Tyrone Montayre is the President and Founder of Protect and Preserve Hawaii, an environmental nonprofit founded in 2019 to care for Pia Valley, Oahu. In this episode, we hear first-hand from Tyrone what it is like to transition from a full-time mechanic to a conservationist and entrepreneur and dive deeply into the learning curves of starting a new organization. After his motherʻs passing, he made an unexpected decision to purchase 330 acres of preservation land at a City and County of Honolulu auction. From there his purpose expanded. Tyrone's aloha for Hawaii comes across clearly, not only in his unique path to conservation, but in his creative efforts to engage volunteers and bring much-needed awareness to place-based education, native ecosystem restoration and raising the bar for conservation pay rates. The Protect and Preserve Hawaii team and its enthusiastic volunteers are cultivating a prosperous model in Pia Valley - not only to strengthen relationships between people and ʻāina, but between people and their greater purpose. Mahalo for tuning in! Episode Highlights 1:01 Entering the conservation world 2:33 Purchasing Pia Valley and connecting with the conservation partners and neighbors 4:28 Nurturing a supportive hui 5:46 Creating a management plan and launching volunteer programs, meant to be doing this 7:18 Life has changed a lot in the last 6 years 8:14 Where does your love of Hawaii come from? 9:22 Realizing what we value and embracing it 10:44 What do you think your mother would think of you launching Protect and Preserve Hawaii? 11:11 Growing a volunteer community grounded in gratitude 13:33 Volunteer programs offerings: ecosystem restoration (including invasive removal, native outplanting, guided hikes with botanist), volunteer exchange program, laau lapaau, malama pohaku 15:50 Building a social media movement during the pandemic 19:20 What is the vision for Pia Valley? 21:38 Awareness vs. caring 22:04 Pia Valley as an economic model of prosperity 24:41 How have your volunteers been changed by Pia Valley? 26:37 How have you changed? 28:33 Getting comfortable public speaking after changing careers 32:38 What are the challenges for Protect and Preserve Hawaii? 33:09 Cultivating ecological empathy 35:10 Engaging volunteers effectively through social media 38:46 Are you working harder now or when you were a mechanic? 39:48 Livable wages in conservation, valuing the long term care of Hawaii's natural resources 45:17 Getting creative to secure sustainable funding 47:51 The value of native rainforests 49:35 Cultivating abundance in Pia Valley through multiple forms of capital, return on investment 50:49 What is your favorite part of your job? 51:35 How do you bring aloha into your life and work? Community, sharing gratitude, humility, being a lifelong student 53:55 Aloha doesn't stop at 5pm Learn more about Protect and Preserve Hawaii: https://www.protectpreservehi.org/
Tyrone Montayre is the President and Founder of Protect and Preserve Hawaii, an environmental nonprofit founded in 2019 to care for Pia Valley, Oahu. In this episode, we hear first-hand from Tyrone what it is like to transition from a full-time mechanic to a conservationist and entrepreneur and dive deeply into the learning curves of starting a new organization. After his motherʻs passing, he made an unexpected decision to purchase 330 acres of preservation land at a City and County of Honolulu auction. From there his purpose expanded. Tyrone's aloha for Hawaii comes across clearly, not only in his unique path to conservation, but in his creative efforts to engage volunteers and bring much-needed awareness to place-based education, native ecosystem restoration and raising the bar for conservation pay rates. The Protect and Preserve Hawaii team and its enthusiastic volunteers are cultivating a prosperous model in Pia Valley - not only to strengthen relationships between people and ʻāina, but between people and their greater purpose. Mahalo for tuning in!
Episode Highlights
1:01 Entering the conservation world
2:33 Purchasing Pia Valley and connecting with the conservation partners and neighbors
4:28 Nurturing a supportive hui
5:46 Creating a management plan and launching volunteer programs, meant to be doing this
7:18 Life has changed a lot in the last 6 years
8:14 Where does your love of Hawaii come from?
9:22 Realizing what we value and embracing it
10:44 What do you think your mother would think of you launching Protect and Preserve Hawaii?
11:11 Growing a volunteer community grounded in gratitude
13:33 Volunteer programs offerings: ecosystem restoration (including invasive removal, native outplanting, guided hikes with botanist), volunteer exchange program, laau lapaau, malama pohaku
15:50 Building a social media movement during the pandemic
19:20 What is the vision for Pia Valley?
21:38 Awareness vs. caring
22:04 Pia Valley as an economic model of prosperity
24:41 How have your volunteers been changed by Pia Valley?
26:37 How have you changed?
28:33 Getting comfortable public speaking after changing careers
32:38 What are the challenges for Protect and Preserve Hawaii?
33:09 Cultivating ecological empathy
35:10 Engaging volunteers effectively through social media
38:46 Are you working harder now or when you were a mechanic?
39:48 Livable wages in conservation, valuing the long term care of Hawaii's natural resources
45:17 Getting creative to secure sustainable funding
47:51 The value of native rainforests
49:35 Cultivating abundance in Pia Valley through multiple forms of capital, return on investment
50:49 What is your favorite part of your job?
51:35 How do you bring aloha into your life and work? Community, sharing gratitude, humility, being a lifelong student
53:55 Aloha doesn't stop at 5pm
Learn more about Protect and Preserve Hawaii: https://www.protectpreservehi.org/