It's inevitable that a handful of high-profile people have come to represent the recent push for sustainability in Hawai'i. Whether they are hosting open-air concerts or cooking up fresh food with local meats and produce, a few individuals tend to receive a majority of the credit. But there are many other dedicated and passionate people who have made sustainability in Hawai'i their life's work. Meet six of the most influential and under-the-radar advocates of sustainable living.

Sustainability Abroad :: Christina Monroe

Just as Hawai'i residents have to work together for the betterment of their communities, Hawai'i itself must interact in partnership with other island nations across the Pacific. As Hawai'i continues to be a model for conservation and sustainability to our Pacific neighbors, the sentiment was not lost on East West Center Project Specialist Christina Monroe, who spearheaded a groundbreaking academic program to introduce Asia Pacific students to the grassroots campaigns of conservation and sustainability Hawai'i so proudly supports.

Monroe's ultimate goal is to propel the East West Center to be a hub for sustainability exchange in the Asia Pacific region by empowering students to take science from the lab and turn it into policies for everyday sustainable solutions. She took a great leap toward achieving that goal, having secured a State Department grant to head the United States Institute on the Environment (USIE) pilot program at the East West Center in 2009.

Twenty graduate and undergraduate students from Malaysia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Fiji made the journey to O'ahu to help bridge their scientific backgrounds with a social component. Through hands-on work with local community organizations, student groups and even linking up with sustainability leaders like Ed Kenney of Town Restaurant and Gary Maunakea of MA'O Farms, the program was a success. The ability to work with local community members on sustainability issues resounded through the student body to all academic fields and is now being integrated into the curriculum, especially in East West Center's Leadership Programs.

"We have 500 Asia Pacific students living at East West Center who are starved for a local connection," says Monroe. "The USIE program is a great way for these student to see what Hawai'i is doing, what issues and solutions we have here, and then mobilize and creative initiatives back home."

From a Fijian student who implemented organic farming curriculum into nine schools in Fiji to a Malaysian and another Fijian student who started student organizations at their local universities to bring awareness to the conservation of endangered species and recycling, respectively, there was a direct link between what these students learned during their short tenure at the East West Center and the progress they are making in their native countries.

"You may be old and crotchety and think its going down, but when you're 18 or 22 and have your life ahead of you, you want to grow, evolve and prosper. You want positive solutions," Monroe explains her reasons for bringing the program to the East West Center. "I feel quite dedicated to the environmental education initiative because it's focused on positive solutions. I'm not making a judgment on whether the glass is half full or empty. As an educator it only works if you tap a person's sense of inherent positivism, sense of innovation and contribution, and that's the best way to motivate folks and teach them."

The pilot program was such a success that Monroe recently submitted a new grant proposal to keep the USIE program alive. She finds out this spring if more students will be joining her to immerse themselves in Hawai'i's sustainability initiatives for the sake of their homeland. —Kevin Whitton

The Peoples Voice :: Representative Hermina Morita

"Living in a special place like Hawai'i, it is simple to see why we should protect our earth. I think everyone who lives here, who has been touched and feels that special sense of place shares this DNA, whether they are Hawaiian or not. That is the first step in achieving sustainability; that we share this feeling of place as a community. When you have a sense of place, a sense of self, it comes naturally to want to care for your surroundings." —Representative Hermina Morita

Representative Hermina "Mina" Morita, House Representative for the Twelfth District of Kaua´i and Maui since 1997, Chair of the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, key leader in passing the Hawai'i Bottle Bill and proud Grandma of two, was born and raised on Lana'i, also spending time on the beautiful shores of Hanalei, Kaua'i. Mina's core beliefs in caring for the environment are simply part of her heritage.

Spend five minutes with Mina, read her blog or talk to anyone who knows her and you will find that she is hands down the quintessence of a person in government pushing environmental issues for all the right reasons, foremost, laying the foundation of sustainability for future generations.

In this day and age, it might feel trite to talk about core values, but individuals like Mina remind us that values are what we all have in common; they are what bind us as a community. "As a legislator, I know that I have a moral responsibility to the future," explains Rep. Morita. "The future has no voice in the legislative process. It's not going to vote for you. That is something that has always stuck with me. I remind myself that at the end of the day I have to fulfill my responsibility to be a voice for future generations." According to Mina, the biggest challenge for our environment and for policy makers is that everyone is looking for short-term easy solutions.

Mina's tenure in politics is distinguished by her consistent passion for protecting our environment. In the early stages of serving in the House of Representatives, Mina, along with the assistance of a sixth grade class on Moloka'i, lobbied for Hawai'i's Bottle Bill, which now boasts over an 80 percent redemption rate. Most recently, Mina's energy has been focused on Hawai'i Energy Policy Forum (HEPF), a diverse group striving for collaborative energy planning and policymaking. HEPF includes representatives from business, government and the community. The intent of HEPF is to incorporate many different perspectives and the broadest possible experience into the design of a flexible, forward-looking energy strategy.

"What I welcome the most is the challenge to take charge of Hawai'i's destiny to transition Hawai'i to a clean energy economy," says Mina. "To make this clean energy transition will take risk, commitment, careful planning and it will cost money. Not to welcome this challenge and opportunity before us will only subject Hawai'i to increased economic vulnerability beyond our control, continuing to export hundreds of millions of our hard-earned dollars to meet our energy needs. However, we can change this paradigm, but only if we welcome the challenge and opportunity to move towards a clean energy future for Hawai'i."

In Mina's eyes, the solution is multifaceted. It entails designing and implementing a robust, efficient renewable energy system. It means rethinking all the choices we make in our daily lives; choices as large as new forms of transportation and architecture design, to agriculture practices, leisure activities and consumerism. It will mean fighting off vested interest groups that view their wellbeing as inextricably tied to the status quo. It means educating ourselves, taking responsibility for our actions and above all else, listening and learning. —Amanda Corby

The Flow Of Water :: Kapua'ala Sproat

Kapua'ala Sproat grew up in a fishing and farming community during a critical time in the development of the north shore of Kaua'i, when plantations turned into housing developments; as the local saying goes, when they stopped growing cane and started planting houses. At the age of nine, Kapua decided to become an attorney, dedicating her life to defending Hawai'i's land, water, culture and people.

To understand and appreciate Kapua's work, one must understand water. "In pre-contact times, water was the foundation of Hawaiian society. It was always revered as a public trust resource," says Sproat. Serving as the lifeblood of the ahupua'a system, water sustained the Hawaiian people physically, culturally and spiritually. Yet with western contact and the rise of the plantation system, water quickly became a commodity for sale to the highest bidder. Fresh water no longer traveled from mountain to ocean, affecting local farmers downstream, as plantation owners' diverted streams to irrigate their thirsty sugar cane crops, virtually destroying the ahupua'a system.

First as an extern and eventually as an attorney, Kapua has spent the past 12 years working with Earth Justice, helping community groups on Maui, O'ahu and Moloka'i restore water to their streams of origin. By securing these legal victories, Kapua and Earth Justice have helped to establish precedent that will guide the way our laws are interpreted for years to come.

As a testament to her character and a reflection of her deep commitment to grassroots social change, Kapua repeatedly emphasizes that these successes, although important and inspirational, are not hers to claim. They are a direct result of decades of hard work and the perseverance of Hawai'i's people. "We as kanaka maoli, and local people in particular, have a voice in our community," explains Sproat. "As people who live on islands, we rely on our fresh water resources in order to survive. If we don't malama those resources, we can't just send a pump to California and bring it in."

As Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa William S. Richardson School of Law, specializing in environmental and native Hawaiian law, Kapua is cultivating Hawai'i's next generation of environmental stewards, teaching her students and the larger community how to use the law as an effective way to halt the further degradation and illegal appropriation of their public trust natural resources. Her environmental law clinics work directly with community groups and include mandatory site visits that take them as far as Maui and Moloka'i. She recently authored "Ola I Ka Wai", a legal primer on the use and management of water resources in Hawai'i, intended for those wanting to better understand their rights within the current legal framework.

As Sproat's life and career demonstrate, the protection of Hawai'i's natural resources and the preservation of Hawaiian culture go hand and hand. By devoting her life to both the defense of public trust resources and the education of future generations, Kapua is securing a sustainable future for Hawai'i. "Ma ka hana ka 'ike, one learns by doing," Sproat's inspirational words that she brings to life. —Ashley Lukens

Green Guardian :: Glenda Anderson

"The public will not only witness the grandest illumination ever seen here, but may also see the working of the dynamo." —Daily Bulletin, November 15, 1886

In November of 1886, a temporary installation of electric lighting at 'Iolani Palace consisting of 10 arc lamps was displayed for the celebration of the King Kalakaua's 50th Birthday Jubilee. The King was so impressed that 'Iolani Palace was completely rewired for electric lights by June 1, 1887, with 325 arc lights ordered from the mainland, making the palace the first residence in Honolulu to have electric lights.

Electricity has always been an important aspect to the history of 'Iolani Palace, which was plugged in four years before the White House. But the mystery and excitement of electricity is long gone and our community focus has shifted to energy conservation, and that is why 'Iolani Palace has acquired the help of sustainable designer Glenda Anderson to be their "Green Guardian."

Anderson's life is rooted in architecture, design and sustainability. In her twenties she and her husband built a passive solar home on a mountaintop in Colorado, incorporating energy efficient approaches that are just becoming common today. She also established a company in the Rocky Mountain state, Passive Solar Products and Design, and was soon providing award-winning designs for residential and commercial projects across the state. In 1989, the couple moved to Hawai'i and founded Details International, a broad and unique design resource in Honolulu.

Two decades later, her passion for sustainable design and products unwavering, Anderson is bringing change to 'Iolani Palace while upholding the curatorial necessities of the National Historic Landmark. After implementing a simple, energy conservation initiativeÜreplacing incandescent light bulbs in all non-historic rooms with CFLs, turning off overhead lights during the day to take advantage of natural light from the windows and tinting all the exterior windows, which keeps harmful ultra-violet rays from damaging the interior of the Palace and mitigates heat to keep the air conditioning system working more efficientlyÜ'Iolani Palace has cut its electric bill in half over the past year.

Cooling the palace has been the top priority for Anderson and her current focus is changing the outdated, heat-producing incandescent bulbs in the historic rooms. The challenge is that the bulbs must emit a certain color, glow and have a specific shape to be historically and curatorially correct. To accomplish this, Glenda is setting the bar by having special LED bulbs created to suit the delicate environment.

"LED technology has progressed so quickly in the last two years and now we have the ability to produce the correct shape and color to mimic old bulbs. I'm bringing in 9-watt LEDs instead of 50-watt bulbs. They're good for more than 30,000 hours on and there's no heat or infrared given off," explains Anderson.

Once 'Iolani Palace has been passively cooled, plans are underway to replace the three air conditioning units with new, energy-efficient models. "I've wanted to save the planet since I was a teenager," said Anderson. "This is a great opportunity to help because I can see the changes being realized." —Kevin Whitton

Bringing Into Balance :: The Cookes

In the hills above the quaint Kaunakakai Airport in the small town of Kualapu'u, on the island of Moloka'i where time seems to have stood still, a retreat center known as the Hui Ho'olana has evolved. Ho'olana means "to encourage, to float, to bring into balance - as in righting a canoe." And after spending a week at this property amidst acres of native plants, meals made from the organic garden, small thoughtful cabins built over the years by loving hands and bathing in a claw foot tub under a blanket of stars, you are guaranteed to be brought back into balance.

Rikki and Bronwyn Cooke are the gracious couple at the root of all this magic. The land of the Hui has been in the Cooke family since 1908. The main lodge on this property was once the family's hunting lodge and Rikki spent his childhood coming over from O'ahu to the property on hunting trips. When Rikki and Bronwyn Cooke first began teaching and living here in 1989, the lodge was one of the only buildings on the 65-acre property. A former National Geographicphotographer, Rikki taught his first photography workshops while living in a tent on the expansive grounds. The family was considering selling the land so he and Bronwyn put their heads together and dreamed up the concept for the retreat.

In 1997 Rikki, Bronwyn and their dear friend Butch Haase began a native plant reforestation project at the Hui. Over the last 13 years they have methodically and painstakingly cleared invasive eucalyptus trees around the property and reintroduced plants that are native to the upper slopes of Moloka'i. Beautiful koa trees shelter an abundant variety of endemic and indigenous Hawaiian flora: akia, a'ali'i, ulei, koki'o ke'oke'o, ko'oko'olau, ma'o, kulu'i, loulu, alula and ilima among others. It is now the largest native plant reforestation project in the state of Hawai'i. In addition to their own restoration efforts, free classes have been offered to the community on permaculture, reforestation and native plant propagation.

Rikki and Bronwyn, with their two sweet dogs Tigerlily and Spirit, embody the essence of aloha. They, along with Haase, are also deeply involved with the Moloka'i Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy in an effort to bring large areas of the island into conservation status for perpetuity. To date, they have preserved thousands of acres of land with thousands more in the works.

At the Hui, sustainable living is deeply valued. Solar panels power most of the electricity used. A large water catchment supplies a good portion of their water. Food grows in the well-kept organic garden for daily meals while chickens provide fresh eggs and fertilizer.

Whether you come for yoga, meditation, painting, photography or just to be righted again, the Hui Ho'olana is one of those rare places that captures the essence of all the best Hawai'i has to offer. With a combination of vision and passion, Rikki and Bronwyn Cooke have created a place of peace and renewal. As they explain so beautifully, "Malama ka 'aina is at the heart of all we do. As we continue to explore living more simply, pursuing sustainability and practicing ho'oponopono (the Hawaiian concept "to make things right"), we hope to create the circumstance for unlimited possibilities." —Aubrey Yee

Marine Protection :: Dr. William Walsh

To create sustainable solutions for the impacts we as a community impose upon our natural environment, it takes a bold combination of sound science, people management, community education and awareness, and the guts to stand up in front of your peers and promote a voice of change. Dr. William Walsh, marine conservation biologist on Hawai'i Island for the State of Hawai'i's Division of Aquatic Resources, embodies that complex connection. His work establishing marine protected areas, the grassroots community organization supporting these conservation zones and the yellow tang fishery on Hawai'i Island is a model for successful conservation, from reef to mountaintop.

The yellow tang is the primary target of the aquarium fishery in West Hawai'i reef zones, constituting about 85 percent of the total take for the aquarium collectors. But this vibrant yellow fish is valuable not only for aquarium collectors, but for dive tour operators as well, whose patrons seek vibrant, healthy reefs for their viewing pleasure. These two industries came unpleasantly head to head in the 1980s and '90s along West Hawai'i reefs as yellow tang numbers were severely depleted by collectors.

In response to the turmoil on West Hawai'i reefs, a landmark bill was passed in 1998 by the state legislature. Act 306 required 30 percent of West Hawai'i coastal waters to be set-aside as fish replenishment areas (FRA), which were no-take areas with a permanent mooring system and prohibitions on lay gill nets. The act specifically empowered the community to work out the details and Dr. Walsh came on board as the marine biologist overseeing the legislative mandate; he became the liaison between the legislation and the diverse community in West Hawai'i. In turn, Dr. Walsh and colleague Sara Peck organized the West Hawai'i Fishery Council to accomplish these goals.

"[The council] has been a catalyst for bottoms up change," explains Walsh. "We can't be whining to government all the time, 'This is broken, fix it.' We have to be responsible, we have to put in the time, come to the meetings, no one gets paid, travel long distances, month after month. And in my mind, the biggest revelation is that people are willing to do that."

The council set aside nine marine protected areas and then, thanks to President Clinton and his coral reef initiative, was able to rigorously monitor and study the marine reserve system six times a year with help from a slew of eager students from U.H. at Hilo and other institutions. They gathered field data on the yellow tangÜpopulation numbers, patterns of abundance, size and lifespan and impacts of aquarium collectingÜand many other species within the protected areas.

But the hard science had to be conveyed to the community because changes to collectors and fishers practices were necessary for the health of the yellow tang. To do this, Dr. Walsh took his message into the community with 86 paper 'omilu strung up on a line and displayed it around lecture halls along the coast. Why 86 fish? Because they found out that if a 12-inch fish doubles in size, the amount of eggs it produces doesn't just double, it increases 86 times. In other words, taking one 24-inch fish is like taking 86 12-inch fish.

"Historically, there have always been refuges for reef fish: darkness, depth and distance from fishers. Now people scuba at night and go down as deep as they want. We're not going to take away outboards and nightlights and fish finders. What we need to do is create other types of refuges, and that's where the concept of marine protected areas come in, areas that are limited or no take, areas that allow populations to obtain a more natural size structure where the big ones can proliferate. The contribution of the big ones is way more magnified beyond their absolute size."

As for the yellow tang, their numbers have increased 57 percent since the protected areas became established in 2000. Aquarium collectors have found success too, and increased their revenue by 71 percent in that same time. Dr. Walsh continues to educate people about pono fishing practices and marine protected areas and has expanded his focus to bring awareness to land issues that impact marine ecosystems. "My life's work is to make sure that our resources in West Hawai'i are protected, that they're going to be around not just for our grandkids generation, but their grandkids generation." —Kevin Whitton