HONOLULU — The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Edward “Luna” Kekoa recently received the 2023 Hawaii Conservation Alliance Outstanding Leadership Award for his contributions to community-based natural resource management and conservation. Kekoa was recognized at the 30th Annual Hawaii Conservation Conference held June 27-29 on Oahu.

“Luna leads with a unique blend of passion and humility for Hawaii’s natural resources and its people,” said DLNR Chair Dawn Chang in a news release. “He brings a thoughtful approach to his work, drawing on culture and experience to engage communities. We’re lucky to have him at the department, and I think the state is lucky as well.”

Kekoa manages the Recreational Fisheries Program with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources. One of his contributions includes helping to coordinate the Holomua Marine Initiative, “a comprehensive program that focuses on engaging and empowering communities in sustaining nearshore ocean resources,” according to the release.

Upon accepting the award, Kekoa said, “I’m not in this position to get awards or to be recognized. It really is the community. Without communities, we wouldn’t have community-based subsistence fishing areas. I’m honored and humbled to accept this award and I want to acknowledge that I’m just a piece of this award. I’m a product of all these people, many of you in this room,” indicating the crowd gathered.

Kekoa pointed to Debbie Gowensmith, crediting her with the reason he embarked on his path. Gowensmith developed and directed the nonprofit Hawaii Community Stewardship Network from 2005 to 2012 and is currently vice president of Groundswell Services Inc.

“She showed me what it was to empower community and to learn what community-based management was really about. It’s about the people. And all I have to be is a resource. I don’t have to be the smartest one. I just have to listen to what they’re trying to do and be like, ‘Hey, you know what happens inside the government? This is the puka you go through, or this is the process you have to use.’”

Kekoa later added, “Imagine if we had kupuna who could equate the years of experience to degrees. We have plenty of kupuna in this room with PhDs. They don’t have time to go to school; they’re out there fishing, they’re out there farming.”

He also emphasized the need for local people — not necessarily of Native Hawaiian descent — to get involved because of knowledge and experiences gained just by growing up in Hawaii.

“We need more locals, so we can talk to the ones with the real knowledge of the place. That’s where we need to focus,” said Kekoa, who emphasized building and cultivating relationships with humility. “You guys have the relationships. Relationships are how things get done. There is so much knowledge out there that we need to tap, but it’s hard to tap if we in there thinking we have the PhD or we know better. We need to humble ourselves when we go there.”

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.