Lush green fields. The letter N appears superimposed.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT


There is a Native Hawaiian ‘ōlelo no‘eau (proverb), “I ka wā ma mua ka wā ma hope,” meaning, “We look to the past as a guide to the future.” Another says, “I ola ʻoe, I ola makou nei,” meaning, “When you thrive, we thrive.” For Hawai‘i’s natural environment to flourish, our people must maintain a reciprocal relationship with ‘āina, honoring traditional knowledge and practices that long secured abundance. This shared kuleana can become a thriving and resilient root system interconnecting equitable cultural, spiritual, mental, social, physical, and economic well-being for all life.

However, a variety of challenges stand in the way. These include inadequate and unimplemented governmental policies, lack of public awareness and engagement, and insufficient funding for effective solutions. Consequently, we face serious problems: increasing fires and burned acres since consistent tracking began in 1999, Hawai‘i’s status as the “endangered species capital of the world” with 490 federally listed species, and rising ocean temperatures regularly causing severe coral bleaching.

Why surmount these obstacles? We believe Hawaiʻi’s ‘āina is not only worthy of saving, but essential to our community’s well-being. When you thrive, we thrive.

 

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EXPLORE THE DATA

 

 


How We Can Make Change Together

By aligning social, economic, and environmental priorities across the state, and fostering collaboration, we will be able to engage the public, strengthen advocacy, increase research and evaluation, and improve education and workforce capacity to support the Natural Resources sector. This will lead to increased public support and community stewardship, more effective policies, improved innovation, adaptation, and decision-making; more effective programs and projects; and a larger, more skilled workforce available to maintain and restore Hawaiʻi’s valuable natural resources. Our end goal is a healthy and resilient ecosystem, equitable prosperity for all, and community well-being throughout Hawaiʻi.

Community organizations are good at getting work done in their places. Change starts with the small things.
– Hiʻilei Kawelo, Paepae o Heʻeia

Seven Strategies to Pursue

Given the insights and analyses driven by community feedback, experts, and data, here are the leverage points we’ve identified that can help push the sector toward our vision.

  1. Develop and implement policies, programs, and projects that protect and improve Hawaiʻi’s natural environments and resources.
  2. Educate and engage all who affect Hawai‘i’s natural environment to grow awareness, knowledge, pono (beneficial) values, and pilina (connection) to place.
  3. Activate and support those in the community who exercise their kuleana (reciprocal responsibility) with the ʻāina around them.
  4. Advocate for effective environmental policies and transparency in government, business, academic, science, and nonprofit sectors.
  5. Invest in research and evaluation to inform decision-making and seed meaningful innovation.
  6. Improve and fund Hawaiʻi’s natural environment workforce capacity to ensure effective and long-term stewardship.
  7. Grow and diversify funding to support these strategies, both from public and private sources.


A group puts their hands into the center of a circle.


Women gather at an event, each wearing face masks. One holds a baby and wears a black eyepatch.

How HCF is Supporting Hawai‘i’s Natural Resources

HCF currently provides grant funding in alignment with several of these sector strategies. We are also working to align sector priorities with our partners, foster collaboration, and improve education and workforce capacity in the sector.

Fresh Water Initiative – In 2013, HCF created the Wai Maoli: Hawai‘i Fresh Water Initiative, with the goal of proactively addressing and resolving water supply issues. To tackle this important issue, HCF invited stakeholders from all sides of the issue—agriculture, private landowners, scientists, and government officials—to convene as a Fresh Water Council. The result? A Blueprint for Action with a goal of providing 100 million gallons a day of additional reliable fresh water supply by 2030 via clear solutions that have broad, multiparty support.

Holomua Marine Initiative – The Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) launched Holomua Marine Initiative to effectively manage our nearshore marine resources in collaboration with community, so that our local resources are available and plentiful, today and for future generations. DAR is working with communities through a locally led planning process, starting with a pilot that was launched on Maui in late 2022. HCF manages philanthropic donations that support the Holomua Marine Initiative and the communities engaged in nearshore marine management efforts. HCF’s role is to administer a pooled field of interest fund to support robust implementation of the Initiative.

Hawaiian Islands Environmental Finance Center – The Hawaiian Islands Environmental Finance Center is a program operated by HCF. It provides resources, training, and technical assistance to community groups and government agencies within the Hawaiian Islands. The goal is to equip these entities with the tools and knowledge necessary to secure federal funding for water conservation, recharge, and reuse projects and to build a healthy water workforce.


Join Us

  • Pledge to take action through the You Are the Solution Pledge program.
  • Homeowners, learn more about Green Infrastructure best practices for your existing and new homes.
  • Stay informed, particularly on how ecosystem health is changing and how those changes are linked to household and community well-being as well as equitable prosperity.
  • Participate in opportunities to support effective natural resource management at all scales, levels, and stages.
  • Advocate when and where possible to strengthen natural resource management policy.
  • Contribute whenever possible to natural environment strategies. Public funding and global philanthropy aimed at environmental strategies make up less than 5 percent of total funds mobilized to achieve positive change.

Donate to the Natural Environment Sector

Click here to donate to the CHANGE Natural Environment Fund, or reach out to our Donor Services team at donorservices@hcf-hawaii.org or (808) 566-5560.

Grant Funding Opportunities

There are currently no open funding opportunities available for the Natural Environment sector.

Check our Open Applications page to see which grants are accepting applications.

For more information or questions, please email CHANGE@hcf-hawaii.org


Stories of Impact


Waterfall

Funding Hawai‘i’s Future Freshwater Resources

Watershed partnerships are helping to protect freshwater resources on Maui and across the state.

Read More

Volunteers carry nets and rope

Maui Nui Makai Network

Seven community groups across Maui Nui are sharing their knowledge and exerting their kuleana to restore our ocean.

Read More

Dana Okano

The Hawaiian Islands Environmental Finance Center Launches

This new center is focused on helping to bring in federal funding for freshwater projects throughout Hawaiʻi.

Read More

Resources

Hawaiʻi State DBEDT Report: Quality of Life in Hawai‘i: 2022 Update

Hawaiʻi State DBEDT Report: Updating the Genuine Progress Indicator for the State of Hawai‘i (2022)

Aloha + Challenge

‘Āina Aloha Economic Futures

Hawai‘i 2050 Sustainability Plan

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Strategic Plan 2020-2025

How Healthy Is Your Ahupua‘a?

The 2020 Hawai‘i Ocean Resources Management Plan: Coastal Zone Management Mauka to Makai

Hawaiʻi Monitoring and Reporting Collaborative (HIMARC)



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