Kaua‘i Conservation Organizations Take to the World Stage as IUCN World Conservation Congress Convenes in Honolulu

National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Kaua‘i Conservation Alliance to host first-ever Kaua‘i Conservation Expo in McBryde Garden on September 7

For the first time ever, the IUCN World Conservation Congress will convene in Honolulu September 1 – 10. Held every four years, the IUCN Congress is the world’s largest, democratically run conservation event and it will bring nearly 6,000 government leaders, policy makers, non-governmental organizations, businesses, UN agencies and indigenous and grass-roots organizations together to discuss solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

The theme of this year’s congress is “Planet at a Crossroads” and no location sits more squarely at the center of that crossroads than the Hawaiian Islands. “Hawai‘i is a global conservation leader, but more often we are recognized for our incredible biodiversity and the threat of extinction here than for our work in conservation,” said Chipper Wichman, President, CEO and Director of National Tropical Botanical Garden and vice chair of the IUCN Congress National Host Committee. As a leader of the effort that started in 2009, Wichman was instrumental in bringing the IUCN Congress to Hawai‘i. “The key message I want global leaders and conservation practitioners to walk away with after experiencing the IUCN Congress in Hawai‘i is that there is hope,” said Wichman. “Hawai‘i is a microcosm of the global conservation and sustainability issues we are facing right now such as global warming and sea level rise, but we are seeing real progress. There is a way forward,” he continued.

The way forward may just be found in the groundbreaking conservation work taking place across Wichman’s home island of Kaua‘i and at National Tropical Botanical Garden. On September 7, NTBG and the Kaua‘i Conservation Alliance will host the first-ever Kaua‘i Conservation Expo for IUCN attendees, NTBG members and the general public. The all-day event will feature more than 20 Kaua‘i conservation organizations, cultural demonstrations, lunch provided by The Right Slice and expert speakers including Ulalia Woodside, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Hawai‘i as the keynote.

“The Kaua‘i Conservation Expo is a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration and landmark event that will showcase the incredible diversity and scope of conservation work taking place on our island,” said Margaret Clark, NTBG Science and Conservation Specialist and Kaua‘i Conservation Alliance co-chair. “It is our hope that the event will foster connections between local practitioners, global leaders, educators and the community, create conversations and share best practices that just might change the world,” she continued

The Kaua‘i Conservation Expo is an excellent opportunity for professional development, networking and learning conservation and sustainability practices from leaders across the island of Kaua`i and the world. From community-based subsistence fishery management to forest bird recovery work, tropical plant conservation and coastal restoration it is an experience not to be missed. Tickets are expected to sell out and interested parties are encouraged to purchase tickets online at ntbg.org/tours/kcee before August 26.