Master’s of Environmental Management (MEM) Capstone Reports
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Item The effectiveness of video-based education for marine conservation(2025-05) DeBenedictis, Emma, C.; Vaughan, Mehana; Litton, Creighton M.As global marine ecosystems face increasing threats, educators must adopt effective strategies to promote conservation awareness and support responsible environmental behavior. Videos have become a key tool in marine education programs, yet few studies have examined their effectiveness or outlined best practices for implementation. This study explores the role of video-based education in two marine programs: the Hanauma Bay Education Program (HBEP) in Hawaiʻi and the Coral Triangle Center (CTC) in Bali, Indonesia, to assess how videos influence visitor engagement, knowledge retention, and conservation behavior. I addressed three key objectives: (1) evaluate the effectiveness of videos in orienting, guiding, and educating visitors, (2) identify which aspects of videos enhance their effectiveness, and (3) determine best practices for implementing videos in marine education programs. I used a mixed-methods approach that included a literature review, visitor surveys at HBEP, video engagement analytics from CTC, and the production and deployment of educational videos at CTC. At HBEP, 96 percent of visitors reported that visuals helped them understand key concepts, and 85 percent said the video influenced their behavior in the water. Respondents most often remembered messages related to Hawaiian culture, marine life etiquette, and reef protection. Visitors also suggested adding practical tips, reef deterioration animations, and more footage of marine species. At CTC, I produced and edited eight short-form videos and supported 17 social media posts on the Saving Oceans Now Instagram account. These efforts led to a major increase in engagement, with likes, shares, and comments rising from 1,273 in April to June 2023 to 34,157 in April to July 2024, and total profile views reaching 76,906. Youth-centered, localized videos such as the Ocean Keeper Club recap performed best. Strategic practices such as optimizing post schedules, tailoring content to Indonesian users aged 25 to 34, and boosting posts significantly improved visibility and interaction. Findings demonstrate that video-based education effectively conveys marine conservation messages, especially when using compelling visuals, narrative storytelling, and interactive elements. This research contributes best practices for marine educators and offers a guidesheet for organizations aiming to strengthen environmental outreach through video.Item Stories of water, stories of resilience: community voices of Hāmākualoa(2025-05) Davis, Lilia; Tsang, Yinphan; Litton, Creighton M.Climate change is shifting rain patterns and increasing flooding globally. The benefits and challenges of water shape the stories of people and places worldwide, influencing cultures, livelihoods, and ecosystems. In Hawaiʻi, wai (freshwater) is foundational to life, identity, and connection. Community members from Hāmākualoa, Maui, know deeply about their water, streams, and watersheds. They also face uncertainties as increased floods and droughts, exacerbated by climate and land use changes, threaten their homes and livelihoods. Severe flood events in Hāmākualoa, including a dam breach in 2021, highlight the urgent need for community-driven solutions. Guided by the Hawaiian proverb “I kahiki ka ua, ako ʻē ka hale” (While the rain is still far away, thatch the house; Be prepared), the primary objective of this project was to weave the stories of water and resilience in Hāmākualoa, integrating ʻike Hawaiʻi (Indigenous knowledge) and community voices with scientific insights to strengthen preparedness. Through a participatory approach, this study amplifies the voices of Hāmākualoas people—those who have lived through and learned from these events. A community survey (n=33) found that 64% have experienced flooding firsthand, with significant concerns including property damage, blocked waterways, and poor road conditions. Semi-structured interviews (n=9) with residents revealed that traditional stream stewardship once helped regulate water flow, but modern disruptions, such as diversions, climate change, and increased development, have altered natural hydrological patterns. Many emphasized the need to restore traditional stream stewardship practices, to reinforce that resilience is rooted in knowing and caring for the land, and to embrace the unknown. This project has taken meaningful steps toward strengthening community resilience. Specifically, through hosting a stream restoration event that engaged residents in education of stream names/histories along with an activity to create stream name signs for local bridges, reinforcing education and awareness as a step into resilience. These efforts have deepened community awareness, strengthened local stewardship, and provided a foundation for continued collaboration between residents, researchers, agencies, and policymakers. The stories of water in Hāmākualoa are equally stories of resilience, offering lessons for this community and others facing similar climate challenges.Item Assessing graduate student volunteer impacts and stewardship reciprocity(2025-05) Boucher, Olivia, E.; Dacks, Rachel; Litton, Creighton M.The profound effects of engaging with nature are widely acknowledged, with a growing recognition of the advantages of purposeful activities in nature, such as participation in environmental volunteerism. Cultural ecosystem services (CES) encompass individuals' intangible relationships with their environment, including contributions of nature to mental well-being and a sense of place. One way to experience these CES firsthand is through community-based stewardship opportunities that foster meaningful connections between people and place. The Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) organizes volunteer opportunities, referred to as Laulima (many hands) Days, for graduate students, researchers, and a broader network of collaborators as an opportunity to participate in biocultural restoration projects in the ahupuaʻa (historic land division) of Heʻeia, Hawaiʻi. Further, Laulima Days provide opportunities to further reciprocal relationships with ʻāina by giving back to researched areas. The overarching objective of this capstone project was to discern the CES experienced by graduate students through their participation in biocultural stewardship events. This overarching objective was addressed with three specific objectives: (i) to identify the CES experienced by graduate student participation at Laulima Days; (ii) to investigate what aspects of well-being are influenced by the CES experienced at Laulima Days; and (iii) to determine if participation in biocultural restoration influences graduate student researcher development. Fourteen interviews were conducted with graduate student participants of Laulima Days. Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify Connect, Learn, Value, Well-being, ʻĀina, and Emotions as the six overarching subjects. Respondents noted several CES, including deepened connection to place, sense of responsibility, and lessened stress. Laulima Days helped students foster reciprocal relationships with place and strengthened relationships between researchers and community members, which is necessary for place-based and co-developed research that aligns with the needs and interests of local communities. These findings provide valuable guidance for integrating CES assessment into restoration monitoring, a need voiced by stewardship communities in Hawai‘i. This research also presents a semi-structured survey, co-developed with interviewees, that can be used to assess the nonmaterial benefits of biocultural restoration projects in He‘eia and beyond.Item Farming Practices and Implications for Water Quality and Sustainability at S’ang, Kandal, Cambodia(2025-05) Chhimcanal, Bunneam; Tsang, Yinphan; Litton, Creighton M.In Cambodia, the primary water issue is the pollution of surface water by organic and inorganic pollutants linked to agricultural and non-agricultural activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the pressing issue of decreasing water quality linked to agricultural activities using cooperative methods to monitor water quality as influenced by farmer practices. Overall, the goal was to assess the relationship between agricultural runoff and sediment and nutrient levels in local water bodies. As such, this study analyzed the impacts of agricultural practices on water quality in S’ang, Kandal, Cambodia, focusing on farm irrigation, fertilizer application, and manure management via water quality testing, Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping, and qualitative insights from farmer interviews. There were three periods of water sampling, which commenced in May (dry season – with irrigation & fertilizer), August 2024 (wet season – rain-fed period with reduced fertilizer), and March 2025 (dry season – harvest & post-harvest period) to ensure the data captured the complete farming practice and management scenarios. Five farmers participated in the focus group interview. Water samples were analyzed in a laboratory, while Excel was used for data visualization and trend analysis. Nonnumerical Unstructured Data Indexing, Searching, and Theorizing software (NVIVO) facilitated qualitative analysis, identifying themes and patterns from interviews. I found while most parameters such as total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), and chlorophyll remained within acceptable standards, potassium (K) and turbidity levels frequently exceeded thresholds, particularly during the dry season when fertilizer use and irrigation respectively were most intensive. These elevated K and turbidity levels suggested a strong link between seasonal farming practices and nutrient runoff, although potential contributions from domestic wastewater and industrial sources cannot be ruled out. This study underscored the long-term risks of unmanaged agricultural practices on water quality, potentially affecting both human and ecological health. Promoting best management practices, providing knowledge incentives for sustainable farming, and fostering community-led monitoring programs could help mitigate water contamination. This study provided a critical foundation for improving water resource management in Cambodia and similar agricultural regions globally.Item Lessons in Hawaiian Soils: Pedagogical Tools in Soil Science(2025-05) Barron, Lydia; Crow, Susan E.; Litton, Creighton M.Soils are the foundation of life, playing a crucial role in supporting ecosystems and human civilization. However, soil degradation and soil loss pose significant threats to food security, water quality, and climate stability. Educating future generations about the importance of soil conservation and management is crucial for sustainable land use practices and environmental stewardship. Soil monoliths are preserved vertical sections of soil that show fundamental concepts in soil science such as soil color, structure, profile, and soil forming processes and factors. This project develops methods to create a tropical soil monolith and evaluates the created monolith as a teaching tool for 3rd and 4th year undergraduate soil science students. Field and laboratory methods were adapted to accommodate the challenges of incoherent tropical soils, including slope stabilization, use of support boards, fabric reinforcement, and preservation using adhesives and drying treatments. These methods were refined through trial and error and are documented to support future efforts in tropical environments. The teaching module showed that both the monolith and soil pans significantly increased student knowledge, though no significant difference was observed between the tools in terms of knowledge gains. I observed the content of student discussions during the teaching module varied based on the teaching tool, where students who used the soil pans tended to discuss color and texture, while students who had the monolith discussed soil structure and depth. Primary outputs of this study include a revised methodology for extraction and preservation of incoherent soil monoliths, an effective pedagogical tool (the Andisol monolith), and teaching module for undergraduate professors to use for explaining soil texture, color, and structure. The methods fill a discrete gap available on monolith creation for tropical soils, which often are incoherent. The created curriculum is publicly available on QUBES, allowing teachers to use and adapt it for their own lesson plans. The study reinforces the advantage of using interactive teaching methods within the classroom. An area of interest for further research would be performing a technical review and refinement of the methodology needed to collect further monoliths from the various unconsolidated soils of Hawai'i including Oxisols and Ultisols.Item Exploring the dynamics of women’s inclusion in the ranger workforce(2025-05) Werner, Kayla; Oleson, Kirsten L.L.; Litton, Creighton M.The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity target of conserving 30% of the planet by 2030 (30x30) requires an estimated 300-500% increase in the global ranger workforce. Despite this critical need, recruitment and retention remain difficult because of poor working conditions and a pronounced gender gap, with women comprising only 3-11% of the global ranger workforce. Although they fulfill an essential role safeguarding biodiversity, rangers face serious workplace hazards and employment challenges, including human-wildlife conflict, violent poaching encounters, corruption, and inadequate training and resources. Adding to these problems, recent incidents of ranger-perpetrated human rights abuses and violent enforcement erode public trust, damage community-ranger relationships, and ultimately undermine conservation efforts. Understanding the potential contributions of women rangers is important, as they can mitigate the personnel shortage and may contribute perspectives and skills that enhance ranger legitimacy and community relationships. This study draws on gender research in both policing and conservation to examine whether, and in what ways, the inclusion of women rangers in Pakistan and Uruguay influences community-ranger relationships. I used thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes from 46 semi-structured interviews conducted with male and female rangers across both countries. A key finding is a common perception that women rangers enhance community trust, especially in Pakistan, where their presence supports de-escalation, encourages respectful communication with communities, and facilitates gender-specific tasks in rural, traditional areas. In Uruguay, more equitable societal views on gender roles have created more opportunities for women’s inclusion but have also diminished the perception of women rangers’ unique contributions towards community-ranger relationships. Cultural and structural barriers limit women’s participation in both countries, validating the importance of gender-sensitive conservation approaches that are informed by the specific social contexts of each site. Creating initial workforce entry points for women may require inclusion strategies which emphasize roles aligned with traditional gender norms. This method may inadvertently reinforce stereotypes that limit women to narrowly defined professional responsibilities, but it can serve as a necessary starting point to drive deeper structural transformation. This research points to the importance of targeted, site-specific approaches for integrating women rangers in ways that strengthen community-ranger relationships and improve conservation outcomes.Item The Effectiveness of Reforesting Acacia koa by Crushing Rows in Gorse Thickets (Ulex europaeus) in Humuula, Hawai’i(2024-05-10) Wehrman, Aaron CK; Idol, Travis; Natural Resources and Environmental Management; Master's of Environmental Management; Idol, TravisThe Effectiveness of Reforesting Acacia koa by Crushing Rows in Gorse Thickets (Ulex europaeus) in Humuula, Hawai’iItem Correlating the Current and Potential Ranges of Hawaiʻi’s Declining Native Plant Species in Relation to Slope and Aspect on the Summit of Puʻu Kōnāhuanui on the Island of Oʻahu(2024-05-10) Ragone, Noah L.; Idol, Travis; Natural Resources and Environmental Management; Master's of Environmental Management; Idol, TravisThe Koʻolau mountain range on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, is home to an exceptional amount of endemic plant life. However, the mountain range’s unique biodiversity is under threat from drought and the spread of invasive species, which is exemplified by declining rainfall patterns (Giambelluca et al., 2013). Since rainfall in Hawai’i is strongly related to the dominant trade wind pattern and orographic uplift, this study focused on understanding where certain Koʻolau endemic species are likely to be found and most resistant to these threats based on the aspect of slopes in relation to Oʻahu’s prevailing trade winds. The study surveyed species communities on the summit of Puʻu Kōnāhuanui, with the primary study site being the north, and east-facing aspects of the mountain. Labordia hosakana and Lobelia gaudichaudii subsp. gaudichaudii were the two species surveyed for this study, as both are considered to be high-risk wink-out species, meaning there is no other habitat for them to migrate to in the event their habitat becomes too degraded for their survival (Fortini et al., 2013). The data from the surveys was subsequently used to predict the most viable windswept habitats, in order to provide range information to natural resource managers on Oʻahu. The data showed that only the steepest slopes, ranging from 47.5º - 85º, and the most northerly to easterly aspects, ranging from 30º - 127.5º, proved to harbor the windswept species of concern, with the primary habitats being located between a slope of 40-60º and an aspect between 55-95º. The research findings were used to provide resource managers within the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) the best information for protecting rare and declining plant species on the windswept Koʻolau summit from encroaching noxious weeds and for making informed management decisions regarding species of concern in the future, potentially establishing new habitats in other suitable locations throughout the range. Recommendations from the PEPP included future on-the-ground work to survey for species, targeted weed treatment to protect rare plant populations, and fencing, which has not been implemented anywhere in the southern Koʻolau mountains.Item Invasive Vegetation Management: An Overview of Two Key Fire Risk Plant Species in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park(2024-04-28) Oxley, Katherine; Trauernicht, Parker Clay; Natural Resources and Environmental Management; Master's of Environmental Management; Idol, TravisMorella faya tree (Morella faya) and fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) have both been continuously managed throughout Hawai‘i due to their invasiveness and contribution to fire risk. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HAVO) has identified these specifically as fire-promoting invasive species. The islands have been experiencing an increase in wildfire occurrences over several years. Widespread fires have caused significant damage to native ecosystems and threatened the safety of local communities. Treatment patterns regarding these two plants over time may provide insight into how invasive species management impacts wildfire behavior allowing land managers to create solutions to try to prevent future fires. This study’s purpose was to identify literature gaps concerning invasive species management in Hawai‘i and work with an organized dataset of fire-related invasive species control in HAVO for potential future analysis. Having a dataset with several years of treatment data can provide land managers with an idea of the impact of current treatments now and in the future. The literature review focused on the management of faya and fountain grass as fire-promoting invasive species. Information for my research solely concerned management areas within HAVO. A dataset obtained from the park containing treatment dates, herbicide details, and worker efforts per management unit over 20 years was provided to interpret trends. Microsoft Excel was used to organize and extract the variables needed to track work efforts. Looking at only faya and fountain grass data, the variables chosen for building the table were individual plants treated, hours of effort workers worked on sweeps, and the amount of herbicide used each time. The outputs of my study were the dataset containing only the extracted variables created as a product to be utilized by park staff for management decisions and the literature review. There was a significant number of studies concerning the use of chemical management treatments on invasive species. However, not much is currently known about how an ecosystem is affected in the long term after these treatments. Further studies need to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of long-term management plans.Item Investigating Factors of Understaffing for Natural Resource Management Agencies of Hawai‘i(2024-05-07) Kauka, Tatum K.; Chan, Catherine; Natural Resources and Environmental Management; Master's of Environmental Management; Idol, TravisIncreased natural resource depletion has encouraged government initiatives at various levels to better conserve, protect, and manage them. Unfortunately, many objectives are impossible to achieve due to current understaffing within natural resource management agencies. Public data from Hawai‘i agencies reveal that excessive staff shortages are a large contributor to their failure to meet ecological and social targets. This project aims to better understand the factors affecting the understaffing crisis across natural resource management agencies of Hawai‘i. Primary sources reveal that there are roughly eight existing retention and recruitment factors affecting understaffing in a workplace. Factors were translated into job attributes in which an evaluation of each was performed. Using a perception survey amongst current and potential employee candidates for the natural resources field, a total of 132 survey responses were collected. Through descriptive statistics, a respondent data set was generated to separate respondents into groups based on their responses to demographic questions. Then multilinear regression and thematic analyses were performed to evaluate the differences or similarities of groups' perceptions of the identified workforce factors. Key findings reveal that across all respondent groups, factors related to compensation and work environment were ranked as highly important, while other factors such as career advancement and recognition were ranked as least important. Demographics including age, gender, education level, college major, and professional experience correlated positively with the workforce factors. Specific demographic groups were significant in determining the importance of factors. Participants identified several emerging barriers related to job satisfaction which are separate from those already identified in this study. Results were shared to interested parties through a perception dataset, this report, and a presentation. All outputs identify the advantages and potential gaps existing within current natural resource management positions. These areas of concern are addressed in the hopes that agencies across these fields will utilize project findings as evidence to target the improvement of marketing or structuring job positions. With these appropriate changes, agencies may enhance staffing and refine management operations in the near future.