07/01/2026
Mahalo nui to our June Aloha+ Workday hosts, and , for helping us spotlight the Aloha+ Goal of Local Food Production and Consumption in conjunction with World Oceans Month.
Across Kauaʻi and Oʻahu, both workdays highlighted how loko iʻa restoration, regenerative aquaculture, and community-based stewardship can strengthen Hawaiʻi’s local food systems, support ocean and ecosystem health, and uplift Native Hawaiian aquaculture traditions.
On Kauaʻi’s southwest shore, Kauaʻi Sea Farm stewards Nōmilu Fishpond, a 20-acre loko iʻa and wahi pana rich in historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. In partnership with Hoʻomalu Ke Kai and Onōmilu, Kauaʻi Sea Farm works to restore the fishpond ecosystem by removing invasive mangroves, supporting native species, and advancing broader ahupuaʻa restoration. During the workday, volunteers removed invasive plants to strengthen the sandbanks and clear space for future kalo and ʻuala planting.
Kauaʻi Sea Farm is also fully off-grid, powered by solar panels and sunflower-derived biofuel, and hosts breeding facilities for sea cucumbers and limu while supporting coral restoration efforts.
On Oʻahu, Paepae o Heʻeia stewards Heʻeia Fishpond, an ancient Hawaiian kuapā-style loko iʻa in Koʻolaupoko that encloses 88 acres of brackish water. Paepae o Heʻeia restores the fishpond by removing invasive mangroves and limu, and rebuilding the kuapā wall. During the Heʻeia Fishpond workday, volunteers demonstrated laulima, putting many hands together to remove mangrove debris and turn it into mulch to support kalo patches grown along the banks.
Paepae o Heʻeia also strengthens the Aloha+ Goal of Green Workforce and Education through its internship programs, providing ʻōpio with ʻāina-based learning opportunities.
Support these incredible partners by joining a community workday, making a donation, or trying locally produced seafood from Kauaʻi Sea Farm at Roy Yamaguchi restaurants across the islands.
Mahalo nui to Kauaʻi Sea Farm, Paepae o Heʻeia, and all of the volunteers who came together to mālama i ke kai and support a more sustainable food future for Hawaiʻi!
