Kai Hudgins

NAME Kai Hudgins

SOCIAL MEDIA: @HO.OLAHONEY

AGE 41

TOWN/MOKU waimea

ISLAND hawaiʻi

NOMINATED BY max mukai

Leadership Category Mālama ʻĀina - Environmental Sustainability

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do. 

Aloha, my name is Kai Hudgins and I am from Waimea, Hawaiʻi. My family and I started Hoʻōla to help save honey bees across Hawaiʻi island and fill a need on our island for live bee removal services. We rescue bees from unwanted places like homes and schools and relocate them to our community of North Kohala to provide pollination and support a sustainable local food system.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community? 

Being connected to our food has always been an important part of my life, through hunting, fishing, and farming. Now as a beekeeper and dad, I see bees as one part of the bigger picture of food sovereignty and work to raise my kids in a way that ties us closely to the ʻāina and the kai.

Helping my community through our work with bees is the most satisfying work that I’ve ever done and I feel like it’s a true investment in our future. I hope that the work we do inspires and helps others to grow their own food and protect our home Hawaiʻi.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life. 

The leaders that I admire the most are all my greatest teachers, who were always willing to spend time working alongside me and showing me the way. I think good leaders are hard-working and humble, who lead by example, fulfill their responsibilities, and keep future generations in mind when making decisions. They give generously, make a genuine effort to help others, and strive to be the best at whatever it is they choose to do.

I never imagined I would end up as a beekeeper doing bee removals, which is some of the most challenging work that I have ever done, but I try everyday to be the best at what I do. I will never give up and hope to make a positive impact in my lifetime. It’s most important for me to have my boys working alongside me, so I can teach them everything I know and they can grow up to be better than me, thriving in whatever path they choose.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing? 

Our kūpuna taught us to study weather patterns, observe seasonal changes, and respect the relationships betweens plants, animals and kānaka. They showed us how to thrive as indigenous people in the face of adversity and challenges. Their ability to think outside the box and interact with the environment from a native perspective is what inspires me.

My ʻohana also motivates me to work as hard as I can and never give up.

What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui? 

Self-sufficiency

What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui? 

ʻĀina