Lahaina community invited to replant kalo patches at Apuakehau

August 14, 2026, 2:00 PM HST

Listen to this Article
2 minutesLoading Audio... Article will play after ad...

Boy Scouts help with the Apuakehau kalo patch on Front Street in Lahaina. PC: Lahaina Restoration Foundation

The Lahaina Restoration Foundation and the County of Maui Department of ʻŌiwi Resources will host a free Kalo Workshop on Aug. 22, inviting community members to help replant three kalo patches at the Apuakehau kalo patch on Front Street in Lahaina.

The event, scheduled from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Lahaina Kalo Patch, will mark the first planting at the site since the Lahaina fire, according to the foundation. Participation is limited to 15 people, and advance registration is required at LahainaRestoration.org.

The workshop is supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Trust Preservation Funds and is designed to teach participants about the history and cultural significance of kalo while restoring the historic cultural landscape.

The three kalo patches were built by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation in 2020 and were continuously used and maintained before the fire.

“This workshop is an opportunity for the community to be part of the restoration of Apuakehau in a very hands-on way,” said Theo Morrison, executive director of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation. “Participants will not only learn about kalo and its importance in Hawaiian culture, but will also take home a huli (a young kalo plant) and begin growing kalo themselves.”

James Simpliciano of Treecovery Hawaiʻi will lead the workshop. Participants will learn about the Hawaiian origin story of kalo, the different parts of the plant, and how to prepare and plant huli, or young kalo plants.

Attendees also will have an opportunity to sample kalo prepared as paʻiʻai, cooked kalo, poi and lūʻau leaf, organizers said.

Following the educational portion, participants will plant kalo in all three patches. Each person will also pot a huli to take home, with a pot, potting mix, organic fertilizer and a basic growing guide provided.

Workshop participants will be invited to return to Apuakehau in about nine months to harvest the kalo after it matures. The Lahaina Restoration Foundation will care for the replanted patches in the meantime.

The workshop is open to families, with West Maui families especially encouraged to participate. No experience is necessary. Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Free parking will be available at the Baldwin Home Museum parking lot. Restrooms are available at Lahaina Harbor, and drinking water and cups will be provided.