Nā Pili Wai Spring ʻ23 KS Program Overview

 

Monday - Kūkulu Ke Kahua

We conducted our first day of our program at Loko Ea to give them a stronger connection to place while building a sound foundation of fishpond knowledge. They began their learning with an immersive tour of the ʻāina and ahupuaʻa, starting at Loko Ea and going up to both Ukoʻa and Puaʻena to see the different areas and types of wai all around us. They then assisted in building an imu to prepare for our monthly community outreach event partnered with the North Shore Food Bank. Students were engaged in both pond management dialogue and practices, while setting the tone for a strong personal community impact.

 

Tuesday - Wai Puna

Our first huakaʻi with the students was to Mohala Farms in Waiālua, where they learned a place based definition of mālama ʻāina through the growing and care of organic greens and native plants. The staff at Mohala shared an abundance of knowledge focused on both life and food sustainability. They facilitated a harvesting plan with the students so they could help with processing the greens that would be donated to the plates of food we would give out to our community at the Food Drive. The students ended their day with preparing the rest of the food for our imu at the fishpond, while learning how to light, monitor, and close the imu as we await the next morning for us to open.

 

Wednesday - Wai Inu

Day 3 was truly a “bring things full-circle” moment as the students helped to open the imu, huakaʻi to Kaiaka Bay, and prepare the food for our assembly line that we use to make hot and ready plate lunches to give out to community members participating in the north shore food drive. It was very reassuring to see their positive emotional reactions to preparing all of this food from both Loko Ea and Mohala farms, and seeing it feed families and communities in need.

 

Thursday - Wai Mana

Our third huakaʻi took us across the street of Loko Ea to Māeaea beach, where Kamaki Worthington and his crew from I Nui Ke Aho lead a hoʻokele and kilo lesson to better understand the kai aspect of our ahupuaʻa of Kawailoa. Paddling along the shoreline and eventually going up Anahulu river, students were engaged in a variety of stories told by navigator Kamaki and the importance of all this water to the health of our reefs and its influence on tidal and current movements in our kai.

 

Friday - Wai Ola

On our final day, we took the students on their fourth huakaʻi to the ahupuaʻa of Waialeʻe, where they met Kawelakai Farrant and the beautiful loko iʻa he stewards there called Kalou fishpond. There, they gained a stronger sense of admiration for natural resource management, as it pertained to the preservation and restoration of these traditional landscapes to be used as an eventual food source for these communities. Going back to loko iʻa connections was an important reflection piece for our program, and wanted students to solidify their understanding of not just fishponds in general, but also how their connection to Loko Ea can be nurtured through their lifetime in returning to a place they could consider a piko of cultural knowledge and a sense of ʻohana.