E komo mai, Dr. Katie Kamelamela!

By Dr. Katie Kamelamela & Chapter Staff | Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi Chapter Executive Committee is so proud to announce our newest member: Dr. Katie Kamelamela!

Find out more about Dr. Kamelamela and the fantastic experience she brings to the Club:

Dr. Katie Kamelamela is passionate about the relationships people cultivate with Hawaiʻi's forests and all our landscapes.  Through consulting services, she helps communities, governing agencies, and non-profits clarify their vision to develop a strategy to achieve long term practice-based dreams through partnerships. She understands that local climate action first starts with the relationship between us and our landscapes. She was honored to be nominated by the Sierra Club Executive Committee to serve the remaining term of an At-Large Chapter seat and looks forward to running this fall to serve for another two years.

Born and raised on Oʻahu, Dr. Kamelamela graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi Botany Department with a vision of "Hawaiʻi practices on Hawaiʻi landscapes." With diverse climate and soil types across the islands, she brings together place and practice-based community needs with policy. Her professional and public service goals are to support understanding and management of forest gathered resources for cultural and economic value to empower cultivators, managers, and consumers. Gathering practices are intertwined with policy at all levels, especially related to Native Hawaiian Access Rights. Having served at multiple agencies, she bridges the gap in communication between on-the-ground practitioners, governing bodies, and advocacy agencies preparing for a changing climate. 

Now living on Hawaiʻi Island, she serves as the program administrator for the first Community Based Subsistence Forest Area project in a State Forest Reserve and separately is reviewing Indigenous and Local Knowledge resources of drought in Hawaiʻi to inform managers and policy of current and historical Hawaiian practices on Hawaiʻi landscapes. Beyond professional natural resource conservation research, she is also active in the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander COVID-3R Communications Hui, The Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, and Kalihi-Pālama Hawaiian Civic Club. Her hobbies include personal finance education and support, her dogs, and working in the garden.

A note from Dr. Kamelamela on what being a part of the Sierra Club means to her:

“The National Sierra Club has been at the forefront of protecting wild places and endangered species, keeping our air and water clean, ensuring a clean energy future, curbing climate change all while keeping the pressure on politicians and corporations to ensure safe and healthy communities. 

Locally, our Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi Chapter has been harnessing the power of the people and defending the rights of nature through advocacy and litigation, specifically for Red Hill and East Maui. At home, on our individual islands, Sierra Club Group leaders from Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Kauaʻi and Oʻahu are bringing to the forefront issues and opportunities for members to engage in that impact the places we love. 

Through all my community, government, and non-profit experience, the work is always done by the people who believe in the cause and have a deep regard for and duty to our environment, islands, and future generations. As a member of the Sierra Club, I know you believe in our environment, the health of our islands, and our future generations to come…that’s why you are reading this message.

With our current situation of public health risks with COVID-19, we have a new opportunity to reach out and impact policy while staying safe and distanced. In doing this work we must also be mindful of our family, friends, coworkers, and colleagues who are facing the realities of caring for sick loved ones or who are at risk themselves.

As the new Sierra Club At-Large Executive Committee Member, my message for you is to be kind in these times to yourself, your family, and your neighbor. Our will to advocate is nurtured by our relationships with people and our environment. Be kind to both and all as we move forward together as Hawaiʻi.”