Kuaaina Ulu Auamo

THE ORGANIZATION WORKS ACROSS THE STATE OF HAWAII TO EMPOWER HAWAII'S COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH CARING FOR THEIR BIOCULTURAL (CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL) HERITAGE. THE ORGANIZATION WORKS AT THE REQUEST OF COMMUNITIES TO HELP THEM ARTICULATE AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS FOR AN IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL STEWARDSHIP. THE ORGANIZATION BELIEVES THAT COMMUNITIES' SUCCESS IN ENSURING THE HEALTH AND VITALITY OF LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL HERITAGE LIES IN THEIR ABILITY TO PLAN, IMPLEMENT, FUND, EVALUATE AND ADAPT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OVER THE LONG TERM. THE ORGANIZATION BRINGS TOGETHER PARTNERS, TOOLS AND EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY EFFORTS. AS A CAPACITY-BUILDING ORGANIZATION, THE ORGANIZATION'S ROLES ARE THAT OF A FACILITATOR/CONVENOR, CONSULTANT/TRAINER, LIASON, AND TOOL-BUILDER.

PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPORT, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, FACILIATION AND CAPACITY-BUILDING FOR COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT HAWAII.THROUGHOUT 2021, THE PANDEMIC INHIBITED HOLDING LARGE KUA NETWORK GATHERINGS. THE KUA TEAM CONTINUED TO WORK MOSTLY FROM HOME. THE NETWORK MEMBER ONLINE PIVOTS IN MID-2020 AND EARLY 2021 WAS SUCCESSFUL BUT CONTINUES ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER OR MORE ISOLATED COMMUNITIES. SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALLER CONTINGENTS TO GATHER AS WELL AS SMALL SCALE VISITATIONS AMONGST OUR ISLAND-WIDE NETWORK OPENED UP DURING THE YEAR BUT OVERALL WERE IMPACTED BY THE SHIFTING COVID VARIETIES THAT REMAIN IN PLAY. WE HAVE HOPES FOR MORE EVENTS IN 2022 BUT THE ENVIRONMENT REMAINS DIFFICULT FOR LONGER TERM PLANNING OF IN-PERSON EVENTS.KUA CONTINUES TO SERVE THREE NETWORKS 1) E ALU PU (EAP) - MALAMA 'AINA OR COMMUNITY-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FROM RIDGE TO REEF, 2) HUI MALAMA LOKO I'A (HMLI) - HAWAIIAN FISHPOND CARETAKERS, AND 3) THE LIMU HUI (LH) - NATIVE SEAWEED GATHERERS, PRACTITIONERS AND CULTIVATORS. EACH NETWORK NESTS GENERATIVE FOCUS GROUPS SUCH AS THE LAWAI'A PONO HUI (LPH) - THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY FISHERY MANAGEMENT - AND THE HATCHERY HUI - THAT SUPPORTS PROGRESS IN RESTORATIVE AQUACULTURE. HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR:- THE LIMU HUI (LH) SUBMITTED ITS FIRST SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATION, A RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THAT THE STATE OF HAWAI'I DECLARE 2022 "YEAR OF THE LIMU." - THE LH COORDINATORS STARTED A PLANNING COMMITTEE IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2021 WITH DLNR AND NETWORK MEMBERS TO PLAN FOR A 2022 LAUNCH YEAR OF THE LIMU ACTIVITIES TO AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF LIMU TO THE NEARSHORE ENVIRONMENT, ITS IMPORTANCE TO HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND AS AN INDICATOR OF THE HEALTH OF OUR AHUPUA'A LAND SYSTEMS.- AS PART OF THIS CAMPAIGN, KUA PARTNERED WITH UH SEAGRANT TO RE-PUBLISH A MUCH-BELOVED COOKBOOK AND RESOURCE, "THE LIMU EATER AND PLACED OUR FIRST ORDER FOR THOUSANDS OF YEAR OF THE LIMU CALENDARS. - IN JUNE, KUA SENT A SMALL COHORT OF LIMU HUI (LH) MEMBERS TO THE REMOTE FISHING VILLAGE OF MILOLI'I (HAWAI'I ISLAND). KUA ALSO SUPPORTS THE MILOLI'I COMMUNITIES EFFORTS IN ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY-BASED SUBSISTENCE FISHING AREA. - KUA CONCLUDED ITS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH OIST (OKINAWA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY). INITIALLY PLANNED TO BE IN-PERSON, THE EFFORT BECAME A 5-WEEK ONLINE SUMMER PROGRAM OF LECTURES FOCUSED ON LIMU (SEAWEED), CULTURE AND ITS CULTIVATION. TEN HAWAI'I AND FIFTEEN OKINAWA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTENDED. BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC ALL SITE VISITS EVEN ON OUR OWN ISLAND WERE CANCELLED. - NA KAI 'EWALU: SINCE APRIL, KUA CONVENED A GROUP OF FISHERS TO DISCUSS THEIR CATCH AND LEARN FROM SHARED OBSERVATIONS IN COLORING, MILTING, GONAD SIZE, GUT CONTENTS AND BEHAVIOR.- HOLOMUA 30X30: KUA'S CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 2021 WITH THE STATE'S HOLOMUA 30X30 INITIATIVE AND SUPPORTED GENERATING NETWORK MEMBER INPUT ON HERBIVORE SCOPING, SOCIAL-CULTURAL INDICATORS AND MORE.- LAWAI'A PONO HUI (ETHICAL FISHNG GROUP)IS LED BY FOUNDING MEMBERS OF E ALU PU AND OTHERS INTERESTED IN INCREASED COMMUNITY-BASED FISHERY MANAGEMENT AND ITS TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE (TEK) AND PRACTICES. THE MEETINGS STARTED AS FAR BACK AS 2014 AND KUA CONTINUES TO FACILITATE WEEKLY LPH POLICY CHECK-IN CALLS AND LEVERAGED TIME WITH CONSULTANTS TO LEARN ABOUT AND SUPPORT ONE OF THE STATE'S MOST SUCCESSFUL MARINE POLICY FOCUSED SESSIONS TO DATE. - HUI MALAMA LOKO I'A HATCHERY GROUP: FOLLOWING CONNECTIONS MADE AT THE 2020 AQUACULTURE AMERICA CONFERENCE, AN INFORMAL WORKING GROUP OF HMLI MET REGULARLY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF FINFISH HATCHERIES IN HAWAI'I, ARTICULATE THE CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED NEEDS AMONG FISHPOND GROUPS, AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD BROAD COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO REACTIVATE HATCHERIES THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS.- IUCN RESUMES: IN SEPTEMBER 2021, KUA SPONSORED A COHORT OF 10 NETWORK MEMBERS TO ACCOMPANY 20-40 HAWAII STATE DELEGATES TO THE WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS IN MARSEILLE, FRANCE.- NSF BIOCULTURAL COASTAL RESTORATION WORKSHOP: KUA'S TEAM HELPED PLAN AND FACILITATE A 4-DAY ONLINE GLOBAL BIOCULTURAL GATHERING WITH THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PURPLE MAIA.