Hawaii Forest and Trail - Management and Staff

OWNERS
Rob and Cindy Pacheco

Like many successful enterprises, the story of Hawaii Forest & Trail is one of humble beginnings with lots of vision for the future. Rob Pacheco founded the company in 1993, not long after Rob moved to the Big Island. Rob's vision was simply to provide visitors a way to experience and appreciate the diverse and awe-inspiring natural venues found on the Island. With support and encouragement from his wife Cindy, Rob launched the company out of their home, with just one van and one guide - himself. With a dedication to absolute quality and customer satisfaction from the start, the company rapidly grew, adding tours, guides and attracting some high-profile media attention. Today, ten vans, 30 employees and thousands of tours later, HF&T's focus is still on uncompromising quality in every aspect of the business. Cindy now oversees company operations while Rob focuses on community relations and landowner relations. Both are active in the community, with Rob sitting on several boards including the Mauna Kea Management Board, TREE Center, Big Island Visitors Bureau and the Mauna Kea Activities Association.

"Just a word of thanks for the great adventures. As a luxury resort manager in Palm Springs, California, I teach customer service, and know great service when it's given. From the booking calls, to the front desk and the tour guides my family and I were treated in a manner which truly exceeded our expectations. The vans were clean and the snacks provided first rate. Having utilized some of the other tour and travel companies on the Big Island, yours is number one in value, knowledge, expertise and service. I have been recommending your fine company to other travelers and will continue to do so. My sincerest thanks for the memories."
- Randy L. Ankeny, Manager, PGA West Fairways Association

PERSONNEL / ACCOUNTING
Kimberly Hata
Kim was born on Oahu and moved to the Big Island when she was six years old. She has a B.A. in Zoology from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, which comes in handy when dealing with HF&T's eclectic staff. Kim also cheerfully accomplishes getting the books to balance at the end of each month. She's an avid outdoorswoman, enjoying bodysurfing, running and mountain biking.

GUEST SERVICES STAFF
Guest Services Manager Alma Hart	Kuuipo Dill
Jessi Stone	Jeanelle Parrott
Jacelyn Delenia
With a great sense of humor, super customer assistance and lots of aloha, these four knowledgeable professionals are the first impression most people get of HF&T - and we think it's a great one. Spend a few hours at our headquarters office and you'll be amazed at what they do: answering continually ringing phones and countless questions, taking reservations and more reservations, responding to e-mail, making weather decisions, helping with meal choices, assisting guests in the store, dispatching tours and handling the endless day-to-day office stuff - these amazing and versatile ladies do it all! "You folks truly run an amazing trip. The very first conversation I had when I called to make a reservation was so pleasant and welcoming. There was no "selling"...just passion and sharing. And walking into your shop was just as nice." - Roger Fan

WAREHOUSE & TOUR SUPPORT

ED SALAS

TRAVIS RICHARDSON

Ed and Travis are here early to organize, repair, pack, plan and care for all the gear, food, sundries, for all our Nature Adventures and make sure the vans are always clean, maintained and - most importantly - ready to roll seven days a week. They also spend lots time making sure the warehouse is stocked and doing the seemingly endless 101 odd and not so odd jobs that crop up daily in a business like ours. When not handling tour logistics, in their spare time Ed shows off his talents as a woodcarver while Travis rides the waves on his surfboard.

"Thanks so much for the opportunity to experience your excellent tour program... your delicious snacks are a perfect addition to this type of tour. Not only did I love the amenities water packs, long sleeve shirts, I was happy to have the companionship of the walking stick, and we were the only group with lanterns at the Thurston Lava Tube. These big "little" things set HAWAII FOREST & TRAIL above the others!"
-Judy Nathanson, Connecticut

The Interpretive Naturalists
These are the folks who make it happen in the field. We've got the best eco-tour staff in Hawaii. They've come to us from all different walks of life, education, and places, but they all came to us with the same passion for Hawaii and sharing the natural world of Hawaii. We spend a great deal of time training each new guide and continually work on our information and interpretive skills throughout the year. We believe you would be hard-pressed to find a tour company in Hawaii that invests more in training its guides than Hawaii Forest & Trail. All of our guides are first-aid and CPR trained and several have advanced first-aid and rescue skills and certifications.

TOUR MANAGER
Lisa Nelson
Lisa was raised on the Front Range of Colorado, so it's no surprise she's one of our veteran Mauna Kea Summit & Stars guides, where her passion and enthusiasm for Hawaii, astronomy, and Mauna Kea are contagious. She came to the Big Island to attend the University of Hawaii and earned a B.A. in Natural History. She's an avid triathlete and has competed internationally. "I love the diversity of the Big Island." Lisa says.

"Thank you so very much for the great tour we had with you traveling to the summit of Mauna Kea. It was truly one of the high points of our vacation we will be sure to recommend your tour to anyone we know visiting Hawaii."
-Rafani Family.

Danny Almonte
If Danny's your guide, make sure to ask him to sing a song on the way home: he's a great musician and has lots of fans here in the islands. A Hawaii native and original HF&T guide, Danny has been working with visitors for 25 years as a musician, dive master, and nature guide. What Danny loves best about working at HF&T is sharing his love for Hawaii and educating people about how special this place is.

"Just wanted to say thank you to Danny for the fantastic tour that he took us on to the Volcanoes last week. You made our trip to the Big Island the highlight of our holiday."
- Chris and Sara, Sydney, Australia

Greg Brown
Greg has been involved with the ocean for most of his life, but turned to terra firma for his guide job with us. Originally from Pennsylvania, he has a B.S. in Fisheries Sciences and a long history of maritime employment, including aquaculture consultant, ferry boat captain, sportsfishing and shrimp farming. Now he uses his skills to relate Big Island culture, history, geography and astronomy to guests.

"The depth and breadth of Greg's knowledge of the Big Island's history, plants and animals, research telescopes and astronomy was very impressive. He was a phenomenal guide. There were eleven of us in the group, and he handled the countless questions we threw at him with ease... Thanks again for making it possible for me to experience this unique adventure.
-Karen Brost, Arizona

Kalei Carvalho
Kalei grew up in North Kohala and learned outdoor skills and horsemanship right at his doorstep in the Kohala Mountains. Kalei went off to the Mainland for college but came back as soon as he could. He has worked at Hawaii Forest & Trail since 2000, guiding and helping develop trails for our North Kohala tours. Although his photo has been on the cover of the Los Angeles Times Travel Section, Kalei is still humble, sharing his aloha and knowledge of the Kohala area.

"I experienced your Kohala Wai Tour…and wanted to express my gratitude. Kalei was the most exceptional guide; he truly shares Hawaii through stories, touring us to great sights and his unparalled aloha spirit. Kalei's work is a gift to all of us."
- Valerie Sirvis.

Garry Dean
Garry is from Canada and one of those outdoor recreation dudes; kayaking, mountain biking, fishing, camping, and bicycle touring. He has a Geography B.A. from the University of Hawaii and also happens to be an accomplished chef. Garry's a great all-around guide as well as one of our three birding tour guides, specializing in getting guests up close to Hawaii's rare and fascinating native birds species.

"We want to thank Garry for the incredible birding experience we had. Garry is not only knowledgeable about birds, he also took the time to give us an extensive history lesson about the area, people, trees, etc. Thank you again for an exceptional and memorable experience."
- Patricia and David Watson, Bridgewater, New South Wales, Australia

Megan Dehning
Originally from the Central Valley of California, Megan has a degree in Anthropology. After summering in southeast Alaska, and traveling in Central America and Mexico studying field biology, she was drawn to Hawaii because of our diversity of bioregions. So, she's just as happy working at the chilly and dry 13,796-foot summit of Mauna Kea as well as in lush, humid, waterfall-laced lowland valleys.

"I'm writing to let you know what a wonderful time we had. Megan, our guide was fantastic! Our daughters had such a great time and still talk about what they learned. This was truly the highlight of our trip to the Big Island. Thank you for helping to create memories that will last a lifetime!"
- The Betterly Family.

Bob Fewell
Born and raised next to the beaches of Southern California, Bob moved to the Big Island in 1977 seeking bigger surf and better quality of life. He found both and has been here ever since. Bob's career background is photography which has created a deep appreciation of the history, culture, and natural beauty of the Big Island which he loves sharing with guests. He lives in the small community of Puako.

My wife and I were part of the Oracle Corporation contingent that occupied the Fairmount Orchid last weekend. As part of our stay we went with Bob to tour the Waterfalls in Pololu Valley. Just wanted to say we loved it and that Bob was awesome. He was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and very funny. He made the day extra special for us. Please thank him again.
- John and Susan Rivers

Christina Hoffman, PhD
Christina has distinction of being one of HF&T's first employees. With a Masters and PhD in Biology, she works with us part time while teaching for the University of Hawaii. She's our resident botanical expert, has helped develop a lot of our training curriculum and has the fastest hiking pace in the company. She lives in a rustic, completely off-the-grid home in North Kohala.

"I wanted to write and say thanks for a great tour. Christina was a wonderful guide and we all learned so much. The small group was a great way to do the tour."
- The Nichols, Montgomery, Alabama

Luke Hedland
Luke "Helaku" Hedlund was born and raised on the Big Island. He left to attend Colorado State University and study Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism. It was there he realized how much Hawaii meant to him, so he returned to pursue a job in the tourism industry. Though he considers working at Hawaii Forest & Trail a privilege, we do actually pay Luke to share his knowledge and love of Hawaii with our guests. On days off he'll be fishing, hunting or riding the wild surf.

Keith Olson - An East Coast guy, Keith loved the outdoors as a kid, turning that into a career later for some major companies in California working in earth sciences research, like geochemistry and hydrology. A couple years ago, he decided to slow down the pace and move to Hawaii, eventually signing on with HF&T to share the wonders of the Hawaii environment.

"The Volcano Tour was the highlight of our Big Island vacation...Keith Olson did an exceptional job of tailoring the day to the interests of our small group. Keith also ably answered our questions and provided entertaining and educational commentary throughout the trip. Thank you for a memorable adventure!"
- Alice and Bill Ferris, Flagstaff, AZ

Matt Radosevich
Matt hails from Billings, Montana and spent his formative years there and in Colorado and Texas. After a year at the University of Texas he worked in the Rockies and in Alaska. A vacation in Kona was the catalyst for his transition from cold climates to the subtropics, and he subsequently earned a B.A. in Geography from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Matt enjoys hiking, camping and kayaking.

"Matt made the (Volcanoes) trip interesting and exciting. I'm sure he has to know his stuff or he wouldn't be hired by your company. Of all the tours we did, his trip was by far the best. Matt really impressed us…he is a real asset to your company."
- Bev and Loui Svarc

Chris Randolph - Chris grew up in Honolulu, swimming and surfing at Waikiki. After graduating in 2002 with a degree in Travel Industry Management from the University of Hawaii, he moved to the Big Island for a change of scenery. "My love of the ocean inspired me to help protect Hawaii's fragile ecosystem and show people how we can take care of this special place."

Kevin Schneider
Kevin claims he arrived in Hawaii via wind dispersal from the East Coast. With a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Kevin says the Big Island is one of the best places in the world for field science, and the hands-on-learning style he enjoys so much. He has the distinction of asking the most richly detailed, complex questions of anyone we know.

" Kevin answered a million questions and taught us a great deal about Hawaii's natural history and of course astronomy. He's full of enthusiasm for his subject matter. This was our first trip to Hawaii, but it won't be our last... Thanks to Kevin for a memorable trip up Mauna Kea."
-Mitch & Michelle Long, Pennsylvania

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