Ka Māhua: Cultural Practices for Wellness

This project establishes a Hawaiian plant nursery on the Wai‘anae Coast to supply native and traditional food plants for two community food forests and a Native Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner Forest. Led by Hiohia in partnership with Mohala i ka Wai, Hui Hoola ‘Āina, and Kapa Hawai‘i, the project addresses critical food insecurity and cultural resource access challenges facing Wai‘anae—home to Hawai‘i's largest Native Hawaiian population. Through six community workshops covering topics from traditional dryland farming to kalo cultivation and wauke (paper mulberry) propagation, the project will educate residents while establishing food forests in Upper Mākaha Valley and Makakilo, and a practitioners' forest in Lower Mākaha to ensure access to plants essential for lā‘au lapa‘au (herbal medicine), kapa-making, and other traditional practices.