2022 Hāna Limu Festival, Aug. 13

Nā Mamo O Mū‘olea announced the post-pandemic reemergence of the annual Hāna Limu Festival, at a new location this year. The 2022 Limu Festival – Hanana No Nā Limu – takes place on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Coconut Cove, 20 Uwala Drive in Hāna, Maui. 

The Festival will pay tribute to John “Jackie Boy” Lind who recently passed. “John was an aloha ʻāina warrior, kalo farmer, lawaiʻa loea and Konohiki of Kīpahulu moku on Maui,” festival organizers said. Jackie Boy, known to some as Uncle John, was described as a mentor, friend, and kupuna.

This year’s festival will feature live limu (seaweed) demonstrations , hands-on activities for youth, Hawaiian music, a silent auction, crafts, food, and t-shirts that showcase the limuprints of Maui artist Gwen Arkin.

Some Hāna residents and limu experts will conduct limu surveys at four locations along the Hāna Coast on the morning of the event and share their observations, manaʻo, and limu collections with Hanana No Nā Limu participants. 

“We are grateful to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the County of Maui for supporting our community, as the funding they provide allows us to host this gathering dedicated to learning about, celebrating, and perpetuating our native Hawaiian limu and culture,” said Claudia Kalaola, Limu Festival Chair and co-founder of Nā Mamo O Mū‘olea. 

Organized by Hāna residents, the Limu Festival is designed to promote a deeper awareness of our native limu and to make people mindful of their kuleana and role in ensuring that ocean resources are here for generations to come. 

Collaborating partners and co-sponsors helping with the event include The Nature Conservancy, Kua ʻĀina Ulu ʻAuamo, and the Maui Nui Makai Network.

The event focuses on how Hawaiʻi’s oceans and fresh water – and the health of limu, fish, plants, culture, and more – are inherently connected. Native limu is essential, not only as a nutritious part of the traditional Hawaiian diet, but also for its vital role in the health of the nearshore ecosystem, serving as the base of the food chain, and providing food and shelter for herbivore fish and invertebrates. 

Each year, funds raised through a silent auction at the Festival enable Nā Mamo O Mū‘olea to award the Isabelle Aiona Abbott Scholarship to Hāna students who follow in Dr.Abbottʻs footsteps by pursuing studies in marine biology, natural resource management, and Hawaiian studies.