Forest was born and raised on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Kim is part Hawaiian and was born and raised on the mainland US. They met at Cornell University in New York, where they enjoyed rock climbing and the changing seasons. After graduating they moved back to Maui, switched to surfing, and worked in the real estate and hotel industries. In 1997 they entered the conservation industry, working as biologists for the University of Hawaii, and doing environmental consulting as Starr Environmental. They have continued that to today. Most of their work is done on Maui Nui (Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe), though they work on projects from Kona to Kure Atoll.