About Us

The Mānoa Cliff Forest Restoration project was initiated by Dr. Mashuri Waite (then a graduate student) in 2005.  Below are some are short biographies of some of our regular volunteers, many of whom have been volunteering since the beginning of the project.  If you have questions or would like to contact us, please email manoacliffnatives@gmail.com.

Mashuri grew up on the island of Hawai’i and has earned his doctorate in Botany from the University of Hawaii.  Mashuri worked for several years as Collection Manager of Lyon Arboretum, during which time he was awarded the Oahu Invasive Species Committee’s Most Valuable Player in 2013.

Brandon is a longtime hiker and native plant enthusiast, with a particular interest in mosses and ferns.

Glenn is a biologist. He is particularly interested in native plants, invasive species issues, ecosystem restoration, natural resource management, and using GIS to evaluate natural resources and plan projects.

Originally from Italy, Edo has come to appreciate the beauty of native Hawaiian plants and healthy Hawaiian forests, and the need to protect and nurture them.

After working as the reforestation manager for a non-profit based in Kaneohe, Sebastian has experience with native plant propagation and land clearance practices for restoration efforts. Sebastian is a lover of island endemism, Hawaiian lobeliads, and the amazing faunal assemblages of the American Neogene.

Laurie Loomis has been working on the site for many years, and this year her work was rewarded when she received an Honorable Mention Award for Community Hero, from the Oahu Invasive Species Committee.

Juliet began working on the project in 2010, arriving here from New Zealand, where she was involved with the “Landcare Forum,” restoring native bush and wetland, and protecting kiwi on the Whangarei Heads peninsula (www.backyardkiwi.org.nz/). She has a particular interest in native birds and their habitats, and especially enjoys seeing the Amakihi and Apapane that now frequent the Manoa Cliff Restoration site.

Lucas is a long-time island resident who came to the project early in 2011, after his younger (and only) brother’s sudden unexpected death, followed shortly thereafter by his father’s passing. Working with the project has been healing, exhilarating and a tremendous learning experience.

Kari Bogner started volunteering with the Manoa Cliffs restoration crew in the fall of 2014 when she approached them about seed collection at their site for my greenhouse experiments.  She had been involved in some restoration work in Illinois and is excited to be involved in similar work at Manoa Cliffs.  You will often find her working with other volunteers removing invasive woody forest species such as cinnamon, strawberry guava, coffee, and fiddlewood or planting native flora.   Dylan believes that our natural heritage in Hawai’i is worth every drop of sweat, always beautiful, and full of surprises.  He graduated from UH with a degree in Natural Resources, and has worked for US Forest Service, City & County of Honolulu, the Manoa Tree Snail Conservation Lab, and The Nature Conservancy.  He is a hiker and mountain climber, enjoys world, sacred and classical music, and maintains an interest in geography and all living beings, great and small.