Smith Fellows Winter Retreat Hawaii Island

Retreat goal: how to conduct inclusive community engagement

This retreat was co-organized with 2023 Fellow, Amber Datta, who is conducting her Fellowship in Hawaii, and is a ‘Big Island’ local. The 2022 and 2023 cohorts went to the Big Island of Hawaii for the first retreat of the year. The goal was to delve into the complex world of collaborative conservation, community engagement, and lifting the voices and agendas of local communities, as well as hear from local experts and explore Hawaii’s natural history. Over the course of a week, Fellows listened to, learned from, and spent time with three indigenous-led nonprofits based on the Big Island: Hui ‘āina o Honaunau, Kauhakō Ohana Association, and Kalanihale. This included a trash pick up, invasive plant removal, and lots of talk-story during community listening sessions. The team also went on a nature and geology walk at Volcanoes National Park and connected with conservation practitioners from NPS, USGS, and Conservation International.

We were fortunate to have Donna Ching conduct a 2-day professional development workshop on leadership in collaborative facilitation. We invited our Hawaii partners (listed above), and a few others from local and state government and NGOs. Together we learned facilitation techniques, leadership skills, and engaged in eye opening role playing to better understand working with ‘stakeholders’ on complex issues.

"The retreat was an incredible opportunity to see a unique part of the world where conservation issues meet directly with social and historical trajectories (colonialism, dispossession, etc.), in a dynamic backdrop that's continuously reshaped through vulcanism, winds, and tides. I'm extremely grateful for having the opportunity to start getting to know this place, particularly from the Kanaka 'Aina who have called it home for millenia."