Land and People

Author: Melissa Chimera

Hawaii conservationist and artist Melissa Chimera and University of Hawaii Mnoa fire and ecosystems scientist Dr. Clay Trauernicht talk with land protectors in Hawaii and the Pacific about the places they cherish through their professional and ancestral ties. We paint an intimate portrait of todays 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 Hawaii at Mnoas College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Music Raindrops courtesy Lobo Loco and Bale Wengei courtesy Joshua Rostron.
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Language: en

Genres: History, Nature, Science

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EP 75 Waikōloa Dry Forest biologists Jen Lawson and Rob Yagi on the interface between people and the rarest of the rare forests
Episode 75
Friday, 3 April, 2026

In this episode, Melissa and Clay talk to Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative executive director Jen Lawson and preserve manager Rob Yagi about their work to promote and restore one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Formed in 2011 to protect, promote, and restore a native Hawaiian dry forest after years of grassroots advocacy, the Waikōloa Dry Forest Preserve was established to protect many of the remaining native trees in the region. We get into Jen and Robʻs respective backgrounds in biology, how they came to Hawaiʻi through their stewardship of Pōhakuloa Training Area, and the unexpected rewards and challenges in helping to enhance the wiliwili forest that is so public facing, in the midst of fires, browsing goats and weeds.