Workforce Trainings
Build skills. Serve the ʻāina. Shape our future.
Tipu Tipu offers paid workforce training programs for high school and college students and community members who are ready to gain real-world conservation skills. Our trainings are designed to expand Maui’s restoration capacity while opening doors for the next generation of restoration and sustainability professionals.
About the program
Tipu Tipu’s workforce trainings provide hands-on, field-based learning experiences rooted in native Hawaiian restoration practices. Participants work alongside experienced conservation practitioners, gaining practical skills directly applicable to careers in environmental science, natural resource management, and sustainability.
Trainings are offered in three specialized tracks, each including a data collection component:
1. Greenhouse & Nursery Care Learn native plant propagation, nursery management, and the cultivation practices that supply Maui’s restoration projects with healthy, locally grown plants.
2. Seed Collection & Seed Storage Develop skills in native Hawaiian seed collection, processing, and storage — critical work for the long-term preservation of Hawaiʻi’s plant biodiversity.
3. Restoration Best Practices Gain hands-on field experience implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs), invasive species removal, native plant establishment, irrigation, and watershed restoration techniques.
Each training track includes a data collection component, giving participants experience in scientific documentation and natural resource data management.
Skills you’ll develop
- Restoration field work and Best Management Practices (BMPs)
- Invasive species removal and native plant establishment
- Greenhouse and nursery care
- Seed farm care and seed collection
- Irrigation systems maintenance
- Data collection and natural resource management
- Watershed science and ecology fundamentals
Program Details
| Format | Asynchronous, at your own pace |
| Stipend | $500 per academic training track, dispursed upon completion |
| Eligibility | High school students, University of Hawaiʻi students, and community members 17 years of age or older. Applicants must have access to reliable transportation to get to and from learning sites. |
Students are encouraged to take more than one training track. Completing multiple trainings deepens your skills and strengthens your path toward a career in conservation.
FALL 2026 WORKFORCE TRAININGS
Nursery Care and Propagation
20 hours required at Tipu Tipu Nursery & Seed Farm and Restoration Sites.
Sign up below and start anytime to log in your hours.
Seed Collection & Seed Storage
20 hours required at Tipu Tipu Nursery & Seed Farm and Restoration Sites.
Sign up below and start anytime to log in your hours.
Restoration Best Practices
20 hours required at Tipu Tipu Nursery & Seed Farm and Restoration Sites.
Sign up below and start anytime to log in your hours.
Our Partners
Tipu Tipu’s workforce training programs are made possible through close collaboration with:
- Maui Huliau Foundation — Partnering to bring meaningful conservation workforce training to underserved Hawaiian youth, creating pathways to careers in environmental stewardship.
- University of Hawaiʻi Maui College (UHMC) — Providing sustainability and agriculture students with volunteer opportunities and workforce training connected to applied field learning.
Who should apply?
Tipu Tipu’s workforce trainings are open to:
- High school students exploring sustainability and conservation careers
- Recent high school graduates
- Community members seeking hands-on environmental training
- Students from partner programs at UHMC, Maui Huliau Foundation, and Kūlanihākoʻi High School
No prior experience is required — just curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to learn outdoors.
Tipu Tipu is committed to providing equitable opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to participate in conservation work. We especially encourage applications from Native Hawaiian youth and students from underserved communities.
Tipu Tipu Internships and Workforce Training Sign Up
Looking for paid professional development opportunities? Tipu Tipu offers paid internships and workforce training programs that give you hands-on experience in field restoration, native Hawaiian plant propagation, invasive species removal, and scientific data collection. Fill out the form to get started.











