Snail Extinction Prevention Program

This ‘ōlelo no‘eau, ke kāhuli leo le‘a o ka nahele, is a saying in Hawai‘i used to compliment a sweet-voiced individual. The kāhuli, pupukanioe, or pololei have long been revered by Hawaiians, often appearing in mele, hula, mo‘olelo, oli, and in this case ‘ōlelo no‘eau. Their ornate shells once blanketed the trees of Hawai‘i with a presence so abundant some believe the kāhuli’s song was composed by the wind swirling through their shells.
Their adaptive radiation of approximately 750 species across the Hawaiian islands is an ecological spectacle, elucidating theories of evolution and island biogeography. Unfortunately, scientists estimate up to 90% of this diversity has vanished as a result of introduced invasive predators, habitat loss, over collection and climate change.
Since 2012, the Hawaii Snail Extinction Prevention Program has been working diligently to reverse the extinction of this species and return healthy populations to Hawaii’s forests for future generations to enjoy.
About SEPP
The Hawai‘i Snail Extinction Prevention Program (SEPP) is a partnership between the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources-Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the University of Hawai‘i. Our program has ambitious goals of securing rare and endangered snail species through the integration of novel captive rearing methods, on the ground management of wild populations and coordination with partner groups to align rare snail conservation objectives and management techniques across islands and entities.
We are guided by an advisory committee comprised of conservationists, academics, and personnel from partner organizations and agencies with experience working in Hawaiian ecosystems and especially with Hawaiian snails. Our advisory committee, the Hui Kāhuli, meets annually to guide conservation efforts.
What We Do
Meet the Staff
Program Coordinator
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David Sischo – SEPP Coordinator
David is a wildlife biologist specializing in the conservation of rare and endangered terrestrial mollusks from the Hawaiian and Mariana Islands. After receiving his bachelors degree in ecology and evolution from the California State University of Fresno, David earned is masters and doctorate in Zoology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. David has worked with endangered species for over 10 years and has coordinated the Snail Extinction Prevention Program since its founding in 2012. |
Field Crew
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Keahi Bustamente – Maui Nui Field Coordinator
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Lilly Thomey- Maui Nui Field Technician
Lilly Thomey is an invertebrate program technician concentrating her efforts on contemporary remote field surveys of native kāhuli across Maui Nui. Prior to Lilly’s work across the ridges, valleys, gulches, and slopes of Maui Nui, she worked for the East Maui Watershed Partnership, maintaining and monitoring protected watershed sections of east Maui. What started the invertebrate focus was a two year Kupu AmeriCorps service position with the O’ahu SEPP team, partaking in field operations for extant populations and in the captive rearing lab setting. Lilly graduated from Pomona College in 2019 with a degree in Biology. Originally from Minnesota, she misses the snow and ice but wouldn’t trade the sun, waves, and open water for anything!
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Kūpa‘a Hee – O`ahu Field Coordinator
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Sidney Stiefel – O`ahu Field Biologist
Sidney’s contributions to SEPP are primarily field focused, her days are typically spent in the forest monitoring extant native snail populations, controlling for predators and maintaining predator proof exclosures. After receiving a bachelors degree from Boston University where she studied Biology with specializations in Ecology, Evolution, Conservation Biology and Marine Science, she returned home to Oʻahu to pursue a career in conservation and serve the land that nurtured her upbringing. Through Kupu’s Conservation Leadership Development Program, Sidney worked with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife Native Ecosystems Protection and Management admin team, where she was first exposed to SEPP and grew to love Hawaii’s endemic snails and their native habitats.
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Kaci Stokes – O`ahu Field Technician
Kaci grew up in Mililani, Oʻahu and is a recent graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a Bachelor’s in Natural Resources and Environmental Management. She started working at SEPP’s captive rearing lab in August 2022 as a student assistant. Kaci’s favorite species is the Achatinella concavospira, but she loves caring for all the different kāhuli! We are excited to now have Kaci as a full time member of our team!
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Captive Rearing Crew
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Geneviève Blanchet – Captive Rearing Laboratory Manager
Geneviève is the SEPP captive rearing lab manager. Her and the SEPP team rear and breed close to 40 species of rare Hawaiian snails species. Days at the lab consist of cleaning snail vivariums, feeding snails and recording every population’s census. Geneviève also oversees the selection and release of snails into predator proof exclosures.
Geneviève came to Hawai‘i in 2016 with a dual background in environmental and molecular sciences after completing her undergraduate degrees at McGill University and at the University of Montreal in Canada. She then focused her studies on rare species population management using molecular tools, and obtained her M.Sc. in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo studying the genomics of the ‘Alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis). Geneviève enjoys working with rare Hawaiian species and was thrilled to join the SEPP team in 2020, where she hopes to make a difference during this critical time in the conservation of Hawaii’s endemic snail species.
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Riley Nakasone
Riley started with SEPP as an undergraduate assistant while attending the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. He recently graduated with a B.S. in Animal Sciences and now works with SEPP full time! His work is primarily focused in SEPP’s captive rearing lab, where he is studying the relationship between the strength of our snails’ mucus seals and their biogeography. Riley also collaborated with the Honolulu Zoo to create an education station highlighting the conservation of our SEPP species and other native invertebrates.
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AmeriCorps Kupu Members
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Sylvia Bergerud
Sylvia is a first-year Kupu Aina-corps member originally from Seattle, Washington, with a Bachelor’s degree in Organismal Biology from Scripps College in Claremont, CA. Sylvia joined SEPP in hopes of learning more about environmental initiatives in Hawai’i and building her skills as a biologist and conservationist. Although she works primarily in SEPP’s captive rearing facility, Sylvia also enjoys fieldwork and learning about snails and other endemic species while in their natural habitat. Outside of the lab, she spends her time surfing, cooking and baking, and doing any form of art!
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Grace Bobo
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Kelsey Johnstad
Kelsey is a first-year Americorps and Conservation Leadership Development Program (CLDP) member of KUPU. Prior to moving to Oahu in 2023, Kelsey grew up in Washington and earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Zoology from Washington State University (Go Cougs!). She has a passion for conservation and hopes to help make an impact on these endangered snail species. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys crocheting, being outdoors, and spending time with her pets.
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Lindsey Lee
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UH Mānoa Undergraduate Assistants
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Bella Vallesteros
Ysabella grew up in O’ahu and is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Hawai’i- Leeward Community College majoring in Biology. Since June 2023, she has been passionately caring for kāhuli in SEPP’s captive rearing lab. In her spare time, she loves crocheting, dancing, and spending time with loved ones. Her favorite species is Achatinella lila!
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Chasity Bae
Chasity is an undergraduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa pursuing a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Her work is predominantly lab focused, but she also thoroughly enjoys field work. During her free time, Chasity enjoys hiking, surfing, gardening, and volunteering at various conservation sites across Oʻahu!
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Ku`ulei Wong
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Lizzie Dennis
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Malia Splitstoesser
Malia grew up on Kauaʻi and got her start in conservation through Kupu’s Conservation Leadership Development Program. She served two terms with Limahuli Garden and Preserve, where she developed a passion for native ecosystem protection. She is now pursuing an undergraduate degree in Botany at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
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Alumni
coming soon
Contact Us
For any media inquiries please contact:
Hawai`i DLNR Communications Office
dlnr.comms@hawaii.gov
808-587-0396
For more information regarding the SEP program please contact:
David Sischo, Snail Extinction Prevention Program Coordinator
DLNR – Division of Forestry and Wildlife
1151 Punchbowl Street, Rm. 325, Honolulu, HI 96813
Contact via email