Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, April 12, 2022

The 29th annual Hawai'i Conservation Conference will be held virtually and is open for registration. See more below. Photo from Hawai'i Conservation Alliance

COLEHOUR BONDERA will run for County Council to serve District 6 from Kona through Ka'u into Volcano. Bondera made the announcement Tuesday evening. He is a farmer and community developer. He said that raising Kona coffee, avocados, and his two children on their farm in Honaunau over the last 20 years has embedded him in the community. His slogan is "Food Security, Local Economy and a Healthy Climate."

Colehour Bondera announced Tuesday evening that he will run for County Council.

    Bondera said he serves the community "through local farmer associations, solving community needs, and responding to his neighbors." He has frequently served as president of organizations and has helped to found them when the need arised. He said he believes "this island can have a food secure, thriving local economy, by taking care of the ‘Aina and our community. With the pandemic, rising costs, and the ups and downs of tourism, our residents are struggling. High housing costs, inadequate transportation, lack of decent jobs, and outmoded schools are challenges that many families face."
    Having dealt personally with many of these challenges, Bondera said, he’s ready to stand up for the needs of his neighbors in District 6. He said he works through "Listening to our diverse community and how they see change happening." Hawai'i County Council "can change our families’ lives significantly with better planning, access to affordable housing and public transportation, higher quality schools and real family supporting jobs. As an island, we need a sustainable local food system and economy moving away from fossil fuel dependency."
    With community members' help, Bondera said, he "will work with the other members of the County Council and Mayor to make this happen! Together we can stand for our needs and hopes -- be heard, be understood, and be sure that the needs of all community members are addressed.” See more at www.colehourbondera.com.

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PILINA MAULI OLA - CONNECTIONS THAT OFFER RESILIENCE AND HOPE is the theme of the 29th annual Hawai'i Conservation Conference to be held virtually July 15-22. A statement from the organizers says, "In Hawaiʻi, pilina or connections with place and with the living elements of the world around us, are the foundations of mauli ola, our mutual well-being. For Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Hawaiians), the connections are ancestral, and for all of us in conservation, the aloha we form in the places we work are the basis for both our own dedication as well as the partnerships we build to address the challenges we face. On land and sea, forging and enhancing those connections offers an opportunity to deepen our

Connections that Offer Resilience and Hope is the  theme of this year's Hawai'i Conservation Conference. Image from Hawai'i Conservation Alliance

individual and collective resilience, and the ways we perceive and experience mauli ola – all dimensions of well-being. We will share stories of success and hope to inspire pilina between people, communities, and place that lead to the innovations needed to address the challenges of conservation in a world  undergoing unprecedented transformations."
    Registration for the conference is available with early bird discounted fees and scholarships. The organizers are also accepting proposals to present papers on areas of research and policymaking.
    Members of the alliance who produce the conference include Kamehameha Schools, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, The Nature Conservancy, University of Hawai'i-Hilo, University of Hawai'i-Manoa, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Tropical Botanical Gardens, Pacific Island Cultural Adaptation Science Center. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bishop Museum NOAA, state of Hawai'i Foresetry & Wildlife, state Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawai'i Invasive Species Council, Hawai'i Association of Watershed Partnerships, National Park Service, Conservation International Hawai'i and the Army's Hawai'i Natural Resources Program.
    According to the Hawai'i Conservation Alliance website, a major goal "is to increase the area of Hawai'i’s terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems under the cooperative and collaborative management by Alliance members, working in tandem with neighboring communities. Alliance-created data collection tools and programs increase opportunities for collaborative management efforts and support community participation in conservation of Hawai'i’s natural and cultural resources."
    Read about the many programs of the organization at www.hawaiiconservation.org, from the Ahupua'a Accelerator Initiative to a Conservation Career Compass and how to register for the conference.