Holoholo Kiholo

The dynamics in Kīholo are amazing!  This community has fought for their kuleana and taken this measure of responsibility to establish a functional model for community-based management.  Hui Aloha Kīholo is a non-profit organization who has identified themselves as the primary caretakers of this place.  Years ago when the State of Hawai`i wanted to shut down Kīholo from public access because of blatant mis-use and legal liability, the Hui stepped up and requested that the State entrust them to regulate  access and to care for the State Park.  With ample support from Hawai`i Island communities, they have been successful in maintaining and cultivating healthy relationships at Kīholo.

People came from all around the Island.  The monthly Kīholo Work Days hosted by The Nature Conservancy draws so many volunteers.  It was great to hear that people drove all the way from Hilo and Puna to “give back”.  It was obviously a place that people were connected to in some way.  We spent our morning clearing invasive plants from the edge of Kīholo fishpond to reduce additional sedimentation in the pond.  Many hands made for light work and afterwards we were able to share a potluck together and leisure in the shade.

The ‘ohana of Kīholo represents the breath of this place.  Ku`ulei Keakealani, member of Hui Aloha Kīholo, shared about her kūpuna of Kīholo.  Her stories gave life and context for everyone.  Aunty Shirley, a kūpuna of Kīholo, told of her journeys as a little girl from Pu`uanahulu on the slopes of Hualalai, to the shores of Kīholo on the back of a mule. She referenced a time of “fun” and “really living off the land”. It was wonderful.

Ideas worth spreading!

Congratulations to one of our mentors here at TNC Hawai’i, Manuel Mejia, who will be giving a TED talk this Saturday at the TEDx Honolulu 2013 event!  His theme is:

Revive and revitalize the tradition of caring for the land and sea, so that our communities, in turn, can thrive in a sustainable waY

Manuel Mejia is the Community-Based Marine Conservation Program Manager for The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. He specializes in community-based conservation efforts. He’s dedicated more than sixteen years in leading biodiversity conservation projects across the Asia-Pacific region. His focus is the human dimension of marine conservation and he believes that while the measures for success are ultimately biological, the only way to achieve them are through social, cultural, political and economic change—in other words, through and by people and communities. He recently launched a Marine Conservation Fellowship Program, which provides dedicated young conservationists with professional development and growth opportunities in Hawaii. Manuel is a graduate of McGill and Columbia University where he concentrated on the earth sciences and environmental policy for his BSc and MSc degrees. Mejia has two children (ages 9 and 11) and he dedicates his life’s work in conservation to them. He believes that through collective action and wise stewardship of our island’s natural resources, nature and our communities can be healthy again. “Hawai`i is a wellspring of stories that depict how our collective actions as a community can both destroy and heal vital ecosystems.The challenges looming before Earth come from problems that are essentially man-made. Community action is critical to stemming the tide of environmental degradation.”

Please visit the TEDxHonolulu2013 website for more information on the event and the speakers.  Congratulations again to Manuel!  Mahalo nui for your deep dedication to empowering local communities to care for their ‘aina (land/sea resources) through capacity building, partnerships, and collaboration with others!  You rock!

Caring for our coral reefs in Kane’ohe Bay!

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” – Helen Keller

This quote is a great source of motivation for our work as a TNC team in Kāne’ohe Bay!  We spent the first half of the day getting trained by TNC Hawaii Program’s wonderful science advisor, Dwayne Minton, who showed us how to conduct coral surveys.  These surveys are part of a larger effort to monitor the effects of the Super Sucker’s alien algae removal.  The alien algae (Kappaphycus sp. and Eucheuma sp.) are wreaking environmental havoc in the bay, smothering areas along the shore and the patch reefs found throughout the bay.  Learning these coral surveys will help us to understand the health of the corals on the areas where the alien algae is being removed.  The data will help us to identify the ability of the corals to flourish again after the alien algae is no longer smothering them from the sun, space, and nutrients they require to live.  

After yesterday, we now have a rising group of TNC employees who will now be able to assist with completing the coral surveys, which will help us to understand how to develop and implement strategic removal efforts. 

*Speaking of a rising up!  This is a call to action.  If you are able, please consider donating to a TNC Hawai’i fundraising campaign to raise money for a new work boat for the Super Sucker project to help restore a healthy bay for all to use.  Your gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar! 

Click here to make your contribution to “Save our Kane’ohe Bay”.