Dr. Chris Schuler, a researcher with the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa’s Water Research Resources Center is a hydrologist and ground water modeler who experienced first hand the impacts of wildfire on Maui in 2023 where he and his family live. In his work which spans from American Samoa to Hawai`i, he speaks to the importance of applied environmental research serving communities directly. In his work and that of his collaborators, he helps test for potential pollutants most importantly in drinking water, which underscores how science can give agency to affected people and places experiencing incomprehensible tragedies in real time.

Since 1991, Hawai`i water and environmental policy and planning expert Dr. Jonathan Likeke Scheuer has helped people seek a shared, sustainable prosperity for the communities and `āina involved, including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Hawai`i State Land Use Commission, the Hawai`i Land Trust Board, and the O`ahu Island Burial Council. In the aftermath of the August 2023 wildfires on Maui, Melissa and Clay talk with Jonathan about the 2021 book he co-authored with Bianca Isaki WATER AND POWER IN WEST MAUI. We come to understand how water in Hawai`i is inextricably tied to the transformation of land, an on-going legacy we are living with today.

Dr. Tom Giambelluca, University of Hawai`i (UH) at Mānoa geography and environment professor has been studying and teaching Hawaiian weather and climate in relation to the land and water across the archipelago for 46 years. In the aftermath of the devastating fires on Maui, we ask him to unpack the local atmospheric trends of the past and future, specifically how climate warming is creating greater risk for more wildfires in Hawai`i.  As director of the UH Water Resources Research Center, we get to ask him how different land covers (native and invasive) affect the hydrology of a given area--specifically water in the streams, on the ground, and in the air. 

Dr. Katie Kamelamela, is a Hilo-based Assistant Professor in the Global Discovery and Conservation Science Center at Arizona State University and studies ethnoecology, ecological restoration, Indigenous conceptions of wealth, and Indigenous economies. She shares with us her on-going research into modern and Hawaiian contemporary uses of various plants like kiawe (mesquite), maile and ti (kī) and how these relationships are ever evolving. Dr. Kamelamela takes us to one of her most cherished places: Kaho‘olawe Island in her role as member of Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana, a grassroots organization dedicated to island's repair and the principles of Aloha ‘Āina. Our discussion brings to light some of the environmental parallels between the island's historical neglect and the ongoing catastrophic fires of Maui. She shares with us the potential for the land to bring about healing, a kind of reciprocity for both the land and its care givers--a testament to the possibility of relationship between the most vulnerable places and those wanting to restore them.

Dr. Mark Merlin, University of Hawai`i at Mānoa professor in the School of Life Sciences, Botany program has taught Pacific island biocultural history across many disciplines: geography, ethnobotany and biology. His fifty years of teaching human relationships to island environments past and present as well as his field research has taken him from Hālawa Valley on Molokai in the 1970s to Pohnpei, Yap, Kosrae islands and everywhere in between. He paints the picture of Pacific Islanders' intimate relationships to sacred, medicinal plants like awa (kava) and how those Pohnpeian and Samoan ceremonies and diverse, native lifeways connect to indigenous movements today.

Bonus Episode Season 1: Dr. Clay Trauernicht and Melissa Chimera talk with renowned chanter, dancer, songwriter and educator Kekuhi Keali`ikanaka`ole about the intimate connection between humans and the Hawaiian landscape as practiced in Hawaiian lifeways. Her perspective is that of a descendent from the legendary Kanaka`ole family, most notably her grandmother Edith Kekuhi Kanaka`ole, one of Hawai`i's first educators who made language and dance accessible to all. She talks about connecting conservation science to Hawaiian thought and understanding through her work with Hālau `Ōhi`a and the ways in which we might connect more deeply with the creatures and plants which surround us. Visit https://www.kekuhi.com/ for more information on how you can enroll in programs and learn directly from Kekuhi.

Co-hosts Melissa Chimera and Dr. Clay Trauernicht reflect on Season One of "Land & People"; what they learned, surprising moments, favorite parts of producing the show, and what's next for Season Two.

In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Clay Trauernicht and Melissa Chimera go on-location to the Hamākua coast of Hawai`i Island. They interview Jayson and Alberta Mock Chew and their daughter Kahealani about the history of kalo (taro) farming and the family transition into poi production with their business Mokuwai Piko Poi. Their kalo farming roots go back six generations in Waipi`o Valley, a sacred and highly productive valley that still sustains farmers and residents, some with centuries-old ancestral ties to the land and sea. Kahealani and her parents talk about the hardships, joy and love brought by a life close to the land and how this affects their relationships, livelihoods and outlook on life.

Mike Demotta, curator of living collections for the Hawai‘i National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) on Kaua'i has lived many lives: from being the garden's horticulturalist, a hula kane (male hula dancer), and speaker of `ōlelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian language) to NTBG's curator of both native and introduced plants at the Limahuli Garden and Preserve. Mike speaks to his knowledge of Hawaiian native ecosystems by way of ancient chant and mo`olelo (stories), while painting the picture of remote places like Ni`ihau and Lehua at the the oldest end of the Hawaiian archipelago. He brings us an appreciation for the role of botanical gardens in both education and rare plant restoration.

Native Hawaiian paniolo Lani Cran Petrie manages Kapāpala Ranch founded in 1860 in Ka'u on Hawai'i Island, one of the island's largest remaining ranches where her great-grandfather was a foreman. Having studied animal nutrition at Washington State University, she has also served as the president of the Hawaiʻi Cattlemen’s Association. Lani sheds light on the ecosystem benefits and economic challenges of managing 24,000+ acres of state-leased land for cattle while keeping weeds at bay and providing trails access to the public. She speaks frankly about the negative perceptions of the cattle industry, and its role as an essential food source for the islands especially during crises.