Akaka Foundation For Tropical Forests

TO ENHANCE AND PROMOTE A FOREST STEWARDSHIP ETHIC THAT EMBRACES RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES THROUGH INTEGRATION OF TRADITIONAL AND WESTERN KNOWLEDGE, AND THROUGH STRATEGIC COOPERATION AMONG PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS. WE SUPPORT THREE INITIATIVES THAT PROMOTE THRIVING ECOSYSTEMS, CULTURAL PRACTICE, AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS.

ULU LEHULEHU - THE GOAL OF ULU LEHULEHU IS TO HONOR THE BIOCULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF OHIA IN HAWAII BY CONNECTING PEOPLE TO, AND CREATING LANDSCAPES ABUNDANT IN OHIA. OUR HOPE IS THAT ALL PEOPLE OF HAWAII WILL GAIN AND MAINTAIN A PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH OHIA, WHETHER THROUGH PLANTING AN OHIA IN A BACKYARD, A COMMUNITY PARK OR IN A NATURAL AREA. WE HOPE THAT THROUGH THIS CULTIVATED RELATIONSHIP WITH OHIA, PARTICIPANTS ARE INSPIRED AND EMPOWERED TO MAKE OHIA A DOMINANT LANDSCAPE FEATURE IN OUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIALLY DEVELOPED URBAN SPACES. BY HELPING TO SUPPORT THE PLANTING OF ONE MILLION OHIA TREES ACROSS THE ISLANDS, WE WILL ENSURE THE PERPETUATION OF THIS SPECIES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

THE PUUWAAWAA COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM (PCFP) IS A GROWING PARTNERSHIP OF MULTI-GENERATIONAL COMMUNITY LEADERS, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND AGENCIES WORKING TO: TRANSFORM 84 ACRES OF INVASIVE GRASSLAND INTO NATIVE DRYLAND AND MESIC FOREST IN PUUWAAWAA; FOSTER BIOCULTURAL EDUCATION FOR K-12 STUDENTS; AND ENHANCE COMMUNITY WELLBEING. THE PCFP WILL PROVIDE A MODEL OF COMMUNITY-BASED COLLABORATIVE STEWARDSHIP AND RESTORATION THAT ENGAGES TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND EMERGING SCIENCE, ADDRESSING THE THREATS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, INVASIVE SPECIES AND WILDFIRE.

TEACHING CHANGE IS A COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM WHOSE MISSION IS TO INSPIRE LOCAL YOUTH TO BE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS AND TO PURSUE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONS AND CAREERS IN HAWAII IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. TEACHING CHANGE OUTREACH INCLUDES MONTHLY FIELD COURSES AT HAKALAU FOREST, PUUWAAWAA, AND LOCAL KIPUKA AND BI-ANNUAL TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOPS. ANNUALLY THE PROGRAM PARTICIPATES IN A CONSERVATION CAREER DAY AND THE BIO-CULTURAL BLITZ EVENT AT PUUWAAWAA.

IN 2017, THE FOUNDATION WITH THE US FOREST SERVICE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS LAUNCHED THE STEWARDSHIP MAPPING AND ASSESSMENT PROJECT (STEW-MAP) TO UNDERSTAND AND MAP STEWARDSHIP CONNECTIONS ACROSS NORTH KONA AND SOUTH KOHALA DISTRICTS, INCLUDING PUUWAAWAA. THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND, HIGHLIGHT AND THEN STRENGTHEN SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY-BASED LEADERSHIP IN NATURAL RESOURCES STEWARDSHIP. OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS OF APPLYING STEW-MAP INTERNATIONALLY, WE HAVE SEEN THAT CAN: SUPPORT COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION, INCREASE COLLABORATION, AND SUPPORT REQUESTS FOR FUNDING AND PROGRAMMING. TEACHING CHANGE INTEGRATES STEM EDUCATION THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM THAT FOSTERS A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HAWAII.