WHO
WE ARE
.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Friends of Oahu National Wildlife Refuges is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who work to support the Refuges. The Board meets each month to receive updates from Refuge staff and decide how best to support current needs. The Board has a wealth of experience in history, wildlife biology, invasive species, refuge management, nonprofit organization, eco-tourism, education, law, and information technology. The key common denominator? A deep personal connection to and passion for the continuing support and education of Oahu's refuges.
Richard 'Dick' May
President
(808)-674-1287 (home) / (808)-375-2439 (cell)
Dick is the current and founding president for the Friends of the O`ahu National Wildlife Refuges group.
He is a lifelong birder and student of the natural world. Dick holds a baccalaureate in biology and a master’s degree in education, and has attended numerous professional courses.
After college, Dick had a long U.S. Air Force career, retiring as a Colonel. He served as Pacific Air Forces Director of Logistics (A4), as Vice Commander of the command’s largest fighter wing, and in many other leadership roles. He flew 252 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
Following Air Force retirement, Dick led the Lockheed Martin Regional Manager team supporting company products around the world, then after a second retirement, served as Director of Business Development for Textron Systems Company in the Pacific.
He is now truly retired but active in many civic organizations, including Rotary District, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, the Kapolei Foundation, and others. His current focus is to grow the new refuge Friends group and to be a strong and effective partner and advocate for the local refuges and for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife professionals with whom the Friends group will work.
Reginald David
Vice President
Reggie has been birding since a young age in England, Brazil, and the Middle East. After moving to Hawaii in 1973, he was involved with the seminal Hawaii Forest Bird Surveys and has surveyed or worked with birds on all Islands in the Hawaiian chain except for Laysan and Niihau. He has extensive experience with the birds of the tropical Pacific.
He has served on numerus NGO boards including the Hawaii Audubon Society, and as an elected member of the National Audubon Society representing Hawaii, Alaska and the Marianas as well as serving on numerous state and federal committees.
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Layne Yoshida
Secretary
Layne Yoshida is a lifelong resident of Hawaii and currently serving as the secretary of the Friends of Oahu Refuges. He received his BA in Botany from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and worked as an Endangered Species Botanist for the State of Hawaii in the late 70s.
Layne was also employees by the County of Hawaii as a Criminalist and has been qualified in both State and Federal Court was a Forensic Chemist and as an expert witness in botanical identification.
From the 1970s to the present, Layne has been a botanical consultant for numerous Environmental Impact Studies. Several of the larger project for which he served as a consultant include the biological survey of Kahoolawe prior to the island being returned to the State of Hawaii, a baseline survey of the Kahuku Military Reservation on Oahu, a survey and plotting of endangered and significant plant native species prior to the construction of the deep draft harbor on Oahu, a botanical survey of large acreage in the Waikoloa Region on the island of Hawaii, and a botanical survey of several sections of the current Saddle Road alignment on Hawaii.
Layne served 6 years on the board of the Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR; during this period he served as president of the board for 3 years. He continues to be an active member of the Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR.
Layne’s deep commitment to youth and to bringing them into the conservation and ecological community is demonstrated by his over 30 year association with the Boy Scouts. During this time he has been on many camping trips, advising and helping scouts to plant native vegetation and to remove exotic weeds in an attempt to rehabilitate the native environment.
In keeping with this philosophy of enlarging the conservation community, Layne hopes to participate in the events that will allow visitors to see and to understand what Refuges are about and how individuals can help protect our native resources.
Dr. Daniel E. White
Treasurer
Dr. Daniel E. White, Friends of Oahu NWR Treasurer, is co-founder of Island Pacific Academy in Kapolei. He retired as Founding Headmaster in 2013 after having served several independent schools as Head of School during his career in Hawaii and California.
He is Past President of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools Board of Directors and has served on several non-profit boards of directors, including membership on the Accrediting Commission for Schools of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. He has also consulted with many independent schools on matters of governance and accreditation.
Now a resident of Green Valley, Arizona, with his wife, Judy, another IPA co-founder, Dr. White now serves as President of the Friends of Madera Canyon. He also continues service as an Affiliate Graduate Faculty Member of the College of Education at UH Manoa.
Naomi Davis
Board member
Naomi Davis is an avid birder and nature lover. She is also a speech-language pathologist on Oahu and serves as a board member for CHATS (Caring for Hawaii Teens with Speech challenges). Naomi was raised on Oahu and is dedicated to preserving and protecting its beautiful natural spaces. When not in her office at work she enjoys birding, hiking, martial arts, and dancing.
REFUGE STAFF.
Refuge staff members are responsible for carrying out the mission and goals of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System all three refuges, James Campbell, Pear Harbor and Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuges.
Joshua Ream, PhD
Xíxch'i Toowóo**
Project Leader
(he/him)
Email: joshua_ream@fws.gov
Dr. Joshua Ream is the Project Leader for the O‘ahu and Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex. He started in his current role in October of 2021 following a nearly twenty year stint in Alaska. He is originally from Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Ream has worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, both as a wildlife biologist and as a cultural anthropologist. He holds a Ph.D. in Ethnobiology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a M.S. in Biology from Austin Peay State University, and a B.S. in Animal Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University. He values building strong trust-based relationships with local and indigenous communities, building leadership skills for himself and his team, and emotional intelligence. In his spare time Ream enjoys horticulture, poultry husbandry, travel, and visiting his local Elk’s lodge with his husband Dustin.
**Means “Frog Feelings” or “Caring for Frogs” and was given to me by the late Tlingit elder Marge Byrd during my honorary adoption into the Kiks.adi Clan of the Shtaxʼhéen Ḵwáan at Wrangell, Alaska in 2015
Kristina Chyn, PhD
Deputy Project Leader
(she/her)
Email: kristina_chyn@fws.gov
Kristina Chyn is the Deputy Project Leader for the Oʻahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex. In this position, she supports the Complex in meeting operational goals and requirements, project planning and management, and coordination of wildlife conservation objectives between state, federal, and community partners. Prior to joining the Service, she was a conservation researcher with expertise in spatial ecology, herpetology, and community science and managed several multi-year, cross-cultural, collaborative research projects as a postdoctoral researcher at Texas A&M University, a Fulbright Research Fellow in Taiwan, and Endeavour Research Fellow in Australia. She received her PhD in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Texas A&M University and her B.S. in Science of Natural and Environmental Systems from Cornell University. When she’s not in the office, you can find Kristina rock climbing, playing music, and enjoying the outdoors with her partner and pups.
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George Fisher
Tractor Operator Supervisor
Email: george_fisher@fws.gov
George Fisher is the Tractor Operator Supervisor for the Oahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex. I have worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service for over 30 years. I started my career at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on Oahu as a Maintenance Worker, I then transferred and spent 5 years at Hakalau National Wildlife Refuge on Hawaii Island as an Engineering Equipment Operator before coming back to Oahu as the Tractor Operator Supervisor. Growing up in Hawaii I have always enjoyed the outdoors and feel very lucky to have a job that lets me work outdoors and also protect Hawaii’s endangered plants and animals.
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Kelly Goodale
Wildlife Biologist
Email: kelly_goodale@fws.gov
Kelly Goodale is the Wildlife Biologist for the O‘ahu and Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex. She has worked in the conservation field within the Hawaiian archipelago since 2013. As the Field Crew Lead for the Endangered Wildlife Management Program at Haleakalā National Park, she quickly fell in love the with native birds and plants in Hawai‘i. She started to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2017 as the Wildlife Biologist for Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge where she lived among 2 million seabirds. In February 2020 she was translocated with the last cohort of ka‘upu (black-footed albatross) to James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the North Shore of O‘ahu. Here she is able to apply her diverse experience of seabird, waterbird, and shorebird management; predator control; conservation of remote and backcountry locations; sea turtle nest monitoring and management; and habitat restoration. Kelly has a M.S. in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and B.S. in Wildlife Sciences from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. In Kelly’s spare time, she enjoys beach days with her pup - Jupiter, backcountry camping, ocean activities, and playing Wingspan.
Michael Tuerk
Biological Science Technician
Email: michael_tuerk@fws.gov
Aloha my name is Michael Tuerk and I am a Biological science technician working at the Oahu/Maui Wildlife refuge complex. I have been working with the NFWS for a little more than a year and I am very excited to be part of this great team. The Bio-team and I are responsible for many things at the complex and our duties keeps us busy throughout the entire year. We are responsible for all our nursery operations, clearing and planting native restoration sites, running trap lines for invasive predators, endangered water bird and green turtle reproductive surveys, working with interagency and local groups for scientific projects and community beach clean ups. These are some, but not all the duties and responsibilities that make this job so important and meaningful.
I am originally from Colorado and have lived in Hawaii now for ten years and am lucky to call Oahu my home. I was in the service industry for 15 years prior to getting involved with Hawaii conservation. I was lucky enough to start volunteering with a local nonprofit four years ago doing stream restoration and fell in love with the work immediately. I have learned so much about Hawaii conservation in the last couple of years, and I am so proud to help keep Hawaii one of the most biologically diverse and special places on the planet!
Greg Smith
Tractor Operator
Born and raised in Kailua HI. Now lives in Laie HI, With his wife Kyndra they have 5 children. Started working for the USFWS as a tractor operator in 1994 at the Oahu National refuge complex and has been there the whole time. Lives on there family ranch in Laie, enjoys raising cattle and horses and spending time with the family
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Daniel Guzman
Tractor Operator
My name is Daniel Guzman. I am a Tractor Operator/Maintenance for the US Fish and Wildlife service. I am currently stationed at the James Campbell Refuge on the North shore of Oahu. I am dedicated to the preservation of the Wetland Birds. I strive for excellence in Production and being part of the team here at James Campbell refuge
REFUGE FELLOWS & INTERNS.
Refuge interns & fellows are a critical part of the daily management of the refuges
Nāhakuʻelua "Nahaku" Kekauoha
Biology KUPU
Aloha! I joined the Biological Science Team in September 2021 as a Kupu CLDP member, after studying biology and environmental science in Oregon, with a focus on coastal and wetland ecology and conservation. As part of the Bio Team, my work involves habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, and predator control. In a typical week, I’m collecting and cleaning plant propagules, outplanting and spreading seeds in the field, pulling weeds and cutting back kiawe or koa haole, mixing soil and uppotting seedlings in the nursery, updating seed bank and nursery databases and vegetation maps, keeping track of waterbird nests and chicks in the ponds, scanning the coastline for turtle nests and basking monk seals, and baiting traps for mongooses and rats. When I’m not in a pond or on a sand dune, you can find me getting sweaty at hula practice, hiking in the Waiʻanaes, picking palapalai and making lei, putting together the latest Surf Shack puzzle, harvesting ʻuala in my tūtū’s backyard, or flipping through Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaiʻi. As a Kanaka Hawaiʻi, I’m also passionate about collaborative community-based stewardship and incorporating ʻōiwi knowledge, values, practices, and language into resource management and research. I feel so grateful and privileged to care for the unique species and ecosystems on our refuges, and to work with such an amazing team that loves Hawaiʻi as much as I do.
Georgia Dowling
Visitor Services KUPU
Hi! My name is Georgia Dowling and I am the Visitor Services Coordinator for the Oʻahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex. I joined the team in September 2022 for an eleven month AmeriCorp service term through Kupu Hawaiʻi’s ‘Conservation Leadership Development Program’. During my time here I have organized various volunteer and outreach events, coordinated special projects, updated websites, kick-started the development of visitor, volunteer, and education programs, and assisted the biology team with many ongoing tasks around the refuge.
I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area where my curiosity and love for the natural world was supported and encouraged. I continued to explore my innate curiosity in a more formal setting at the University of Oregon, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Sciences in Environmental Studies in the spring of 2021. Through my studies I found a more concentrated interest in the human-planet relationship, environmental education, and sustainable development. I recognize the complexity of my moving to Oʻahu and feel extremely fortunate to be able to steward this land and surrounding communities on a daily basis.
Nikolai Madsen
Biology KUPU
Aloha my name is Nikolai Vejen Madsen. I am a Biological Science Team Member, and this is my first service term through the local non-profit organization KUPU. I support our Biological Science Team with a range of different tasks, like surveys, predator control operations, invasive plant species mitigation/elimination and nursery tasks (indigenous and endemic plant species). However, this is a very
general description as I learn through all tasks needed to sustain and adapt our beautiful refuge complex towards the future. I hold a Bachelor of Engineering in Global Management and Manufacturing (Supply Chain Engineering and management) from University of Southern Denmark (2019), and an Online Masters of Natural Resources (OMNR) from Virginia Tech, Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability (2021). I had one semester abroad in the fall of 2017 at Hawai’i Pacific University (HPU), where I studied five management courses for the bachelor’s degree.
Originally from Denmark, I grew up and lived most of my life in the city of Odense (Where Hans Christian Andersen was from). Before the degrees, I served 10 years in the Danish Army as a Sergeant First Class with three deployments under my belt (Kosovo, Lebanon and Afghanistan). I met my wife in 2018 and I have lived permanently in Hawai’i since March 2019. Home is now Kailua (Oʻahu) with my family. My path into conservation came from a desire to return to working with and in nature. After a quick career in the corporate business world, I decided to switch lane – but keep utilizing my love of systems thinking and supply chain engineering. First step was the master’s degree, and the second step: Learning from the ground up how to conserve and adapt our beautiful Aina. I am grateful to learn from our dedicated team and to call James Campbell National Wildlife refuge my KUPU host site for the 2022-2023 service term. When I am not working you can find me updating our house or surfing.
Makaio Prescott
Maintenance Fellow
My name is Makaio Prescott. I am one of the heavy machine operators/maintenance workers. My hobbies consist of cars and trucks, guns and knives, video games, I'm currently building an engine to drop into my other truck and make it a fun off-road machine.
I come from a family of 7 kids, myself being the youngest of the bunch. Born and raised in Hauula, playing in the mountains, biking around, going beach at Kakelas and Alligator Ponds and living a good balance of staying indoors to play video games and going outside and getting into mischief with my friends.