Jordyn is from Seattle, Washington, and her internship was with OceanEra. A fun fact she shared was that all the Halymenia algae biomass grown at OceanEra—over 100 kg at one point—originated from a single wild-collected plant. During her internship, Jordyn learned what it takes to be a technician at an aquaculture facility, caring for native Hawaiian algae. In addition to maintaining the algae tanks and caring for the plants, she learned essential technical skills like plumbing water and air lines and constructing custom equipment. Her favorite part of the internship was working alongside her mentor, Keelee Martin, who shared her passion for native algae. The most challenging part of her experience was culling unhealthy plants—though difficult emotionally, it was always in service of maintaining a healthy main biomass.

Geoffrey is raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and resided in Mililani, Oʻahu during his internship with the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health’s Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response (HEER) Office. He mapped residential addresses of children who had received blood lead tests (2015–2019) and overlaid this data with environmental pollution sites using GIS to assess potential exposure risks. A fun fact he shared was that the HEER campus featured old buildings, an abandoned pool, and a graveyard—he jokingly believed it might be haunted. His favorite part of the internship was working closely with his mentors and participating in a site investigation for an Oʻahu family. The most challenging part was adapting to HEER's operations and working remotely early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sean is originally from California and interned with the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF). His project focused on biosecurity and Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, a fungal disease affecting native ʻōhiʻa trees. He was tasked with quantifying the translocation risk of viable spores and evaluating the effectiveness of sanitation protocols. His favorite part of the internship was knowing that his work would have a long-term impact on Hawaiʻi’s native landscapes. The most challenging aspect was learning meticulous lab diagnostic methods, which required patience and a high level of precision.

Kawehi is from Panaʻewa, Hilo, and interned with the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC). A fun fact she shared was that BIISC employees are called "BIISC-uits." Kawehi worked on a digital communications plan to expand BIISC’s educational outreach, developed an annual report for elected officials, and attended planning meetings to learn about grant writing and reporting. Her favorite part was producing a field crew video to be shown at the ʻŌhiʻa Love Fest. The most challenging aspect was adjusting her original research project due to COVID-19 restrictions; she had planned to study homeowner control of invasive little fire ants.

Sebastian Maʻa interned with the County of Hawaiʻi Real Property Tax Division, which expanded its native forest dedication program to include functional and successional forest land-use categories that offer reduced property tax rates for native forest restoration and preservation. Working alongside ecological professionals, an environmental lawyer, and county officials, Sebastian supported the implementation of Bill 178, which aimed to streamline the evaluation process for forestry management plans and promote effective conservation practices. His primary role involved developing management plan templates and guideline documents to help landowners qualify for native forest land-use dedications and successfully restore Hawaiʻi’s native forests.

Sarah is from the Oregon Coast and interned with Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) and Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS. Her projects included mapping invasive plant species, monitoring water quality in Sand Lake Estuary, and creating a seed collection story map. She used GIS data to identify future restoration needs. Sarah enjoyed collecting seeds, surveying estuaries, and working with passionate environmental professionals. The biggest challenge she faced was finding a new host agency and adapting to COVID-19 restrictions during her internship.

Michael is originally from Northern California and interned with Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund. He participated in beach cleanups, marine debris surveys, and net removals, and observed the Hoʻōla One machine that extracts microplastics from sand. He also collected data on brand-name plastics washing ashore at Kamilo Beach. A highlight of his internship was submitting testimony in support of Senate Bill 52, which passed unanimously. The biggest challenge was modifying his activities to comply with COVID-19 safety protocols.

Carmelita is from Chicago and interned with the Marine Mammal Center’s Ke Kai Ola facility. She surveyed Big Island beaches for Hawaiian Monk Seals and helped photograph and catalog the 10 resident seals for easier staff identification. She also educated community members about safe, respectful monk seal observation. Her favorite part of the internship was learning to identify seals camouflaged against lava rocks—a skill that was both exciting and difficult. The most challenging part was distinguishing between seals from a distance, as their markers and tags were often hard to see.