Kahu ʻĀina projects bridge culture, conservation throughout Hawaiian Islands

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority recently announced 11 community programs selected to receive a portion of a total about $489,000 in support through its Kahu ʻĀina program.

On Maui, the Honolua Hands-On Conservation — Aloha Pūʻu Kukui program is among those receiving support. Through the program, community volunteers work in the upper slopes of Honolua Valley, learning to identify native and invasive plants, plant seedlings and understand the watershed’s role in feeding the reefs of Lahaina and Kāʻanapali.

More on the Puʻu Kukui Watershed Preserve can be found here, along with video here.

These initiatives reflect the strength of Hawaiʻi’s communities and their dedication to caring for the land, waters and ecosystems that sustain residents and visitors alike.

“The Kahu ʻĀina program celebrates the deep relationship between our people and our environment,” said Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Interim President and Chief Executive Officer Caroline Anderson in a release about the funding. “These projects are led by the communities — who know their lands best — ensuring that Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources are cared for with wisdom, integrity and aloha.”

The Hawaiian Islands are among the most ecologically diverse places on Earth — home to 27 of 38 global life zones.

Their beauty is unmatched. And their fragility equally so.

Kahu ʻĀina — part of Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s destination stewardship portfolio — supports community-based organizations dedicated to the stewardship, conservation and revitalization of Hawai‘i’s natural resources.

The program is administered in partnership with Kilohana, a division of Hawaiian Council, and emphasizes ʻāina-kānaka, or land-human, relationships and knowledge.