human, honoring local and Indigenous lifeways while shaping global leadership in biocultural approaches. Our mission is thus to cultivate a vibrant community of practice across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific that supports the linked wellbeing of peoples and places of care.

Mahalo nui loa to our Founders

  • Christopher Dunn (Lyon Arboretum)
  • Kenneth Rehg (Linguistics)
  • Alex Golub (Anthropology)
  • Jonathan Padwe (Anthropology)
  • Tamara Ticktin (Botany)
  • Frank Stewart (English)
  • Daviana McGregor (Ethnic Studies)
  • Avi Soifer (Law)
  • Danielle Conway (Law)
  • Jon Van Dyke (Law)
  • Lyle Campbell (Linguistics)
  • William OʻGrady (Linguistics)
  • Steven Gray (NREM)
  • Makahiapo Cashman (HWST)
  • Maenette Benham (HWST)
  • Robert Bley-Vroman (SLS)

  • Wade Davis
  • Michael Balick
  • Elizabeth Kolbert
  • Barry Lopez
  • Eleanor Sterling (in memoriam)

Featured Events

Spring Seminar Series Line up: Feb 11, BCIP leadership, Feb 25 Gary Holton, March 11 Kawika Winter, March 25 Nakoa Farrant, April 8 Ron Vave, April 22 speaker to be determined.

ISR - BCIP Spring Seminar Series

The ISR - Biocultural Initiative of the Pacific (BCIP) invites you to our Spring 2026 Seminar Series featuring an exciting lineup of speakers. Topics span mulitple biocultural contexts, bridging ecological science, Indigenous knowledge, language and community stewardshop across Hawai'i and the broader Pacific. While a remote option will be available, we encourage in-person attendance when possible to facilitate connections and dialogue with speakers and the broader community. Lunch will be provided first come first serve!  

When: Every other Wednesday at 2 pm - 3:30 pm

Where: Kuykendall 201 or Zoom

Register on Zoom