Nathaniel is from Hershey, Pennsylvania. His internship was with the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC). For his internship, he served as the liaison for a project involving the invasive species Himalayan Raspberry Bush (Rubus ellipticus). He worked with BIISC and members of the Fern Forest community to determine the most effective pesticide for this plant while also protecting the surrounding plants. A fun fact about his internship fieldwork was that using an iPad to input data in the dense forest was quite difficult.

His favorite part of his internship was meeting with community members interested in conserving the biodiversity in Hawaiʻi. He loved interacting with his coworkers, who were just as passionate as he was about conservation. The most challenging part of his internship was analyzing all the data from his project once it was collected because it took a while.

Mina is from Texas. Her internship was with Ke Kai Ola – The Marine Mammal Center. Her internship explored the operation strategies for the conservation of the native Hawaiian Monk Seal through response, animal care, and education. She made Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework tools for The Marine Mammal Center to assess and evaluate their management and processes. A fun fact about her internship agency was that Ke Kai Ola is the only hospital dedicated to the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal, with their three main branches of operations being response, animal care, and education & outreach.

Her favorite part of her internship experience was getting to know the Ke Kai Ola team. Everyone there was so friendly and knowledgeable, and they worked so well together. She learned so much and they made her feel like part of the team. The most challenging thing she did as part of her internship was helping tackle the large overarching obstacles in the conservation management of endangered species like the Hawaiian Monk Seal.

Ariel is from Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Her internship was with the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP). With PEPP, she focused on Kaʻū and Mauna Kea ʻāhinahina, two rare plant species endemic to Hawaiʻi Island that are not only stunning but have immeasurable cultural and ecological value. She gathered information about the lineages that were currently growing in order to maximize their genetic diversity when hand pollinating, collecting seeds, and outplanting keiki. She also helped build a fence around a unit containing wild populations of Kaʻū ʻāhinahina to protect them from ungulates. A fun fact about her internship agency was that PEPP has saved 150 rare species from the brink of extinction, where they are now regenerating naturally.

The most challenging part of her internship was the physical labor and hiking, but in the best way, because it made her feel healthy and strong at the end of the day. She was so grateful to be able to bond with beautiful ecosystems on the island through restoration work. Ariel loved experiencing these places and feeling how they connected to her community through elemental processes like water cycles. She also loved working with and learning from her coworkers, who all had such cool plant knowledge!

Tuimalata is from Samoa. Her internship was with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF), in partnership with the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) Agriculture, Community, and Natural Resources (ACNR) Land Grant Program under the Forestry Division. For her internship, her tasks involved interviewing local farmers and landowners to document their agroforestry practices and identify challenges and needs in promoting these practices in the future. Her deliverables included detailed transcriptions of these interviews, a comprehensive report analyzing the findings, and educational materials to support the implementation of sustainable agroforestry systems in American Samoa. In American Samoa, the ASCC ACNR Land Grant Program’s Forestry Division promoted sustainable land use through invasive plant eradication, forest health management, agroforestry, and more. A fun fact about her internship agency was that the USDA IPIF in Hawaiʻi is passionate about restoring native Hawaiian forests through projects that plant endemic species like koa and ʻōhiʻa, preserve biodiversity, and support Native Hawaiian cultural practices.

Her favorite part of her internship experience was engaging with farmers and landowners, hearing their stories, understanding their years of experience, and learning firsthand about their recommendations and the challenges these systems bring, as well as how to maintain them in the face of climate change. This interaction not only enriched her knowledge on the sustainable future of her people but also allowed her to contribute meaningfully to preserving and enhancing these vital practices within her community. The most challenging part of her internship was conducting interviews in a way that was culturally sensitive and respectful while ensuring that she gathered comprehensive and accurate data. This involved building trust with participants, effectively navigating language barriers, and accurately transcribing and analyzing the rich, qualitative data collected during these interactions.

Andrew is from Palm Harbor, Florida. Andrew’s internship was with the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) in Hilo. For his internship, he studied the growth of akaʻakai (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani) in the Wailoa River to aid in the restoration of Waiākea Pond. He also assisted DAR with their estuary monitoring and education outreach programs. A fun fact about his internship field site was that Waiākea Pond is composed of a network of fishponds known as Ho‘akimau, Waiākea, Mohouli, Waihole, among others with names lost over time. These ponds served as one of the royal fishponds of King Kamehameha I, and the area has a unique mullet fishery as it is the only place in the world where melosira is used as bait to catch ʻamaʻama (Mugil cephalus).

The most challenging part of the internship was balancing classes, work, and the internship. His favorite part of the internship experience was learning from and working with everyone at DAR.

Randall is from California. His internship was with the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, College of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Resource Management (CAFNRM). For his internship, he restarted and expanded the composting program for CAFNRM to include a compost learning center. This expansion allowed CAFNRM to integrate the program into many classes involving sustainable farming practices, as well as collaborate with the UHHSA waste program.

A fun fact about his internship was that CAFNRM gave him the opportunity to pursue his career goal of becoming an educational instructor in the diverse field of Tropical Agriculture Sciences. The biggest challenge he faced during his internship experience was performing lab work where small errors could have a big impact, requiring intense focus to remain error-free. His favorite part of the internship was the excited feeling he got when a plan came together without a major glitch.

River is from Ngerchemai, Palau. Her internship was with the Division of Forest, Land, and Water Management (DFLW) in Palau and the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry (IPIF) in Hilo. With her internship organizations, she investigated dwarf and tall mangroves of the same species (Rhizophora apiculata) growing in Palau, and with DFLW she worked to determine what was causing the stunted growth of some of these mangrove trees. She studied the nutrient capabilities of both dwarf and tall mangroves, among other factors, to better understand their ecological differences. A fun fact about her internship was that she had worked for the division for three years before returning to graduate school, so coming back to do research with them felt like returning home to family.

The most challenging part of her internship was also the most rewarding—navigating mangrove forests in Palau was difficult and exhausting, sometimes leaving her bruised, but the sights she experienced were incredible. Her favorite part of the internship was simply being in the mangrove forests, appreciating how awesome nature is and how resilient the trees are. Trees growing in water, she noted, are pretty badass. She also deeply valued working with people who care so much about the environment—something she wouldn’t trade for the world.

Christine is from American Samoa. Her internship was with the State of Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR). Through her internship, she worked on creating a monitoring plan for the Waiākea fishpond. This plan focused on the management of aquatic plants, methods for obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the fish community and composition within the estuary, and maintenance of the surrounding habitat. She aimed to incorporate scientifically proven methods into this plan and reached out to colleagues for their expertise in order to build a strong foundation and achieve positive results. Christine also had the opportunity to participate in other DAR projects and outreach efforts. A fun fact about her internship agency was that DAR has a strong interest in the public fishing community and often attends community meetings to discuss pressing fishing-related topics.

The most challenging part of her internship was adjusting to a new work dynamic and immersing herself fully in the project, which required significant time for research and testing methods. Her favorite part of the internship was not only working with the organization but also forming a meaningful relationship with the place she was studying—and along the way, forming connections with the people around her.