Overview
The goal of the Malama I Ke Kai project is to create a community environmental, cultural and education center that embodies the entire concept of ahupua’a resource management, which is to take care of all living things from the mountains to the ocean. An ahupua’a was a Hawaiian land division system, which contained strips of land that extended from the mountain to the ocean. The ahupua’a supported a self-contained community who worked with a spirit of cooperation of caring and revering both the land and ocean to meet everyone’s needs.
In 1975, Mokauea Island was home to approximately fourteen fishing families. Today, Mokauea Island has only five resident families. The fishpond is invaded by mangrove and debris and silt accumulates through tidal action. Mokauea Island has no viable farming, long thorn kiawe trees invaded the island, invasive gorilla seaweed has overtaken the native limu population, and little healthy fish is available as non-resident fishermen have raided the island’s fishing areas. Mokauea’s families now wake up each day to find garbage and debris at their doorstep, brought to them from O’ahu and other Pacific islands by ocean tides. Broken glass, plastic bags, old TVs, Styrofoam, bike parts, beer cans and plastic bottles are a common sight each day. The irony is that this rubbish is not generated by the families on Mokauea Island but from external sources.
In 2004, Kai Makana made a decision to commit to lead the Malama I Ke Kai project through 2010 and promised to continue to play a part in the restoration and maintenance of Mokauea Island as long as the families living on the island request this assistance. Kai Makana’s goal is to help create an environmental, educational and cultural center where a diverse group of people (students, parents, teachers, etc.) and organizations (educational institutions, non-profits, local businesses, government, etc.) can work together to restore and sustain a tiny island that is considered to be the last island fishing village in the State of Hawai’i. It is our hope that people will view Mokauea Island as a small microcosm of what we, as humans, face environmentally as well as what we can do if we work together to change our environmental climate. Our shared success in reversing adverse environmental impacts on this small island in the midst of a thriving urban environment will demonstrate positive hope for people around the world and improve the quality of life for the Mokauea’s residents.
Kai Makana has already begun implementing the first steps of the Malama I Ke Kai project. Since 2004, numerous schools, non-profit organizations, businesses and local, state and federal agencies have conducted site visits and participated in the restoration process. Kai Makana, along with various organizations, conducts one-day, community educational, outreach projects. These projects included the following:
1) Hawaiian outrigger canoeing and marine debris
This project element is employed to foster cooperation, to travel using a non-fossil fuel vehicle to another island (Mokauea), to give participants first hand exposure to ocean life in the area, and to increase awareness of the types of garbage that find their way into the ocean and allow participants to remove garbage that ultimately lands on Mokauea Island.
2) Water quality testing
Kai Makana educates participants about various facets of the ocean and the near-shore environment. If we have a huge amount of land runoff, testing demonstrates that there is a high level of nutrients and a low level of dissolved oxygen in the seawater, which means that the fish are having a difficult time surviving. Water quality is also being investigated in Mokauea’s fishpond and will provide students with an opportunity to design experiments and projects to characterize and track water quality over extended periods of time.
3) Limu restoration
Limu or seaweed is an essential component of any ocean eco-system. Without it, fish are unable to survive. We have identified several species of native limu and are currently restoring it on the west side of Mokauea Island. In parallel, we are removing the invasive gorilla limu.
4) Long thorn kiawe removal and native Hawaiian planting
Long thorn kiawe (LTK) removal operations began in June 2007. In conjunction with the LTK removal, an initial list of native Hawaiian plants most suitable for Mokauea Island was derived. Stock plots of these plants began in July 2007 with the intent to replace the LTK proliferating along Mokauea’s coastline and interior areas. The propagation of native Hawaiian plants is a major challenge for the project due to the tough environmental conditions existing on Mokauea Island.
5) Fishpond restoration
The fishpond is currently overgrown with mangrove and filled with silt and debris. The ‘auwai (channel) has deteriorated and the makaha (gate) is gone. Kai Makana volunteers have begun to remove the mangrove and invasive limu in the fishpond in an attempt to make it viable again. Future plans include the replacement of the makaha and educational groups have already started investigating water quality within the fishpond.
6) Historical and cultural information
Information regarding Mokauea Island is provided to inform participants that this is our last island fishing village and that we need to restore it or we may become just as extinct as it might become. It is almost a certainty that most residents of O’ahu do not even know that Mokauea Island exists, not to mention its history and cultural and environmental significance. They certainly don’t know that the Ke’ehi Lagoon area was once the home to a large number of fishponds.
7) Canoe hale construction
Another project goal is to construct a hale to protect the wooden canoe dating back to 1877.
Various public and private schools are interested in coming to the island and learning the traditional ways of fishing villages. This knowledge is almost forgotten and there are not many people left to teach the ways of the native Hawaiians. The University of Hawaii Center for Hawaiian Studies is also interested in putting a navigational education component on the island and assisting with fishpond restoration. Several canoe clubs and non-profit organizations utilize the area across from Mokauea Island and have entered into an agreement to care for this island. They are also looking at conducting educational programs for these canoes clubs on Mokauea Island on a regular basis. To date over 1,500 volunteers have given up their time and effort to help make Mokauea island an educational and cultural center. Volunteers will continue to work on Mokauea Island, funds will be raised through grassroots efforts, and at the end of 2010, funding and leadership roles will transfer to the University of Hawaii.
History Of Mokauea
Maps dating as far back as 1817 show the fishing village at Mokauea Island. At one time, the Ke'ehi Lagoon region was the home to as many as 41 fishponds which were eventually destroyed by dredging and development, prior to World War II.
In 1975, Mokauea Island was inhabited by fourteen fishing families. The island’s fishing community had cultural roots and heritage that are believed to have extended to pre-historic times. Mokauea Island was once entirely self-sufficient due to a functional aquaculture fishpond, cultivation of taro, green onions, eggplant, tomatoes, chili plants and some medicinal plants such as aloe, as well as limu (seaweed) and the surrounding area had a healthy supply of reef fish. This was an island that needed nothing more than a consistent environment and respect by all others.
In 1975, the Mokauea families were ordered off the island and several fishermen were arrested for trespassing on land they had lived on for generations. In June 1975, the government burned down five fishermen’s homes. The fishermen, with the help of John Kelly of Save our Surf, organized the Mokauea Fishermen’s Association. Subsequently, a formal historical study by the State Historic Preservation Office concluded that Mokauea was "an area of important historical concern".
With the assistance of John Kelly and other volunteers, the fishermen and their families rebuilt their homes. In addition,
• The dilapidated community pier was dismantled and a new pier was built to accommodate the flow of volunteers, visitors and materials for the various projects.
• The existing 300 square feet pond was excavated and enlarged to the current two acre fishpond.
• Remnants of one of the original pillboxes still remain on Mokauea Island.
• The fishermen and their families organized visits to the island for groups of students, teachers, scholars, marine scientists and others. These individuals saw the village lifestyle, fishing methods and the resources of the island, community and reef fisheries.
Over the last 30 years, some progress towards creating a viable subsistence educational center was made on the island. However, during the changing political environment of the 1990's, educational and non-profit organization priority shifts, and an evolution of island family dynamics, participation in restoration efforts on Mokauea Island declined and nearly died. Kai Makana is now leading the restoration efforts originally proposed by the Mokauea Fishermen’s Association many years ago. We are encouraged that our current efforts now involve a wide and diverse collection of community members, private business, and government agencies. People from all walks of life participate in the Malama I Ke Kai project.
Community Pier
Pillbox Area
Canoe
A wooden canoe, dating back to 1877, was discovered buried in the sand on Mokauea Island in June 1975. In July 1975, the canoe was examined by Dr. Kenneth Emory, Senior Anthropologist of the Bishop Museum, by Herbert Kane, expert in Pacific canoes and Wallace Proiseth, a known canoe restorer. Collectively, these experts determined that the canoe was a genuine Hawaiian fishing village artifact, "one-of-its kind anywhere" (Emory), "a priceless antique at least 100 years old" (Kane) and a "real find – a beauty" (Proiseth). The Mokauea fishermen placed the canoe on log pedestals and built a hale over it.
Over the years, the canoe hale deteriorated and was severely damaged by high winds. To safeguard the canoe for future generations, volunteers and island residents moved the canoe from its original location to the middle of the island on June 16, 2007 and dismantled the remains of the old canoe hale. Kai Makana's volunteers will preserve the canoe and eventually construct a new hale to protect the canoe.
Fishpond
In 1975, the Mokauea Fishermen's Association (MFA) discussed the inclusion of a fishpond as part of their plans for the restoration of the Hawaiian fishing village on Mokauea Island. A 300 square feet pond already existed on Mokauea and it was agreed by the MFA that they would expand the existing pond.
John Kelly of Save our Surf assisted with the fishpond design and construction. The U.S. Army provided a landing craft unit to transport heavy equipment and the Army Reserve and the Hawaii Army National Guard provided the engineering work and labor. Pond excavation consisted of two phases, beginning in April 1979 and ending in November 1979. Between the two phases, the MFA captured sea water during a high tide, barricaded the opening and trapped the sea water. In February 1980, University of Hawaii's Marine Option Program (MOP) students began building the 'auwai (channel) and makaha (gate). On October 5, 1980, the pond was opened to the ocean for the first time in eleven months. On November 26, 1980, 181 awa were placed into the fishpond. The MOP students conducted water quality and other tests in the fishpond and hosted slide presentations and guided tours of the pond. Sherwood Maynard, Director of MOP and the Principal Investigator, oversaw and sustained the project.
The fishpond is currently overgrown with mangrove and filled with silt and debris while the 'auwai has deteriorated and the makaha is nowhere to be seen. However, on June 16, 2007, Kai Makana volunteers began the arduous task of removing the invasive mangrove and limu in the 'auwai and fishpond in an attempt to make the fishpond viable again. Kai Makana and its volunteers will continue to remove the invasive limu and mangrove in the fishpond and help students who are interested in conducting experiments and learning about the environment and sustainability.
Limu
Mangrove
Invasive Plants
Mokauea Island is overgrown with the following invasive species:
• Long thorn kiawe
• Mangrove
• Pickleweed
• Limu
On June 16, 2007, Kai Makana and its volunteers began to remove the long thorn kiawe and mangrove along the coast as well as the invasive limu and mangrove in the fishpond. Pickleweed removal is also being done, particularly in the areas identified as the stock planting area for native Hawaiian plants. Significant long thorn kiawe, mangrove, and pickleweed exist on the western side of Mokauea Island and removal of these invasive plants remains as one of the major project challenges. Kai Makana will continue to remove the long thorn kiawe and pickleweed along the coast and replant with native Hawaiian plants. We will continue to monitor and mitigate the re-growth of the invasive plants.
Limu (Invasive)
On May 20, 2007, Daniel Amato, a Graduate Assistant in Marine Botany at the University of Hawaii conducted an assessment of the island's limu population. Mr. Amato identified the following native and invasive species (listed from most to least abundant):
1. Spyridia filamentosa (native)
2. Acanthophora spicifera (invasive)
3. Padina gymmospora (native)
4. Hypnea spinella (native)
5. Enteromorpha flexuosai (native)
6. Gayralia oxysperma (native)
7. Gracilaria salicornia (invasive)
8. Chondria simpliciuscula (native)
It was concluded that two invasive species were of major concern for Mokauea Island's ecosystem. Gracilaria salicornia was especially abundant on the rocky substrate near the dwellings and at the entrance to the fishpond. This highly invasive limu was also found within the fishpond among the invasive red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) stands.
On June 16, 2007, the removal of this invasive limu from the fishpond entrance and near the dwelling was performed by Kai Makana volunteers. The volunteers removed the invasive limu and placed it into mesh bags. The limu was then dumped into a pile and was manually sorted by other volunteers to remove invertebrates and fish. Approximately 500 pounds of the invasive limu were removed in this one day of work, with the help of a Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) boat.
Limu restoration feasibility studies are planned for Mokauea Island. In addition, removal of the invasive Gracilaria salicornia will be an ongoing project and serve as an education tool for students visiting Mokauea Island.
Long Thorn Kiawe
Long thorn kiawe (Prosopis juliflora or LTK), is designated a noxious weed. LTK has thorns which can grow up to three inches in length. Removal of the LTK from the island remains as a significant challenge for the project. Seeds produced by LTK are disbursed by ocean currents and propagate along Hawaii’s shoreline. The Oahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) assessed Mokauea's Island's LTK growth on April 14, 2007 and LTK removal operations commenced on June 16, 2007 with the help of over 140 volunteers from the community as well as State, Federal, and City and County of Honolulu governments.
On July 12, 2007, employees from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, - Division of Forestry and Wildlife notched and applied herbicide to over 90 LTK trees. This notching technique is very effective at killing the LTK trees.
On September 8, 2007, the OISC and volunteers removed 86 LTK plants. Kai Makana will continue LTK removal operations and replant former LTK growth areas with native Hawaiian plants that are being grown in a stock area on the island.
Coastal Long Thorn Kiawe
Non-Coastal Long Thorn Kiawe
Mangrove
Native Hawaiian Plants
With the assistance of Lisa Ferentinos, Kokua Kalihi Valley (KKV) Nature Park and Dr. Bruce Koebele, Ka'ala Farms, a list of native Hawaiian plants suitable for Mokauea Island was developed. Farrington High School students planted naupaka and pohinahina seedlings at KKV-Nature Park in May 2007. These seedlings were replanted on Mokauea Island on August 11, 2007 in an area that was cleared of invasive pickleweed by a group that included kids from Kuhio Park Terrace’s PACT program.
On July 11, 2007, Jenny Hoof, Farrington High School science teacher, brought akulikuli and 'aki 'aki to Mokauea Island and taught two groups of students how to plant these native Hawaiian plants in our stock area. On a regular basis, Kai Makana volunteers will bring various native Hawaiian plants to Mokauea Island’s stock area and the survival of the various plant species will be characterized.
On October 13, 2007, Dr. Bruce Koebele taught Kai Makana volunteers his "DoubleGulp" planting method. The challenges of this island include water, wind and the salty soil. Under the continued guidance of Dr. Koebele and the maintenance of the stock plants by Jenny Hoof's students, we will continue to seek the best method to re-establish the native coastal plant species. This is an ongoing project and Kai Makana's goal is to remove the invasive and long thorn kiawe and pickleweed along the coastline and replant these areas with native Hawaiian plants. These plants will provide ground cover to mitigate soil erosion.
Gail Peiterson, from Punahou School's native plant nursery at Rocky Hill, and Kokua Kalihi Valley have provided facilities and materials to grow seedlings from native plant cuttings.
Plants - Coastal Replanting
Stock Plants
Marine Debris
Kai Makana volunteers regularly pick up marine debris and trash that are carried to Mokauea Island by the ocean tides. Plastic bags, broken glass, old TVs, bike parts, cans, bottles and other debris all make their way to the island from O’ahu as well as other islands in the Pacific.
On October 27, 2007 – Make A Difference Day, New Hope, Keehi Marine Center and hundreds of volunteers began to remove the broken glass, bicycles, old wood, and other debris from Mokauea island.
Marine Life
Kai Makana volunteers explore Mokauea Island waters for marine life. We intend to develop an identification guide of the various marine life.
Water Quality
Kai Makana teaches volunteers the basics of water quality testing to understand what is in our ocean and the near shore environment. We teach that the ocean may be beautiful, but that it is necessary to test the water to see if it is able to sustain life based on what we do on land. Testing the waters off of Mokauea Island has indicated that the island has a good source of dissolved oxygen and that run off thus far does not appear to reach the island’s eco-system.