Nurturing Future Ancestors

The Pāpala Lele Biocultural Internship will cultivate Native Hawaiian youth, high school youth, and college students as the next generation of environmental stewards through place-based learning across the Hāʻena ahupuaʻa, integrating traditional knowledge with accredited academic pathways.

Through this project the Youth Conservation Clubs will empower Indigenous youth to strengthen stewardship through cultural knowledge, place-based conservation activities, and community engagement. The clubs foster commitment to protecting natural resources while honoring relationships with the land.

Our project aims to create sustainable job opportunities for Indigenous youth while fostering climate resilience in our community. By cultivating stewardship practices, we empower young leaders to manage local resources effectively, increase community engagement, and leverage traditional knowledge to address the climate crisis and protect our environment for future generations.

This project will support a third year of leveraging funding to increase the impact of our shellfish garden program to create and retain jobs that support climate preparedness utilizing education, training, monitoring, and strategic planning.

This project will bolster the youth biocultural internship program with a new curriculum and travel opportunity for twelve interns to connect with other Native Hawaiian-led organizations doing community-led stewardship

This project will address and prepare for the impacts of climate change that greatly affect our region, by increasing our operational capacity, retaining and continuing our sustainable energy initiatives, and supporting food security education in the Bering Strait Region.

This project will support a Junior North American Women's Association Club that is focusing on conservation that is working in collaboration with Elohi Dinigatiyi "Earth Keepers," Elders advisory group.

This project will increase local capacity and restore grassland ecosystem health by leveraging and expanding Tribal Alliance for Pollinators (TAP) native plant restoration program and the TAP prescribed burn association, which will prevent erosion, improve soil health, and reduce wildfire risk, and also provide an opportunity for youth conservation training.

Project Purpose The project will create and retain cultural specific events for youth to learn the Hualapai language and culture and provide them with skills to incorporate and continue to practice in their daily lives.

Restoring Buffalo to the land, enhances biodiversity. As a keystone species, Buffalo positively influence ecosystems. Educating future leaders on their ecological significance fosters a symbiotic relationship with nature. Leveraging this relationship, alongside controlled fire practices, harmonizes land stewardship and ecological conservation for the benefit of the Earth.

Project Purpose The project will strengthen, build and sustain education / outreach programs through obtaining needed equipment/supplies, increasing student participation and applications, developing operations plans, increasing organizational visibility, piloting a mentorship program, assisting Tribal Hunter Ed programs and completing evaluations.

This project will help create a family friendly a safe atmosphere at Ghost Hawk Park where the outdoors and recreational activities can be enjoyed. Providing programming for youth to participate in recreational activities such as camping, swimming, playground, frisbee golf, and a hiking trail will benefit cultural and community health.