State: Hawai’i
Years on RSYC: 2026
Jenavive takes action in her community through interdisciplinary wildlife conservation and policy advocacy.
Through her projects, Jenavive combines her talents as an advocate with her passion for the environment to lead field days, legislative meetings, and podcast interviews.
Jenavive created and leads Hawai’i’s first youth-led conservation-focused working group. Named Oceans & Biodiversity, this Roots & Shoots group addresses literacy barriers by democratizing access to Hawai’i’s scientific and legislative processes. With Corals to Committees, Jenavive hosts podcast interviews and organizes hands-on field days where youth participate in ecological research to directly inform legislators and support state priorities. By bridging the gap between research and the legislature, Jenavive ensures that local youth are active, informed advocates for the protection of Hawai’i’s ecosystems.
Outside of Roots & Shoots, Jenavive is in her first year of college, concentrating in Animal Ecology & Conservation. She is currently researching conservation bioacoustics for Southeast Asian endangered species and enjoys expressing her artistry through crochet and music.
Jenavive says, “creating playlists, streaming Erroll Garner, and foraging vintage markets for Blue Note vinyls helps me to recenter.”
