FAQ

Getting Started

• Why create an account as a user of Conservation Connections?

  Joining Conservation Connections will allow you to interact and engage with environmental stewardship opportunities, organizations, and professionals involved with conservation here in Hawaiʻi. Accounts allow users to RSVP to events and volunteer opportunities and receive automated e-mail updates from the Sites they are following.

• Why create a Site on Conservation Connections?

  Conservation Connections is Hawaii’s hub for environmental stewardship opportunities. Creating a Site will allow you to connect and engage with our growing community of users. Sites can post volunteer opportunities, job opportunities, and/or events. Each Site can choose one out of three different stewardship categories:

  • Mauka (Mountainside)
  • Makai (Oceanside)
  • Maoli (Cultural)

• What Sites or programs are eligible to register with Conservation Connections?

  Sites are an organization that is under Federal, State, or private ownership and management. Programs may be engaged in nature walks, eco-tourism, environmental education, environmental monitoring, debris removal, native species planting, invasive species removal, restoration work, or any other related environmental stewardship activities.

• What is an opportunity?

  An opportunity is a scheduled event or position in which users can take part in to help further the overall mission of the Site. There are six different types of opportunities offered:

  • Full Time Jobs
  • Part Time Jobs
  • Research Positions
  • Internships
  • Events (i.e. workshops, forums, training, etc.)
  • Volunteer

Using Conservation Connections to Get Involved (for Users)

• How do I receive automated email notifications from certain Sites?

  After you create an account, find the Site you are looking for under the “Browse” tab. Then click “follow” underneath the description of the Site.

• How do I remove e-mail notifications from Sites?

  From the dashboard, the “Following” tab will allow you to manage the Sites that you receive e-mail notifications from.

• How do I RSVP for a volunteer opportunity or event?

  Click on the “Opportunities” tab. Then click on the “Volunteer opportunities” or “Events” category on the right hand side of the screen. Find and click the opportunity you would like to attend. Next, simply click “RSVP” to let the Site manager know that you are interested in coming. Make sure that you are using a registered account to RSVP. Some volunteer opportunities and events require a unique RSVP process, so please make sure to read the full event description.

• How do I find job opportunities?

  Click on the “Opportunities” tab. Then click the “Full Time Jobs” or "Part Time Jobs" categories on the right hand side of the screen. Browse for an opportunity and make sure to take note of the due date for application. Job applications should be submitted directly to the employer as described in the details of the job description.

Using Conservation Connections to get people involved (for Sites)

• How do I register a Site on Conservation Connections?

  First, register an account through the registration page. From your account dashboard, start by clicking “Sites”. Then click the “Register Site” button. Complete the required fields and click “Submit” at the bottom of the form. A confirmation message should appear after the successful submission of your Site.

• How do I access my Dashboard?

  Log-in to Conservation Connections. In the top right corner, click on your name in “Logged in as: NAME”, then click on “My Account”. This will take you to the Conservation Connections dashboard.

• Can more than one user manage a Site?

  Yes, you may have multiple users manage your Site. From your Site profile page, click “Users” and then “ADD USER”. When you add a user that is not already registered, an invitation will be sent for them to join. Once a user is added to your Site, they can now post Opportunities using your Site.

• How do I create an opportunity for my Site?

  From the “Sites” tab in the dashboard, click “manage” next to the Site with a new opportunity to share. Next, click the “Opportunities” tab. On the next screen, click the “ADD OPPORTUNITY” button. Select the desired opportunity type, then click “ADD”. Complete the required fields and click “Save” at the bottom of the form.

• How do I post a continuous opportunity?

  We ask that you set an estimated end date even if an opportunity is continuous. This is to prevent the excess clutter of future events. Please set the end date of your opportunity within a reasonably placed timeframe (i.e. 3-6 months)

• What is a Site commitment (Promise to Paeʻāina)?

  Committed organizations, government entities, schools, and individuals can show that they are cosigners of the Promise to the Paeʻāina o Hawaiʻi. The promise is for the stewardship of Hawaii’s environment during the worldwide voyage of Hōkūle‘a. This is to ensure that Hawai‘i is better off when the Hōkūle‘a returns than when she left. An organization can choose to support one out of five ocean commitments:

  • Our Livelihood
  • Our Responsibility
  • Our Island Home
  • Our Heritage
  • Our Future

  Please visit Promise to Paeʻāina (http://www.hokulea.com/promise-to- paeaina/) to learn more.

• How do I assign a Promise to Paeʻāina commitment to my Site?

  To assign a commitment to your Site, go the “Site profile” page and click on the “Commitments” tab. Then click “EDIT COMMITMENTS”. Check the commitments that apply to your Site and click “Save”.

Using Conservation Connections to build volunteer capacity

• How do I review the amount of people that RSVP through Conservation Connections?

  From the “Opportunities” tab in the Site profile, click on the “Impact” link for that particular event. The list of volunteers that RSVP will appear on the bottom of the screen.

Measuring your Site’s Impact

• What types of impact can you measure?

  There are four metrics of impact included in the overall collective impact. These four categories are:

  • Pounds of Invasive Species Removed
  • Acres of Habitat Restored
  • Pounds of Trash Collected
  • Number of Trees, Plants, & Shrubs Planted

• Why is it important to measure impact?

  The impact from individual Sites will add up into the collective, overall impact of Conservation Connections. Although it is not a necessary function, the impact helps to track individual organizations volunteer capacity by allowing managers to credit a certain amount of work done to the volunteers that RSVP.

• How do I input volunteers and impact metrics retroactively?

  From the “Opportunities” tab in the Site profile, click on the “Impact” link for the particular event. Then you can edit each individual RSVP’s impact as well as add volunteers and impact that have attended the event without RSVP. Afterwards, the total number of volunteers, hours, and impact will appear at the top of the page.