PodcastsHistoryLand and People

Land and People

Melissa Chimera
Land and People
Latest episode

74 episodes

  • Land and People

    EP 73 Pilot David Okita on the evolution of helicopters as an essential tool for conservation land management

    26/02/2026 | 50 mins.
    David Okita has flown helicopters on Hawaiʻi Island for many decades, first for emergency responders assisting with fire department search and rescues and then later for conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy and the Department of Land and Natural Resources. David reflects on how flying for him has been a family affair, growing up on Hawaiʻi Island beginning with his dad in the 1970s, and now with his son as his assistant. He speaks to the unique relationship between helicopter pilots and the forestry and biology field crews he supports–one of mutual respect and admiration for the skills and hard work required to build fences, monitor ecosystems and conserve endangered species in the remote wilderness.
  • Land and People

    EP 72 Wildlife biologists Colleen and Ian Cole on making lasting alliances across diverse communities and geographies

    13/02/2026 | 1h 2 mins.
    In this interview, Clay and Melissa talk to husband and wife biologists Colleen and Ian Cole about their respective careers as land stewards and conservation program managers. Both have been working in Hawaiʻi for 25+ years; Ian as a forester and now Wildlife Biologist for the Hawaiʻi Island’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and Colleen as a land manager for the Three Mountain Alliance and now as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Colleen and Ian speak to the hard work of managing land and people which sometimes equates to small victories over time. They tell us about forging alliances between land owners, hunters, conservationists and biologists and how these experiences bring both unique challenges and lasting rewards.
  • Land and People

    EP 71 Hawaiian storyteller and conservationist Hannah Kihalani Springer on how land care begins with aloha for one another

    30/01/2026 | 1h 20 mins.
    In this re-release, Clay and Melissa interview Hannah Kihalani Springer of Hawai`i Island, a storyteller, environmental activist, and scholar of Hawaiian history for many decades. As a former trustee for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and advocate for land and sea conservation, she has headed up the nonprofit `Ahahui o Pu`u Wa`awa`a which advocates for the conservation and management of forest systems including endangered Hawaiian plants. Her perspective and that of her husband retired fire fighter Michael Tomich is one of hybridity--in their support for ranching and sheep herding in fire prone grasslands while at the same time restoring native species. She brings us the mo`olelo (place based stories) of Kaʻūpūlehu which demonstrate how we might bring a holistic and reverent relationship to `āina (land) based in aloha kekahi i kekahi (love for one another).
  • Land and People

    EP 70 Kekuhi Keali’ikanaka’ole on how we find family in `āina

    16/01/2026 | 1h 5 mins.
    In this re-released interview, we talk with renowned chanter, dancer, songwriter and educator Kekuhi Keali’ikanaka’ole about the intimate connection between humans and the Hawaiian landscape as practiced in Hawaiian lifeways. Her perspective is that of a descendent from the legendary Kanaka’ole family, most notably her grandmother Edith Kekuhi Kanaka’ole, one of Hawaii's first educators who made language and dance accessible to all. She talks about connecting conservation science to Hawaiian thought and understanding through her work with Hālau `Ōhi`a and the ways in which we might connect more deeply with the creatures and plants which surround us. Visit https://www.kekuhi.com/ for more information on how you can enroll in programs and learn directly from Kekuhi.
  • Land and People

    EP 69 Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh on how seeking knowledge of the land is a mind and heart endeavor

    23/12/2025 | 57 mins.
    Dr. Rhonda Loh has over thirty years of experience at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, starting out as a volunteer and now in the top position as Superintendent. Rhonda explains how her graduate experiences in science (she holds both a Master’s biochemistry and a PhD in botany) were in tandem with her discovery of Hawaiian ecology and conservation. We get into careers within the National Park Service, her community challenges in fencing and removing feral ungulates, and her perpetual wonder and amazement that Kilauea volcano continues to instill in both staff and visitors.

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About Land and People

Hawai`i conservationist and artist Melissa Chimera and University of Hawai`i Mānoa fire and ecosystems scientist Dr. Clay Trauernicht talk with land protectors in Hawai`i and the Pacific about the places they cherish through their professional and ancestral ties. We paint an intimate portrait of today’s land stewards dealing with global crises while problem solving at the local level. Brought to you by the Cooperative Extension Program at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Music ”Raindrops” courtesy Lobo Loco and ”Bale Wengei” courtesy Joshua Rostron.
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