March 24, 2022—The goal of The Kohala Center’s ‘Eke Project is to sustain an important water source for Kohala by protecting the forested summit region surrounding Pu‘u ‘Eke at Kawaihae Uka. Over the next five years, we plan to engage in the following stewardship practices to guard this sanctuary of native forest from non-native animals and plants by:
- Enclosing the 614-acre area with a pig-proof fence
- Collaboratively developing and implementing a pig removal plan
- Removing 100% of pigs and Himalayan ginger
- Monitoring our impact by practicing kilo (direct observation with ‘āina) and conducting water quality, vegetation, bird, and pig surveys
- Sharing about our work, learning, and journey with the Kohala community, partners, and funders
Members of the Kohala community are invited to attend one of our upcoming talk-story sessions to learn more about this project and share their mana‘o. We value your participation and feedback! Kindly RSVP by March 10 to Mahina Patterson at mpatterson@kohalacenter.org or 808-887-6411.