Aloha mai kākou,
I have the joy of sharing our day with you in my first nightly update. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Lauren, and I serve as the Logistics Specialist for PMDP. I’ve been fortunate to be part of this team for the past four years, and I’m tremendously grateful to return to Kuaihelani for our first mission of 2026.
It’s our second day on Kuaihelani, and already it feels like we’re settling into the island’s cadence. The pace is different here – life feels simpler, more intentional, and deeply focused. We all come from different walks of life, brought together for this brief moment by one unifying thread: our love for this place.
It’s impossible to talk about our work without acknowledging the people we share it with. Many of us have worked side by side for years, forming a bond that’s hard to describe. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, our senses of humor, weird habits, favorite music and snack preferences. We know where Andy likes to sit at dinner, the stats of James' favorite sports teams, that Kama will always have at least one airpod in, and Derek's eclectic… well, everything. We anticipate one another’s needs without words; caring for each other has become second nature. Over time, we’ve watched each other grow and evolve, celebrating successes and supporting through hardships. Coming together after months apart feels like stepping back into a rhythm that’s uniquely our own.
Alongside our team, we’re honored to share this experience with our partners: Kalani, Hauʻoli, and Kenika. Each of them brings a wealth of ʻike, grounding our work in deeper understanding and connection to this place. These men have dedicated so much of their lives to protecting Papahānaumokuākea so to be in this space with them and get to learn from them is truly a privilege for us. And they are putting in the work with our team while they are here!
This morning, we hit the ground running. Half of us worked in the boathouse, building the boats with seasoned expertise and setting up our equipment for the weeks ahead. The other half continued cleaning along the shorelines of Sand Island, leaving pristine white-sand beaches in their wake. After lunch, with shovels and knives in hand, they launched a freshly-built boat and headed for Eastern Island. Greeted by the resident pod of spinner dolphins, roaming ulua and a cacophony of seabirds, they began to acquaint themselves with the wilder, less developed side of Kuaihelani. They scouted the beaches for nets and cleaned up an island sector.
Both teams worked tirelessly into the evening, uniting before a fiery orange sunset. To cap off the day, we played a few friendly rounds of bowling in the historic post-World War II alley. Going from a quiet, grounded beach sunset to laughter and 80s music in an old bowling alley captures the unique rhythm of life on Kuaihelani.
At the end of it all, sitting around each other with sore feet and aching backs, the collective feeling for the day was gratitude. Amidst the hard work were small, meaningful moments – the feeling of our feet in the water, birds flocking before us, and the connections we are building with one another – that remind us what brings us here: to share this place, learn from one another, and do meaningful work for the ʻāina that we love.
Mahalo nui for following along,
Lauren, and the PMDP Team