25 years of conservation education at Hawaiʻi CC

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE

Second-year TEAM student Lana Frutoz uses a GPS receiver to collect a waypoint of a native tree.

Second-year TEAM student Tiala Kailianu-Carvalho uses a clinometer to measure the height of a tree.

TEAM students Alison Lofton and Tiala Kailianu-Carvalho transplant native Hawaiian plants for out-planting.

A TEAM student uses a densiometer (a handheld convex mirror) to measure the canopy cover.

TEAM Program Director Orlo Steele (right) with students

Link to video and sound (details below): https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/hGB2yDcxau

**suggested VO/SOT below**

Hawai‘i Community College’s Tropical Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management (TEAM) program plays a vital role in training local students for careers in conservation and natural resource management in Hawai‘i.

“We are the only college here in Hawai‘i that trains undergraduates for doing conservation [work] after an associate of science degree, which is really amazing,” said Orlo Steele, TEAM program director.

The program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, blends academics with hands-on training in agroforestry, forest surveying, silviculture (the growing and cultivation of trees) and Geographic Information Systems. Students gain experience using drones and field sampling tools, and gain skills, such as compass navigation and plant identification. Hawaiian cultural knowledge is also integrated into forest management practices.

“I’m doing an internship right now with the U.S. Forest Service, and I’m walking into it hitting the ground running,” said second-year TEAM student Michael Davis. “I know exactly what to do. There are a lot of spaces in Hawai‘i that haven’t been cared for in a long time, and it’s our responsibility to do something about it.”

The TEAM program has produced more than 120 alumni, many of whom now work with organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service, the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy. Several have pursued advanced degrees, further contributing to Hawaiʻi’s conservation efforts.

“Our graduates have a positive impact on conservation policy and decision making in Hawaiʻi because they bring local knowledge and a deep understanding of our unique ecosystems,” Steele said. “They’re not just conservationists; they’re ambassadors for Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural heritage.”

An associate in science conservation track, in collaboration with the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and Kapi‘olani CC has been proposed. This initiative aims to help students transition into higher degree programs, expanding career opportunities in conservation and resource management across the islands.

For more information about the TEAM program, contact Steele at (808) 934-2623 or via email at orlo@hawaii.edu.

VIDEO:

BROLL: (1 minute, 5 seconds)

0:00 - 0:28 - TEAM students and Orlo Steele propagating ʻōhiʻa and other local species

0:28 - 0:36 - Student using GPS

0:36 - 0:41 - Orlo showing student spherical densiometer

0:41- 0:48 - Students working together and taking notes

0:48 - 1:00 - Multiple students using a compass

1:00 - 1:05 - Students going over notes and distances

SOUND: 

Michael Davis, Hawaiʻi CC student (12 seconds)
“There’s a lot of spaces out here in Hawaiʻi that haven't been taken care of for a very long time. It's kind of our responsibility to do something about it because if we don’t do it who else is going to do it?”

Orlo Steele, Hawaiʻi CC TEAM program director (10 seconds)“So this program is really designed to train our local workforce in all the skills needed to do forest management.”

Steele (12 seconds)“We feel that the techniques are very attainable at this level, and the application is very useful, so our students are getting employed very readily.”

Suggested VO/SOT

INTRO:

A unique conservation and forest management program at Hawaiʻi Community College is celebrating its silver anniversary.

VO

The hands-on Tropical Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management of TEAM program plays a vital role in training local students for careers in conservation and natural resource management in Hawai‘i.

SOT

Michael Davis, Hawaiʻi CC student (12 seconds)
“There’s a lot of spaces out here in Hawaiʻi that haven't been taken care of for a very long time. It's kind of our responsibility to do something about it because if we don’t do it who else is going to do it?”

Orlo Steele, Hawaiʻi CC TEAM program director (12 seconds)

“We feel that the techniques are very attainable at this level, and the application is very useful, so our students are getting employed very readily.”

VO

The TEAM program has more than 120 alumni and is looking to expand.