{"id":180312,"date":"2023-07-16T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2023-07-16T18:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=180312"},"modified":"2023-07-25T15:40:04","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T01:40:04","slug":"restoring-puulani-kakoo-oiwi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/07\/16\/restoring-puulani-kakoo-oiwi\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoring critical Windward O\u02bbahu agroforest"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Puʻulani<\/span> Community Work Day on July 15 (Photo courtesy: Leah Bremer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The slopes of Heʻeia<\/span> in Windward Oʻahu<\/span> are becoming a biodiverse and culturally valuable agroforest once again, something that the area hasn\u2019t seen for more than 200 years, thanks to the work of an interdisciplinary research team from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa, K\u0101koʻo<\/span> ʻ\u014ciwi<\/span><\/a>, the Heʻeia<\/span> National Estuarine Research Reserve<\/a> and thousands of volunteers.<\/p>\n

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Just five years ago, 100% of the trees at Puʻulani<\/span> (heavenly ridge)—an area that sits above the loʻi<\/span> kalo (taro patches) at K\u0101koʻo<\/span> ʻ\u014ciwi<\/span> in Heʻeia<\/span>—were non-native species. Since then, a UH<\/abbr> and K\u0101koʻo<\/span> ʻ\u014ciwi<\/span> partnership has transformed the area<\/a> into an agroforest (integration of trees and shrubs into crop systems to create environmental, economic and social benefits) that provides materials for lei and food, and opportunities for the community to access and connect with it.<\/p>\n

While much of the foundational work was done over the past five years, the area still needs to be maintained regularly. The group has been hosting monthly community work days, including on June 17 and July 15. More than 20 participants volunteered their time each day. Another community work day is planned for August 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. Visit K\u0101koʻo<\/span> ʻ\u014ciwi<\/span>\u2019s website for more information<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Maile Wong leads cultural protocol before the work day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“It\u2019s pilina. It\u2019s connection, connection to the people that come out here but also connection to this ʻ\u0101ina<\/span> and to these plants,” said Maile Wong, K\u0101koʻo<\/span> ʻ\u014ciwi<\/span> work day lead and spring 2023 graduate in botany and incoming PhD<\/abbr> student in UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s School of Life Sciences<\/a>. “I know this forest will be here a lot longer than I will and having a chance to build pilina with the plants feels like a way that I can connect continually to my k\u016bpuna.”<\/p>\n

Agroforest transformation<\/h2>\n

Prior to 1778, Puʻulani<\/span> was covered in Indigenous agroforests and native forests. Later, Puʻulani<\/span> was used for cattle grazing. After grazing ended, non-native trees and other plants moved in. When the team began the restoration in 2018, Puʻulani<\/span> was covered with mostly Java plum, fiddlewood and octopus trees, which are typical of non-native forests across low elevation lands in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.<\/p>\n

They began by clearing the non-native forest. In a huge community effort in 2019 with 200+ volunteers, the group planted more than 2,000 culturally valuable and useful plants of 25 species. They selected plants that feed people spiritually and intellectually: lei plants, plants used in l\u0101ʻau<\/span> lapaʻau<\/span> (traditional Hawaiian medicine) and ceremonial plants. All but three of the original plants are native; the others are non-native and non-invasive plants with important uses to the community.<\/p>\n

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“It\u2019s just an incredibly special place that has so much amazing energy here from all of the work that\u2019s gone into it, not just over the last four years, but since K\u0101koʻo<\/span> started and since long before the community has fought for this place,” said Leah Bremer, UH<\/abbr> Economic Research Organization<\/a> (UHERO<\/abbr>) and Water Resources Research Center<\/a> associate specialist.<\/p>\n

The restoration areas include experimental plots, which have allowed the team to track how restoration influences plant diversity and abundance<\/a>, soil health and carbon storage<\/a>. They are also evaluating how restoration influences cultural connection to place and yields of culturally and economically important products, such as lei material and Hawaiian varieties of banana.<\/p>\n