From his native Sacramento wetlands to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, curiosity and exploration have fueled long-time Kona resident Rob Pacheco’s passion for the natural world.
Born just north of Chico along the Pacific Flyway in Northern California, it’s no surprise that birds were the first to capture his interest.
“My grandfather was an avid outdoorsman, and as a child, I spent many days fishing with him. To be clear, though, he fished while I watched water birds and searched out all sorts of insects. One bird that sparked my interest was a reed dweller, the American Bittern,” he says.
Rob credits that heron-like bird for the course of study and the career path he chose to follow. He arrived on Hawai’i Island in 1990, bringing years of working as a naturalist for Boulder County parks while attending the University of Colorado Boulder, following that with travels throughout Central America. During university studies, a professor suggested he take over a beekeeping program there, which was the ticket he needed to relocate here.
“After travels, I was broke and needed a job,” he says.
Call it fate or blind luck, the most intriguing job to pop up at the time was that of beekeeper in Kona. Landing here, he immediately recognized that the island’s diverse and unique ecosystems rivaled any found on Earth. Isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with volcanic geology, he realized the islands were among the world’s premier locations for studying evolutionary biology, extinction, endangered species and conservation.
While he spent hours tending bee hives, he continued thinking about how he could share Hawai’i Island’s natural history with others. He also met a like-minded colleague at work, his now wife Cindy. Brainstorming the idea together, the duo took a leap of faith, gave up beekeeping and started Hawaii Forest & Trail in 1993.
Partnerships the couple developed with private landowners here have been key to the company’s success, resulting in a variety of tours to remote, untrodden locations otherwise inaccessible to residents and visitors alike. Popularity grew by word of mouth, and now the Pachecos are leading small, natural history-focused groups in areas such as Old Kohala Trail and Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, in addition to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and other mainstay attractions.
“We believe educating people about this unique place helps protect Hawai’i’s fragile environment and its endangered species. One of which is Hawai’i’s iconic scarlet red honeycreeper or ‘i‘iwi, the bird featured on our logo," Rob says.
The couple also believes in giving back; to that end, they created the ‘I‘iwi Fund in partnership with the Hawaiian community, which provides grants to local organizations involved with nature, conservation and the Hawai’i Community Foundation. For each tour guest, Hawaii Forest & Trail donates $1 to the fund and encourages donors to match it, according to Rob. The fund has generated $130,000 since it was created in 2018.
Now with more than 350,000 guests who have participated in their tours, Rob says there have been more than a few notables among them, including rock and roll legends, tech industry tycoons, a former U.S. President and a wannabe president.
“We’ve met lots of interesting people over the years – famous and not – and that’s been another rewarding part of the work,” he says.
Hawaii-Forest.com.
We believe educating people about this unique place helps protect Hawai’i’s fragile environment and its endangered species. One of which is Hawai’i’s iconic scarlet red honeycreeper or ‘i‘iwi, the bird featured on our logo.
Now with more than 350,000 guests who have participated in their tours, Rob says there have been more than a few notables among them, including rock and roll legends, tech industry tycoons, a former U.S. President and a wannabe president.