Kupu’s Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC) Year–Round Internship Program is a community-based service-learning program. As AmeriCorps members, young adults are challenged to learn the principles of natural resource management and the importance of sustaining Hawaii’s unique natural environment. Participants will spend 10–12 months “in the field” with natural resource managers, educators, scientists and community leaders actively participating in local conservation efforts while learning about Hawaiian plants and animals, native ecosystems, watersheds, historic sites, aquaculture, and the current demands being placed on Hawaii’s natural resources.

For more information about how to apply – go to our Year-Round Program APPLICATION PAGE.

Spend the day in the mountains helping out our native forests!

Kupu’s HYCC Year-Round Member, Cassie Smith is organizing a special volunteer project at the Pahole Natural Area Reserve. Volunteers will be girdling and applying herbicide to invasive strawberry guava trees in thereserve.

Meeting Place: The Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl St. Honolulu, HI 96813.

Note: RSVP is required, please contact Cassie Smith at 808-232-8150; cassandra.l.smith@hawaii.gov

The Honolulu Professionals Foundation is hosting a benefit for Kupu at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa. There will be live music, a silent auction, and a raffle with hosted beer, wine, specialty drinks and pupus. Pre-sale Tickets (before June 1st) are $75 and regularly priced tickets will be $90.

Please visit: http://www.honoluluprofessionals.org/

The “Growing Green Youth” segment in PEM was a full-page article mentioning Kupu’s expansion into the three impactful youth programs, Youth Energy Assessment Hawaii (YEAH), Rewarding Internships for Sustainable Employment (RISE), and Urban Corps, as well as Kupu’s hopes to transform the current Kewalo Basin property into a functional gathering place for Kupu’s purposes as well as for the community.

Leong, as quoted in the article, says that he wants Kupu to “be a part of the solution”, and is looking to raise $2.5 million to do that through the Kewalo Basin Facility.

The Hawaii Green Business Program also had a special mention on page 39 of the magazine. The Hawaii Green Business Program has six RISE interns supporting this program’s pollution prevention, energy efficiency, and waste and water management.

Check out the full articles on pages 17 and 39 at Pacific Edge’s online magazine viewer.

Kupu’s very own Executive Director, John Leong, was featured on the cover of the March 2012 edition of Hawaii Business Magazine.  This month’s cover story, Top 20 in the Next 20: People to Watch in 2012, is a segment about the top 20 leaders with an impressive track record thus far, who are expected to do even more excellent work in their fields for the next 20 years.

 The magazine tells readers about Leong’s enthusiasm for business and devotion to taking care of his community.  HBM wrote on Leong’s ability to make a successful fusion of environmental conservation, and management, to form the two prosperous organizations, Pono Pacific, and Kupu.

Leong’s passion for the environment was sparked when he served in a Youth Conservation Corps program as a teen, and his inspiration to serve the community through leadership has turned into a cause with almost 100 employees serving from Oahu and neighboring islands.

Read more at Hawaii Business Magazine Top 20 in the Next 20: People to Watch in 2012

Don’t miss out on this fun opportunity to celebrate Earth Day and make Makapu’u a cleaner beach! Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii is hosting a beach clean-up at Makapu’u, followed by a celebration with food, raffle prizes, music and booths to visit!

Come out and support our Kupu booth at Sea Life Park after the clean-up!

Sustainable Coastlines Earth Day 2012 Announcement

Get ready for a day of work and play in honor of the Zoo’s Earth Day Celebration!

Come visit Kupu’s booth to participate in fun activities and learn about sustainability and conservation!

Honolulu Zoo Society’s Earth Day Flyer

Kupu’s very own RISE Director, Marguerite Harden will be at the Punahou Sustainability Fair! Stop by to learn more about the Rewarding Internships for Sustainable Employment program, the upcoming 2012 Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps Year-Round Program and much more!

Location: Punahou School

Link to Punahou School Sustainability Fair Page

Punahou Sustainability Fair 2011 on You Tube

Join us for a special Earth Day celebration at University of Hawai’i at Manoa. There will be sustainability workshops, live performances, an eco-fashion show, local vendors, and delicious food- all organic and local of course!

On Saturday, March 17^th, 2012, Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (HOPA), in collaboration with Kanu Hawaiʻi, Kupu, and Kipuka Kalani‘iki, will be holding a service event to celebrate the success of the giveHOPA donation program.  The day will be broken into two shifts, 10am-12:30pm and 12pm-2:30pm with a short program from 12-12:30pm.

Over a five week period during the 2011-2012 holiday season, HOPA, a Hawaiian treat shop and social enterprise specializing in all-natural, homemade, and local shave ice located in ʻĀina Haina Shopping Center, set a goal of raising $150 for each of the three Oʻahu based non-profit organizations. In that short span, HOPA was able to surpass the goal of $450 total by donating a portion of every gift-card sold to either Kanu Hawaiʻi, Kupu, and Kipuka Kalani‘iki.

On March 17^th, in celebration of the success of the giveHOPA promotion, an event will be held on the campus of Kalani High School. The three non-profits will be awarded with the donations raised through the giveHOPA promotion and representatives from each of the participating organizations will be there to share a little more information about their programs. Also, in keeping with the theme of the giveHOPA promotion, the focus of the March 17^th event will be a short service project that will involve the building of an organic potting shed for Kipuka Kalani‘iki’s sustainability garden.  Following each shift, HOPA is welcoming all of the volunteers to come to their store to learn more about HOPA and their mission, as well as to enjoy some shave ice.

There is no charge to participate in the giveHOPA celebration event and all volunteers are welcome. This will be a great opportunity to help the community and to learn about all of the great organizations involved.  To register for the event please go to: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3144008815