Merwin Conservancy Inc

WE INSPIRE INNOVATION IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES BY ADVANCING THE IDEAS OF W.S. MERWIN. PLEASE SEE FULL MISSION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE O. ............................................................ MISSION STATEMENT: WE INSPIRE INNOVATION IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES BY ADVANCING THE IDEAS OF W.S. MERWIN - HIS LIFE, WORK, HOUSE AND PALM FOREST - AS FEARLESS AND GRACEFUL EXAMPLES OF THE POWER OF IMAGINATION AND RENEWAL. TO FULFILL THIS MISSION, THE CONSERVANCY MAINTAINS THE HOUSE AND PALM FOREST AS A PLACE OF STILLNESS AND REFLECTION FOR RETREAT, STUDY, AND CONTEMPLATION THROUGH A RESIDENCY PROGRAM FOR CREATIVE VISIONARIES AND THOUGHT LEADERS FROM HAWAII AND ACROSS THE WORLD. WE ENGAGE BOTH LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH OUR GREEN ROOM LITERARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SALON SERIES, THROUGH DYNAMIC MULTIMEDIA STORYTELLING PROJECTS, AND THROUGH INNOVATIVE COLLABORATIONS WITH VARIOUS ARTISTIC, SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERS AND INSTITUTIONS.

TENDING THE MERWIN PALM TREE COLLECTION: IN 2020, THE MERWIN CONSERVANCY ASSUMED STEWARDSHIP OF THE MERWIN PALM TREE COLLECTION, EMPLOYING TWO CONTRACT GARDENERS TO CARE FOR, PROTECT, CATALOG, AND REPORT ON A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF PALMS. THE COLLECTION IS WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE PRIVATE PALM COLLECTIONS. IT IS A CORE TENET OF OUR ORGANIZATION'S MISSION TO ENSURE THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THIS COLLECTION, AND TO SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES WITHIN IT.

ARTS AND ECOLOGY VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING. IN 2021, THE MERWIN CONSERVANCY STAFF PLANNED, ORGANIZED, AND HELD 4 VIRTUAL EVENTS AS PART OF OUR ARTS AND ECOLOGY SPEAKER SERIES, EXTENDING THE REACH OF THIS PROGRAM AROUND THE GLOBE AND ENSURING THAT OUR GROWING COMMUNITY COULD ENGAGE WITH COMPELLING CONTENT DESPITE COVID-RELATED RESTRICTIONS ON IN-PERSON GATHERINGS. THE GREEN ROOM PROGRAM FEATURED CELEBRATED POETS AND WRITERS JOY HARJO IN CONVERSATION WITH IMAIKALANI KALAHELE, DAN TALAUPAPA MCMULLIN, MAHEALANI PEREZ-WENDT, BRANDY NALANI MCDOUGALL, CRAIG SANTOS PEREZ, LEHUA M. TAITANO, AND NO'U REVILLA, AS WELL AS JERICHO BROWN, ROSS GAY AND AIMEE NEZHUKUMATATHIL, AND NATALIE DIAZ. THESE PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE, THOUGH SOME PARTICIPANTS MADE DONATIONS SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT THE GREEN ROOM PROGRAM.

ETHNOHISTORICAL STUDY & INTERPRETIVE PLANNING: THE MERWIN CONSERVANCY BUILT ON ITS 2020 INTERPRETIVE PLANNING EFFORTS BY CONDUCTING AN ETHNOHISTORICAL STUDY OF THE REGION WHERE IT IS LOCATED. WE UNDERTOOK THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT IN ORDER BOTH TO DEEPEN OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF THE LAND WE STEWARD, AND TO THOROUGHLY AND EFFECTIVELY PLAN ITS FUTURE. WITH THIS INFORMATION, WE BEGAN TO DEVELOP A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE GARDEN AND TO SCOPE AND SEQUENCE OUR GROWTH. WE ALSO CREATED NEW PROGRAMMING BASED ON OUR LEARNING TO ENGAGE OTHERS WITH THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE.