More than 77,000 acres across Hawaiʻi have been protected and preserved for the benefit of the people, thanks to the Trust for Public Land. Waimea Valley, the agricultural area surrounding Turtle Bay, the Ka Iwi Coast in East Oʻahu, and Alakoko Fishpond on Kauaʻi are just a few examples.
Their first project in Hawaiʻi was expanding Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in 1978. The national nonprofit is celebrating 50 years of working with local communities around the country. The Conversation talked to the organization's Hawaiʻi director, Lea Hong, about why open spaces matter.
"The Trust for Public Land was founded on the conviction that all people need access to nature and the outdoors, close to home, and in the cities and communities where we live," she said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Nov. 17, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
