CWNL team travels to Rally 2025 to enhance stewardship of Oʻahu’s cultural and ecological lands
Exploring Cleveland by e-bike! Our CWNL team joined colleagues from Hawaiʻi and beyond to see firsthand how the Cuyahoga River and Flats have been revitalized.
CWNL team travels to Rally 2025 to enhance stewardship of Oʻahu’s cultural and ecological lands
Earlier this month, Deputy Director Catherine Taschner joined several members of the Department of Housing and Land Management (DHLM), the Department of the Corporation Counsel, and the Clean Water and Natural Lands (CWNL) team at the Land Trust Alliance’s Rally 2025 National Land Conservation Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Land Trust Alliance’s Rally conference is recognized as the largest national meeting dedicated to land conservation. This year, more than 2,000 practitioners traveled from across the country to take part in four days of workshops, plenary sessions, field tours, and networking activities. The gathering brought together professionals and volunteers working in every aspect of conservation—from protecting agricultural lands and open space to restoring cultural sites and managing natural resources.
Sessions highlighted the practical tools and approaches that organizations are adopting to address the complex realities of land stewardship. Presenters shared examples of both successes and challenges, offering participants a chance to compare experiences and build stronger networks of support.
For the Honolulu team, the sessions on data sovereignty and community-driven planning were especially relevant. Presentations emphasized the importance of allowing Indigenous-led organizations to guide cultural narratives, as well as case studies where community groups transformed vacant or blighted properties into parks and healing spaces. The team also gained exposure to new mapping resources through ESRI and Native Lands Digital that can support long-term planning and monitoring
“One of the most valuable lessons for me was the concept of data sovereignty,” said Tam Nguyen, CWNL Project Manager. “It underscored how critical it is for Native Hawaiian-led groups to have control over what information and features are disclosed about conservation sites, especially when it comes to protecting sensitive cultural information and iwi kupuna. That perspective is something we can immediately apply when qualifying CWNL applications.”
“I was especially inspired by how other cities are partnering with artists and community groups to turn public lands into places of healing and connection,” said Breanne Fong, CWNL Project Manager. “It reminded me that conservation is not just about protecting land—it’s also about creating spaces where people can feel welcome, supported, and connected to the land and its history and mo‘ōlelo.”
By bringing these lessons back to Honolulu, DHLM’s CWNL team aims to refine how the City evaluates conservation projects, expands outreach, and strengthens stewardship of critical lands for future generations.
