This year’s conference theme, Kūlia i ka Huliau (loosely translating to strive at the turning point), speaks to the demand of our current times that we work collaboratively to forge a new Hawaiʻi. The pandemic has marked a turning point, forcing a rethink of how we should live and work in our special place. And we have already been facing swift and dramatic changes to our ecosystems with profound impacts on biodiversity and human wellbeing. Now is the time to strive to affect changes that could be forged lest we revert to a comfortable “business as usual” that has proven unsustainable and prone to disruption. It clearly showed us how tenuous and vulnerable our externally-facing visitor economy is. It also showed us the benefits of a lighter human footprint on our living resources, and how we should consciously rework to minimize our impacts as well as take action to protect and strengthen the resilience of our life-sustaining lands and waters.
Early bird registration is available through June 1st, including heavily discounted student and emerging professional registration rates.