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The Friends of Haleakalā National Park has awarded three $2,000 scholarships to students pursuing studies and careers in environmental science and conservation in Hawaiʻi. The Don Reeser, Mary Evanson and Dr. Fern Duvall Memorial Scholarship supports individuals working to protect ecosystems like Haleakalā.
Kaylee Miyamoto, a Baldwin High School graduating senior, will attend Brigham Young University Hawaiʻi and major in biology. During high school, Kaylee worked with NALU Maui Nui to serve the Maui Nui community by analyzing environmental data, conducting community service restoration activities, serving as a mentor to other youth, helping deliver food to Lahaina fire survivors and applying Native Hawaiian practices. Her NALU projects involved analyzing environments in Kealia Pond US Fish and Wildlife Refuge to support native wildfowl species as well as helping restoration efforts for native plants at Kipuka Olowalu and Ko’ie’ie fishpond. She also worked assessing coral reefs at ‘Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve and restoring native plants and cultural sites on Kaho’olawe. She aims to use her education to work in Hawaiʻi to conserve and protect the land and ocean.
Kamakanōweo Kekauoha-Schulz, a graduate of King Kekaulike High School and Kaiapuni (Hawaiian Language Immersion), will attend UH Hilo to major in environmental science and Hawaiian studies. Kamakanōweo’s commitment to ‘āina stewardship comes from his many experiences of volunteering and internship, as well as years of immersion in ‘ōlelo and Hawaiian cultural practices. During high school, he tracked native snails with DLNR’s Snail Extinction Prevention Program, mapped native plants in Waihe’e with the ‘Āina Data Stewards Internship and learned about sustainability and farming in both the UH Maui College’s Summer Agricultural Bridge and his STEMworks internships at Kahamoku Family Farms. His academic and career choices are, for him, “essential responsibilities inherited through generations.”
Erin Neuman Bell is doing her Purdue University Ph.D. research on the intersection of forest restoration and avian ecology on Hawaiʻi Island. Her journey working in Hawaiʻi began as an intern with the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, assisting with the translocation and monitoring of the endangered kiwikiu. Currently, she is working on how native birds contribute to seed dispersal across restored and unrestored forested landscapes on the Big Island, with the goal of providing data that can guide decisions about where and how to plant, and which species to prioritize in a way that enhances long-term ecological resiliency and recovery. She also volunteers with local conservation groups, assists with environmental education programs, mentors early-career students interested in conservation and speaks at public forums about forest recovery.
More information about the Friends of Haleakalā National Park scholarships, other programs and volunteer opportunities can be found at www.fhnp.org.
