Casey Ching serves as the Training and Engagement Program (previously the Coastal Training Program) Coordinator at the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve. She leverages her experience in natural resource management, community engagement, and collaborative science to design and implement learning and engagement opportunities that facilitate knowledge exchange, promote multiple ways of knowing, and empower local communities. She works to create spaces that center local perspectives and equip communities with the tools to shape decision-making processes.
Additionally, she currently serves as the Kāne‘ohe to Kualoa Makai Watch Coordinator, a collaborative, statewide program where communities become directly involved with the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), in the management of marine resources through promoting compliance to rules, education, and monitoring. The program embodies the idea that community members are the ‘eyes and ears’ that look out for their resources, recognizing that the people who use a resource ultimately are responsible for its long-term health.
Casey Ching is passionate about advancing environmental management through community engagement and collaboration. She previously worked on various management initiatives including DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources’ Holomua Initiative and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife Native Ecosystems and Protection and Management program. She holds a MS in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and a BA in Marine Science from Boston University. Her graduate research involved identifying, mapping, and modeling the cultural dimensions of stream flow through He‘eia.