As a 2026 Rappa Fellow, Ila Nako is participating in two field experiences that will combine into a project that aims to demonstrate the necessity of repairing mauka to makai (ridge to reef) land systems. She is working across the moku (district) of Waiʻanae and Molokai under the mentorship of extension agents Terra Faraon and Kilia Purdy-Avelino. In Waiʻanae, her focus is wildfire risk reduction and working with partners of Pili Nā Moku to understand and address community needs. While on Molokai, Ila’s work is situated in the ahupuaʻa (land division) of Kamalō where she is working on coastal erosion mitigation, from mauka to makai. She will translate western conservation goals to mālama ʻāina (caring for the land) principles through a visual project that connects Waiʻanae and Molokai.

Ila was born and raised across the pae ʻāina (archipelago) and serves lāhui (the Hawaiian people) through consistent care for ʻāina, especially in the protection of Hawaiian plants! She earned her B.A. in anthropology with a minor in Indigenous studies in the spring of 2026 from Princeton University.