The National Heritage Responders are a unique subset of volunteers from within the American Institute for Conservation who engage in disaster relief. Whether its liaising between institutions, resource building and dissemination, or boots on the ground recovery of cultural heritage in disaster zones, the trained responders are finding their skills regularly called upon as climate change impacts our local communities more each year.

Roxy talked with two heritage responders from the Hawaiian Islands, Malia van Heukelem and Liane Naauao, who participated in relief and recovery efforts after the Lahaina wildfires in 2023. They discuss how the scale of the disaster impacted their strategy for relief action and how important it is to be trauma-informed as a responders when victims need to process the loss of their material culture. Mahalo ...