CEMML Early-Career Development Program Wildlife Management and Restoration Technician Julie Zill leading a native out-planting station along Inoa’ole Stream. Photo courtesy of Emma Beard. BY JENNIFER HOFFMAN
It’s a brisk afternoon on a beach near Hawai’i’s Bellows Air Force Station, and the ocean breeze carries the tang of salt and native vegetation from the nearby Pu’ewai Wetlands. Volunteers ranging from high school students to native Hawaiian families and military members all kneel in a line with Emma Beard, a natural resource specialist with CSU’s CEMML. Together, they plant native sedge and grasses to create a living barrier that will stretch half a mile along the coastline. This vegetation acting as a barrier can stabilize shifting sand dunes by slowing dune migration. In doing so, it reduces erosion, shields critical infrastructure from storm surge damage, and creates a safe nesting habitat for native bird species. It’s just one of many efforts at Bellows that help turn a military installation into a frontline for island-wide conservation and create partnerships between the native Hawaiian citizens and the military.
A sense of pride unites all of those involved in the ecological restoration and community outreach programs at Bellows Air Force Station on O’ahu’s eastern shore. To enhance habitat health and improve critical coastal and wetland ecosystems, CEMML staff, military personnel, Native Hawaiian organizations, and local nonprofit partners have taken a collaborative approach.
Emma Beard leads many of those collaborative projects. Her career at CEMML began with an internship through the Early-Career Development Program. She now manages multiple projects directly tied to CEMML’s mission of supporting military land use and conservation through science-based management, including erosion control, invasive species removal, and endangered species protection.
Bellows AFS lands are a fascinating part of the ecological world of Hawai’i. The base is home to special areas like the Pu’ewai Wetlands and an extensive coastal dune system. Both are critical habitats for several native species such as the Hawaiian stilt, Hawaiian gallinule, Hawaiian coot, and Hawaiian duck, some of which are protected by the Endangered Species Act or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. “A lot of our work is focused on creating and maintaining viable habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds,” said Beard. “That also contributes to long-term land stability and resilience, which benefits the installation as a whole.”
These coastal dunes are important because they provide a first line of defense against storm surges and sea level rise, helping to protect infrastructure. The adjacent Pu’ewai wetlands also act as a filtration system and natural sponge for water, which helps to prevent flooding. “We’re not just restoring native ecosystems—we’re also helping safeguard the base from future environmental threats,” Beard said. She added, “we’ve restored about an acre of the Pu’ewai Wetland so far, and in the coastal zone, the dune stabilization work covers over half a mile of shoreline that directly buffers infrastructure on the base.” That helps prevent rising sea levels from flooding key areas of Bellows.
The environmental work at Bellows AFS also recognizes the importance of Native Hawaiian perspectives. Each month, meetings are held with base leadership, CEMML natural resource staff, federal liaisons, and Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners. Participants discuss community priorities and restoration goals, ensuring cultural values are respected by everyone involved. “It creates space for open dialogue and finding common ground,” said Beard.
One of the installation’s most visible collaboration successes has been a series of public outreach events with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. The base was selected as a pilot site for the nonprofit’s coastal restoration initiative two years ago.
The partnership has held several public events since then, including an Earth Day beach cleanup this spring. It drew 400 participants from military families, nonprofits, local school groups, and Native Hawaiian cultural organizations. The base commander and CEMML staff also took part, highlighting the military’s commitment to public outreach and environmental stewardship.
“Bringing the community onto the installation to take part in these projects helps build trust,” Beard said. “It also deepens public understanding of the military’s role in conservation.”
As natural resources lead, Beard serves as an important point of contact for service members, educators, community leaders, and volunteers, helping bridge the gap between science, the military, and the community. “Every day looks a little different,” she said. “One morning might be a bird survey, and that afternoon we’re planting native grasses with high school students or talking with a cultural practitioner. That variety, and the sense of purpose, keeps me engaged.”
All of this work also supports the military mission, helping maintain the land for years to come to support Air Force and Marines training and operations, and to provide environmental analysis for future construction projects. “Whether it’s one person or 400, everyone who takes part in this work is helping protect something bigger,” said Beard. “It’s about sustaining this place—ecologically, culturally, and operationally.”