Nonprofit seeks applicants for conservation leadership program on Kaua‘i

Kupu, Hawai‘i’s leading conservation and environmental education nonprofit, is seeking applications for the Conservation Leadership Development Program.

Recent high school graduates, college graduates and young professionals looking to establish a career in conservation are encouraged to apply by June 21.

Participants will be matched with a conservation host site for the program, where they will learn and serve alongside conservation experts. This extensive network of partner sites offers exposure to the fields of ornithology, botany, natural and aquatic resource management, biology, marine biology, Hawaiian cultural studies, and more.

Program host sites on Kauaʻi include:

• Kōke‘e Resource Conservation Program
• Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee with the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi

“It’s a privilege and humbling responsibility to serve at Limahuli, and there’s nothing I’d rather do,” said
Ezikio Quintana, who did the most recent CLDP term with National Tropical Botanical Garden – Limahuli Garden and Preserve. “I’m so grateful for the privilege of being able to care for this place and the life it supports, that I show up eagerly every day, ready to take my place in the long succession of stewards that precede and follow us.

“And on those inevitable days where we’re less eager to pull weeds in the rain before the sun fully rises, smiling faces and kind words greet us and make it a little easier.”

CLDP participants receive a bi-weekly living allowance, health insurance, and upon term completion, an education award up to $6,895, as well as access to the Kupu Pathways program, which offers a kick-start to college (no transcripts needed) through Arizona State University.

Apply now at kupuhawaii.org/conservation/.

For questions, contact conservation@kupuhawaii.org or call 808.735.1221, extension 2002.