(BIVN) – A scholarship created to honor the life and legacy of a Hawaiʻi “conservation hero” will support local students in entomology, conservation, and Hawaiian wildlife protection. 

The Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund recently announced the Patrick Conant Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Patrick Conant (November 16, 1950 – February 21, 2024), “whose dedication to protecting Hawaii’s native ecosystems touched countless lives,” the organization says.

The Patrick Conant Memorial Scholarship provides $4,000 to support recent college graduates (enrolled in certificate or specialized training program) or current graduate students in entomology, avian biology, botany, and conservation.

The Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund provided this information about the late Conant:

Patrick spent a significant portion of his career as an entomologist with the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture, but his passion extended far beyond insects. He cared deeply about plants, birds, and all native ecosystems, making it his personal mission to help rid Hawaii’s landscapes of invasive species. His motto, “Death to Alien Invasive Species!!!” wasn’t just a slogan—it was a way of life. Whether pulling weeds, killing invasive trees, baiting ants, catching frogs, shooting goats, or producing bumper stickers to educate the public, Pat embodied hands-on conservation.

Friends and colleagues remember Pat as intelligent, calm, kind, and funny—often seen barefoot, wandering the forests of Volcano and beyond. He was a founding member of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund’s “FASTOP” hui (a name he coined, short for “Fencing and Spraying, Trapping or Poisoning”), working tirelessly to restore native ecosystems. From the early 1970s when he was studying at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa working on the Waihoi Valley project to his later work combating little fire ants, Pat was a man of action who truly walked the walk.

Those who worked alongside him describe a humble, unsung hero—someone who could deal equally well with academics and the public, who generously shared his vast knowledge, and whose easy-going nature and great sense of humor made conservation work not just meaningful but enjoyable. As one colleague noted, Pat “emanated a kind of serene brilliance, with an unwavering resolution to understand and protect the Hawaiian environment.” Pat’s sister, Sheila, described him as her best friend, someone with whom she shared a deep love of native Hawaiian biota—studying it, protecting it, and living surrounded by it. Those who knew Pat understand he would have been delighted, though perhaps a bit embarrassed, by a scholarship in his name, but given his legacy and commitment it’s clear this honor is well-deserved.

Applications are being accepted from March 1st to April 25, 2026. More information can be found on the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund website.