Kammie Tavares

Name Kammie Tavares

Age 26

Town/Moku Mākaha

Island Oʻahu

Social Media Handle @coasties_hi

Nominated by Kai Hoshijo

Leadership Category Mālama ʻĀina - Environmental Sustainability

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

Aloha kākou! Most people know me as either Kammie or Anuhea. I am currently a Geospatial Analyst with the Coastal Geology Group at UH Mānoa. I specialize in studying the historical and future change of our sandy beaches and its interaction with coastal development. My passion for this work comes from growing up along the beautiful coast of Waiʻanae. I am from Mākaha, Waiʻanae and have spent much of my time at the beach with my family. I’ve learned more about Hawaiʻi’s coast and have grown my appreciation for the scientific component of beaches during my undergraduate (Global environmental science) and masters degree (geology and geophysics) at UH Mānoa. In my work, I hope to raise awareness on coastal issues and support beach conservation efforts.

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

Protecting sandy beaches is important for many reasons. They are a storm buffer that protects the shore from strong waves. They are an important habitat to Hawaiʻi’s native species, some of which are endangered. They are an important gathering place for socializing, recreational activities and cultural practices. They hold our iwi kūpuna who were often buried in the sand dunes. They also attract tourists who are an important part of Hawaiʻi’s current economy. The work I do is important to me because it is important for the community - past, present and future; the human and non-human.

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

I admire a leader who supports the people around them to achieve their goals and attain the same kind of success. As a Master’s graduate, I cheer many current students on and continuously offer my help. I’ve gotten pretty good at helping people improve their papers, presentations, and emails (because emailing is scary sometimes!). I have experience mentoring undergraduate students in the SOEST Maile Mentoring Program as well as the Honua Scholars Mentorship Program. I also really admire the great communication skills from a leader. This is something that I have lots of room for improvement, but I challenge myself to improve by continuously putting myself out there and doing public speaking.

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

There are many who have inspired the work that I am doing. My dad shared with me his love for the ocean. For example he named me Kammie after a surf spot on the north shore called Kammie Land. My mom has a Master’s degree and is a nationally board certified teacher. She has been a role-model for me to attain higher degrees. My advisor has mentored and supported me as a coastal and climate scientist. My friends and family have encouraged me along the way.

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

Representation. More and more kanaka are filling roles that once had little to no ʻōiwi representation. This is exciting because our voice is being heard in more spaces.

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

Access. In my work, I see limited access to the ocean as a major and growing issue. Private development sometimes makes it hard to go to the coast. Private shoreline hardening (ex. seawalls) has led to beach loss which also takes away our ability to access the beach.