ʻAleʻalani Evangelista

ʻAleʻalani Evangelista was born and raised on Hawaiʻi island. A graduate of the University of Hiloʻs College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management (CAFNRM), she holds a B.S. in Agriculture, with a specialty in Coastal Resources and Watershed Management and a Forestry Resource Management certification. She recently rejoined the Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests (AFTF) ʻohana, as the ʻĀina Education and Stewardship Administrative Assistant, where she assists in the coordination and implementation of various ʻāina education programs, as well as provides administrative support to the organization. She worked previously with the U.S. Forest Service and AFTF team as a Kupu Conservation and Leadership Development member and as a member of their field research crew, working on the ʻŌhiʻa Disease Resistance project, and other climate change studies. She has two (2) young keiki who also find being outdoors to be their happy place. ʻAleʻa is passionate about sharing the wisdom and values rooted in aloha ‘āina, as tools to help people and communities connect to, grow deep roots, and ultimately thrive in the landscapes they call home. “I want my children to be in awe of this ʻāina. To always feel at home here in Hawaiʻi and to understand the kūleana that they carry, being that it is their home. Ultimately, to live and carry themselves in the values of aloha ʻāina.