Big Island programs selected to receive funding through Kahu ʻĀina program

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.

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.

The following programs on the Big Island are being supported through Kahu ‘Āina:

Hinaʻaiulunui: Pōhāhā I Ka Lani

This project revives ancient ʻulu agroforestry systems in Waipiʻo Valley, once central to the valley’s food abundance.

Participants learn how restoring these groves also restores relationships between people, land and sustenance.

Kipa Waikōloa: Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative

Volunteers join guided hikes and service days in the rare dry forest, home to wiliwili, ʻiliahi and uhiuhi on the leeward slopes of Hawaiʻi Island.

The project invites everyone to experience the quiet resilience of this endangered ecosystem.