As a model of and for the world, Hawai‘i holds vast knowledge and wisdom that can make positive impacts around the planet. Developing and understanding a sense a place underlies all of The Kohala Center’s work, from helping farmers understand what grows best on their land, to protecting native forests and critical habitats, to inspiring schoolchildren to deepen their kinship with the ‘āina that sustains them.
Our Place Programs:
Watershed Conservation
An estimated 50% of Hawai‘i’s native forests have been lost to deforestation, with the remaining half threatened by non-native plants and animals. The Kohala Center’s Kohala Watershed Partnership is dedicated to restoring and protecting the native forested watersheds of Kohala Mountain in cooperation with a voluntary coalition of private landowners and public land managers in North Hawai‘i Island.
Ocean Conservation
Keeping Hawai‘i’s coral reefs healthy is vital not only to fish and other marine life, but to Hawai‘i’s economy as well. Rich in historical, cultural, and environmental treasures, Kahalu‘u Bay welcomes more than 400,000 visitors annually, making it West Hawai‘i Island’s most popular tourist destination. The Kohala Center’s Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center works to revive and revitalize Kahalu‘u Bay and Beach Park by educating visitors and local communities on proper reef etiquette and ecosystem stewardship.
Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Kohala Center’s Mellon-Hawai‘i Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports the work of Native Hawaiian scholars early in their academic careers and others who advance the knowledge of Hawai‘i’s natural and cultural landscapes, history, politics, and society. The program supports the development of kama‘āina (native-born) intellectual leadership to ensure ancestral knowledge continues to have a voice in schools, universities, and research agencies in Hawai‘i and around the world.