I have been fond of the natural habitats within the Hawaiian islands ever since I started exploring its native forests and coastlines. Growing up on the Big Island of Hawai’i, conservation of its native ecosystems and others alike became very important to me. My admiration for the environment around me reflects in my aspiration to pursue a career in restorative agriculture which integrates region-specific ecological principles in agricultural systems, and in my educational path toward agroecology, which will provide me the skills necessary to design these regenerative systems. I aim to integrate aspects of the surrounding ecosystems into farms in order to preserve the native environment, nurturing endemic and indigenous species in the process. It is a dream of mine to consult with farmers interested in regenerative agriculture methods, which idolize natural ecosystems and the ecological services they provide. By integrating native pollinators and plants already well adapted to their local environment, the biodiversity in the vicinity will flourish. These farming systems will allow humans to co-exist with …show more content…
I have already completed my general education, attaining the ability to write college level reports and gaining substantial knowledge in the field of natural sciences due to my elective courses. The ideas that I had been exposed to at Palamanui Community College nurtured my interests in conservation. From restoring the surrounding lowland dry forest with my history class, to learning about native plants and environmental factors within the Hawaiian archipelago, I have gained skills invaluable to starting my own conservation projects. I am confident that my course of study will provide me with tools necessary to create farming systems that reflect the natural ecosystem and symbolize the region as a