The Nature Conservancy - Pauline Sato: Our Queen of Green

Pauline Sato in Honouliuli Preserve.

Earth Day, Every Day

Pauline Sato at Earth Day Fair
Pauline Sato (flower in hair) speaks with Earth Day fairgoers in Waikīkī.

Mālama Hawai'i

Join Mālama Hawai'i and find out ways you and your organization can get involved all year round!

By Naomi Sodetani

As a child growing up in the suburbs of Honolulu, Pauline Sato’s early ecological awareness was spurred by TV.

“The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” and “Wild Kingdom” – outdoor adventure series of the ‘60s and ‘70s – brought the ocean’s depths and the wilds of Africa into the living rooms of millions of Americans.

Sato, who spearheads the Conservancy’s public awareness and outreach work in Hawai‘i, recalls, “Every Sunday we’d watch and go, ‘Oh, those poor lions or those elephants.’ I felt so sorry for them because they were struggling to survive. So I had that feeling, ‘Hey, I gotta do something to help them!’”

Indeed, that fierce resolve has fueled her lifelong crusade to safeguard the natural treasures of her island home, while inspiring others to do the same.

Kapolei High School Principal Al Nagasako credits Sato with planting the idea of creating the soon-to-be-built Mālama Learning Center. Nagasako had originally planned to build the energy-efficient complex with a focus on the arts and culture, but Sato convinced him of the need to include environmental education.

Nagasako says he used to be the “least green person” he knew – until Sato scolded him about using Styrofoam coffee cups and stepping on living corals when he went fishing.

'Ambassador for Conservation'

“Hands down, Pauline is our most visible staff member, always out there in the community making things happen,” says Suzanne Case, the Conservancy’s Hawai‘i executive director. “She’s an amazing ambassador for conservation.”

Sato came to the Conservancy 20 years ago as a student volunteer. After earning a science degree in natural resources and a master’s in education, she officially joined the staff in 1991. Since then, she has since taken on a variety of challenges – from training interns and hike leaders to coordinating environmental education projects and serving as O‘ahu program director.

Along the way, she has developed environmental education curricula, organized teacher training workshops and run hands-on student stewardship programs. She has fought wildfires and built fences to protect endangered species, pulled invasive weeds (on land and at sea), mobilized community volunteers for beach cleanups and led campaigns to build public awareness about forested watersheds and coral reefs.

Like Johnny Appleseed, Sato sows "Earth Day, every day” awareness wherever she goes. You can usually find her with an ear glued to the phone organizing an event, scripting a PSA or lugging outreach materials to or from her VW biodiesel hatchback. “Gotta have a truck or hatchback if you do outreach,” she laughs.

Healthy Environment, Healthy People

Pauline sailed on a conservation mission aboard the Hōkūle'a to Palau and Yap.

In her “spare” time, the ‘Ālewa Heights resident loves to dance hula, hike, surf, garden, raise worms (for composting), watch Jackie Chan movies and travel. But more likely, when she’s not working, she’s still working.

Sato is co-founder and coordinator of Mālama Hawai‘i, a grassroots hui of more than 70 organizations, including the Conservancy, and hundreds of individuals. This broad-based alliance embraces the vision of the late Pinky Thompson of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and integrates shared concerns for the environment, health, education, justice, culture and the economy.

“It’s all connected,” Sato explains. “My personal feeling is, if you don’t have a healthy environment, it’s not possible to have healthy people and healthy communities. This is our home. It’s our kuleana (responsibility) to take care of the people, the culture, the environment – the whole blend of everything that makes Hawai‘i so special.”

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Phil Spalding III (Pauline Sato in Honouliuli Preserve); Photo © Jennifer Yano (Pauline aboard Hōkūle'a; Photo © Phil Spalding III (Pauline at Earth Day fair).