2023 Annual Report

2023 ANNUAL REPORT

HAWAI‘I NATURE CENTER

( ) Connecting children & families to the wonders of nature

Our Mission

Why: By connecting children and families to nature, Hawai‘i Nature Center builds community, creates meaningful change and shapes a more sustainable future.

How: Hawai‘i Nature Center enhances critical thinking skills. It develops personal growth and lifebuilding skills including confidence, autonomy and leadership. It also increases civic engagement and positive environmental behaviors as well as improves academic performance

What: Nature Adventure Camps, school/homeschool programs, community/weekend programs, volunteer/docent programs, visitor industry programs, events/meetings/retreats and internships.

2023 IMPACT

8,288

total people reached in 2023

$ 76,700 in scholarships for schools and families to access environmental education

WAYS THAT WE REACH

Our weekday and weekend programs welcome children and families to nature and environmental science

Nature Adventure Camps

School Programs

Homeschool Science Series

Weekend Family Programs

57,008 HOURS

total time spent outdoors

1,358 ADULTS

6,930 KEIKI

connected to nature in 2023 engaged in programs

388 MEMBERS

2023

A year of growth

Aloha ‘ohana & friends of HNC,

Mahalo for your continued support and interest to Connecting Children and Families to Nature! 2023 was another successful year filled with stream exploration, wetland bird investigations, weekly deep dives in environmental science concepts via our Home School Science Series, nature walks and reflections.

I often muse what HNC experiences have the most impact Is it early-childhood introduction to nature, environmental science concepts, linking outdoor education to classroom learning or sustainability literacy? Certainly, each one of these is, in their own right, an important aspect of HNC.

I have also spent much time reflecting recently on the concept of place, and what it means to connect to an area of high significance a forest, stream, wetland or coastal environments My hope is the places we introduce to the keiki, become familiar, a place that provides repeated positive memories. I hope the thousands of keiki that engage in our programs return to hike Makiki Valley or use binoculars at Hamakua Marsh to observe endemic waterfowl.

I hope they physically visit these places on the weekends with their parents and guardians, later in life with friends, continue to explore when they return from college breaks and again in the future with their own keiki.

I am certain when they do, they will know the place well enough see the changes in the landscape and have strong memories of the large tree along the trail or the calm pool in the stream.

The root word of familiar is family, or in ‘olelo Hawai‘i, ‘ohana I trust our programs provide a profound connection to nature, and returning to a special place is returning to the familiar, much like returning home to family or ‘ohana

I hope too they visit these places in the abstract. Reflect and recall the memories of the trails, the boulder they could barely crawl over as a budding naturalist, the smell of the wet vegetation following a mauka shower; or the sounds of trees swaying as the winds race down the leeward side of the Ko‘olau Mountains I believe once a landscape occupies that level of affinity in one ’ s life, through seeing, touching, feeling and engaging in a place, they are more likely to protect the space for future generations.

Because of ‘ohana like you, HNC continues our impact after 42 years. Your support allows families to return to the familiar locations and keiki to find comfort in knowing the once unexplored is now understood and familiar.

Mahalo again for the monetary gifts, attending events at HNC and supporting the journey of our keiki in outdoor exploration

Todd Cullison

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

School Programs, a core Hawai‘i Nature Center offering, began to return from suppressed pandemic levels in 2023. A total of 4,405 keiki were educated through this program of which 40 percent attended Title 1* schools. The center provided $61,700 in subsidies to Title I schools for bus transportation and enrollment for students who otherwise may not be able to attend environmental education programs

*A Title I schools is reported as schools that have a minimum poverty threshold of 47 2% Poverty is determined via family enrollment in two federal programs Community Eligibility Provision and the Free & Reduced Lunch Program during the prior school year

5,441 students

(of which 4,405 keiki attended 42 Title 1 & in-need schools)

59 school partners

134 total field trips

21,584 total hours in nature

NATURE ADVENTURE CAMPS

Nature Adventure Camps are weeklong day camps during spring, summer, fall and winter school intersession. Each week celebrated a theme that included Hawaiiana, Wayfinding, Ahupua‘a Stewardship to Nature Inspiration. Each week, keiki explored different Hawaiian ecosystems while hiking, learning about stream ecology, and taking field trips to various natural resource locations while ending each day constructing crafts using recycled materials.

Through philanthropic support, Hawai‘i Nature Center awarded $15,000 in financial aid for enrollment in Nature Adventure Camps to families in need.

830 campers

29,050 total hours in nature

Art,natureand experientiallearningconverge.

HOMESCHOOL SCIENCE SERIES

Developed for homeschool students, ages 6 to 11, the weekly 6-hour sessions were led by Environmental Educators oncampus and on field trips that incorporate State of Hawai‘i Next Generation Science Standards. The curricula explores a broad range of topics such as climate change, native and invasive species, habitats, sustainability and more

42 students

3,792 total hours in nature

WEEKEND FAMILY PROGRAMS

Weekend programs in 2023 engaged keiki, ages 3 to 5, and their ‘ohana with programs such as Stream 'Splorations, Daring Decomposers and Incredible Insects. Twelve programs were held in 2023

BIRTHDAY EVENTS

Birthday parties bring nature experiences to a child’s community of family and friends with guided hikes, outdoor exploration and lessons in sustainability. All are led by educators.

55 keiki

57 adults

224 total hours in nature

550 keiki

575 adults

2,250 total hours in nature

Making genki balls for the Ala Wai Canal.

gratitude

With aloha and deep appreciation, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generous support. As a single mother, your scholarship enabled my son to experience the beauty of nature at the Hawaii nature camp, fostering a sense of community and belonging Your contribution not only provided him with valuable learning opportunities but also strengthened our bond with the community. Mahalo for your kindness and for embodying the spirit of aloha.” Parent of NAC scholarship recipient

VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

A total of 157 volunteers expanded the organization’s impact across O‘ahu and Maui. They contributed 3,853 hours of support Volunteers serve as junior leaders, perform administrative functions, help with maintenance, and conduct field work. Volunteers helped at our centers and in the community including caring for protected areas such as wetlands.

157 volunteers | 3,853 hours

$118,672 of in-kind contributions

Bug Auwe Todd & Cate Cullison Keoni & Jacque Vaughn Zippy‘s

VOLUNTEER GROUPS

AHL

International Market Place

Kaiser High School Key Club

Mid-Pacific

PBR HAWAII & ASSOCIATES, INC.

Par Hawaii Refining

Sierra Club

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Chaminade University of Honolulu: I am a Scientist

Chaminade University of Honolulu: 'Inana Innovators Program

Department of Land & Natural Resources: State Parks

Department of Land & Natural Resources: Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW)

Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation

Susannah Wesley Community Center

U S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

University of Hawai‘i: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Human Development and Family Studies Program Center

Patagonia Honolulu

8

Caring for the ʻāina with native plants.

Mahalo to our donors

Hawai‘i Nature Center donors provide sustaining support that has helped it grow in 2023. HNC is an independent nonprofit, homegrown in Makiki Valley in 1981 It is not part of a national organization It relies on friends like you for support.

$100,000+

Anonymous

Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation

State of Hawai‘i Koa

Wiliwili

$10,000 to $99,999

City and County of Honolulu - ARPA

Estate of Jennie Ella Peterson

Brennan Foundation

Hawai‘i Community Foundation: Benjamin Parker Fischlowitz Fund

Par Hawaii Refining

Mahalo to our donors

‘Ōhi‘a

$2,500 to $9,999

Signe Chambers

Guy Churchill

Jan Sullivan

Steve & Stephanie Tom

Eric & Jill Wright

Alexander & Baldwin, INC

D.R. Horton

First Hawaiian Bank

Hawaiian Electric

Jhamandas Watumull Fund

Kalaeloa Partners, L.P.

Kualoa Ranch Foundation

Locations Foundation

Prince Waikiki

ALTRES, INC

The Cades Foundation

The RMR Group

Hala

$1,000 to $2,499

James Davis - Lilikoi Ranch LLC

James Geiger

Robert Mist

Sheree Moffat

Lacey Nakaguma

George Norcross

Jerry & Cheri Rauckhorst

Kim Coco Iwamoto

Bob Johnston

Madhu Lundquist & Chelsea Jackson

AHL

HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union Foundation

International Market Place

Optimist Club of Honolulu

PBR HAWAII & ASSOCIATES, INC

Transcendence Pacific

Learning about the aquatic ecosystem at Makiki Stream.

Mahalo to our donors Ti

$250 TO $999

Tim Anderson

Tara Bryan

Jeff Case

Tran Chinery

Clint Churchill

Todd & Cate Cullison

Stan Duncan

Benjamin Godsey

Josh & Jennie Hargrove

Eric Kajioka

Bonita Kealoha

Sumako Kumabe

Kenneth Kupchak

C. Gavin Moffat

Caitlin Moon

Wes & Suanne Nagata

Vincent Shigekuni

Amy Takahashi

Ina Wong

Cades Schutte LLP

Driscoll's

EnviroServices & Training Center, LLC

Janice Brown

Lydia Chase

Nathan Chong

Lourdes Clark

Jodie Cordero

Vaitiare Drost

Mark Heckman

Lea & H. John Heide

Peter Jaquette

Mahalo to our donors Pili

UP TO $249

Miki Kurokawa

Beau Leyvand

Cheryl Low Karimoto

Erin Mitsuyoshi

Sandy Oshiro

Nicholas & Naomi Paslay

Moriah Salter

Alexander Shor

Barbara Smith

Dawn Taniguchi

Tannis Thorlakson Sullivan

Susan Wong

John Wright

Vanessa Yanagawa

Boeing

Macy’s

Soccer Shots Oahu

January 1 to December 31, 2023

EXPENSES REVENUE

Facilities Related Expenses

Outside Contracted Services

Other Program Expenses Salaries & Related Expenses Office & Administration Program

Fishing at Hāmākua Marsh with Wilson Elementary School -one of many school partnerships in 2023.

Todd Cullison Executive Director

2023 LEADERSHIP TEAM

Pauline Kawamata Operations & Volunteer Program Director

Emma Shelly Education Programs Manager

Gavin Moffat Fund Development Coordinator

2023 Board of Directors

President Secretary Treasurer President Emeritus

Lacey Nakaguma Bank of Hawai‘i

James Geiger, ESQ.

Vice President

Nicholas Paslay Hawaiian Electric

Mancini, Welch & Geiger LLP

Josh Hargrove

The Westin Maui Resort & Spa

G. Robert Johnston

Hawaii Pacific Solar

McKibbin Mist

D.R. Horton

Caitlin Moon Cades Schutte LLP

Tran Chinery Alexander & Baldwin

Jerry Rauckhourst (retired)

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i

Tannis Thorlakson Sullivan, PhD

Driscoll’s Director of Sustainability

Michael Vachio

JL Capital

Ina Wong AHL

Guy Churchill Bank of Hawai‘i

Eric Wright Par Hawaii Refining

Hawai‘i Nature Center has a dedicated staff of 10 educators and administrators Along with our newest Environment Educators, Hawai‘i Nature Center’s staff tenure ranges 6 to 29 years in environmental education Success is also driven by a diverse and dedicated Board of Directors that ensures Hawai‘i Nature Center is fiscally sound, develops and follows best practices and consistently pushes leadership to expand our impact and maintain high-quality programs.