Stewards of the ʻĀina was born from the vision and heart of our son, Leo. Born in Hawaiʻi and raised for part of his childhood on the mainland, Leo grew up in communities where recycling was simply part of everyday life. When he returned home to the Big Island, he was struck by how different things were. Something he had always known as an ordinary part of caring for a community—recycling—was largely missing from everyday life.

On an island, where our land is sacred and what we bring here has nowhere else to go, he believed that, of all places, here in Hawaiʻi we should be doing more to protect the place we call home.

And he didn’t just question it. He wanted to change it.

He had a vision of making recycling more accessible while encouraging other young people to recognize their own kuleana to care for the ʻāina that sustains us. His conviction became the beginning of Stewards of the ʻĀina.

As an ʻohana, we believed deeply in Leo’s vision and came together to support him—helping give his vision the structure, resources, and hands it needed to grow. What began with one young person’s determination became an ʻohana effort and, ultimately, a community-wide outreach program. In the spirit of laulima—many hands working together—his vision has come to life.

From the beginning, we also knew that accessibility had to be at the heart of this mission. For many in our community, especially our kūpuna, sorting recyclables and making trips to recycling or redemption centers can be difficult, time-consuming, or simply out of reach. For others, the time and cost involved can make recycling difficult to fit into everyday life. That’s why we chose to make our program donation-based, so that the opportunity to care for our ʻāina is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, transportation, or circumstance.

At Stewards of the ʻĀina, it is our mission to be faithful stewards of ke Akua’s land and sea. We aim to bring families, businesses, schools, and community members together to make recycling more accessible and to cultivate a deeper sense of kuleana and stewardship for this sacred ʻāina that sustains us and gives us life.