Reef-Friendly Landscaping Summit launches to protect Kāʻanapali’s shoreline

The Pilikahakai Foundation, a nonprofit rooted in Native Hawaiian values and dedicated to preserving Kāʻanapali Beach, hosted its inaugural Reef-Friendly Landscaping Summit over the weekend, aimed at advancing sustainable land care practices that protect West Maui’s coastline.

Held at the Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, the two-day summit brought together cultural practitioners, land care professionals and resort teams for hands-on training focused on restoring and caring for cultural landscapes. 

Presented in partnership with the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council and Treecovery, with support from ʻĀina Momona, the summit was offered at no cost to participants through the foundation. The program demonstrated how native planting and the elimination of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and insecticides can help reduce runoff, improve soil health and protect nearshore water quality. ​ 

The summit featured nearly ten interactive workshops and a hands-on field activity designed to equip participants with practical knowledge for implementing reef-friendly landscaping practices.

Through demonstrations, discussions and a guided site visit to see these practices in action, attendees explored ways to strengthen soil health, manage invasive species, reduce chemical use, incorporate composting and sustainable landscape design, and more. Each session emphasized actionable steps to protect West Mauis coastal ecosystems and reinforced the connection between land care and ocean health.

“Our work at Pilikahakai Foundation is rooted in the understanding that caring for our environment is inseparable from caring for our community,” said Keolahou Hinau, executive director of Pilikahakai Foundation. “Kāʻanapali plays a vital role in Maui’s cultural, environmental and economic landscape. Protecting it means working side by side with those who steward the land to ensure it’s cared for in ways that reflect the needs and values of this place.”

As Kāʻanapali faces increasing pressure from erosion, rising seas and climate change, Pilikahakai Foundation is working to protect West Maui’s shoreline through culturally grounded restoration and sustainable land care.

By integrating traditional knowledge with modern practices, the foundation is helping reshape land care systems to support long-term coastal resilience. The summit built on these efforts by advancing organic landscaping practices and contributing to Maui County’s broader movement to reduce pollution, restore native ecosystems and implement policies such as the Organic Parks Bill passed in 2021.

“This summit is about empowering people with real, place-based knowledge to make changes that benefit our island’s ecosystems,” says Jill Wirt, Program Director at MNMRC. “Every lawn we manage differently, every fertilizer we replace, it all adds up to healthier reefs and communities.”

A second summit, scheduled for Oct. 11–13, 2025, will build on the spring gathering with new topics, case studies, and applied strategies for long-term landscape stewardship. 

To learn more about Pilikahakai Foundation and its work to protect Kāʻanapali Beach and strengthen coastal resilience in West Maui, visit www.pilikahakai.org.