This piece was greatly contributed to by my friend Ryan Chang (@ryanschang), an Invasive Species Associate at the Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC). Over the last few years I’ve had the great pleasure of canyoneering and learning small bits of “best practice” from him, Cory Yap, and Katie Ersbak, all of whom work in conservation […]

The 23-foot boat’s twin outboard motors leave behind a frothy wake as we cruise out of the sheltered estuary of Hawaii Kai. Rounding the corner out of the bay, the silky morning water turns to small white chops. A lone canoe paddler strokes hunched against wind. Rain clouds blanket the distant Ko’olau mountains in a cold gray mist that has mixed with the ocean spray to coat my glasses and dampen my sweatshirt. My mission today: to catch a fish.

In a densely settled Honolulu neighborhood, a Jamaican man and a man originally from New Jersey are spending the afternoon on their hands and knees harvesting olena, sugarcane and bananas. This unlikely duo is working together to promote sustainability in a way that is relevant to modern society.