The Huilua fishpond, located in Kahana, is one of a handful of ʻia loko (fishponds) that still exist on ‘Oahu. Hoʻāla ʻĀina Kūpono, led by community members from and of the Kahana ahupua’a, aim to continue stewardship of Huilua fishpond, including the mākāhā in need of restoration. The organization’s leaders are students of both the place and the kūpuna of the Kahana community.
Kilo’āina work will be performed in partnership with Waimānalo Limu Hui and KUA, and with the support of other commuty members and organizations. One of the goals include the re-opening of Huilua fishpond’s eastern mākāhā to restore waterflow and ecosystem function to pond and bay. The inland mākāhā of Huilua fishpond is unique and more like an ‘auwai (channel), rather than an opening, that connects the pond directly to the stream that feeds the bay. Their work contributes to a fully functioning fishpond in Kahana that provides food and generative ecological services to the surrounding marine area.
Based on available oral and written histories of the fishpond, Hoʻāla ʻĀina Kūpono intends to use the process of exploring the reconnection of the stream and fishpond as a platform for simultaneously training community in kilo’āina (traditional Hawaiian phenological observation) practices to both inform fishpond restoration as well as reinvigorate the community’s stewardship ethic. This encouragement of an aloha ʻāina mindset will help ensure continued mālama of Kahana for many years to come.
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