Deann Nishimura-Thornton Deann was born in Hilo and raised in the ahupua‘a of Kea‘au where she attended school. In 2016 she earned her degree from Northern Arizona University in Environmental Science and Applied Indigenous Studies. Deann’s commitment to aloha ‘āina and desire to reconnect to place led her home to Hawai‘i Island in 2019. She enjoys teaching youth about native plants and their importance.In her free time, Deann enjoys eating Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream, making lei, spending time with family, and swimming in the brackish water of Keaukaha.