Degraded after years of neglect
Maliko Gulch and Launiupoko have faced decades of mismanagement. In Maliko Gulch, the valley within the gulch served as a dumping ground for the past 100 years. In Launiupoko, the soil has been left fallow after years of the cane industry overworking the land.
Regenerative Education Centers now stewards the land in Maliko Gulch and Launiupoko, setting an example for what sustainable watershed restoration looks like. The restoration efforts will focus specifically on removing trash and invasive species (plant and animal), and growing native and voyaging plant species (a mix of trees, shrubs, and grasses) in critical areas within the watershed. This will in turn reduce soil erosion and sedimentation into the streams, resulting in direct improvements and protection of the reef systems that are located at the end of the watershed.
Protecting coastal watersheds through riparian restoration and regenerative agriculture
The Island of Maui is rich in plant and animal biodiversity and historically has served as a model ecosystem for living sustainably in harmony with the land. In recent decades, however, parts of Maui have faced neglect and are in need of restoration.
In the HO’OWAIWAI Watershed Project (pronounced as "ho-oh-vye-vye"), SeaTrees and Regenerative Education Centers will restore and regenerate critical coastal watershed systems, known in the Hawaiian language as an Ahupua'a (pronounced ahoo-poo-ah-ah). We will focus on two Mokus (or districts) within these Ahupua’a, Maliko Gulch and Launiupoko.
Regenerative Education Centers restores and maintains the land by direct restoration of the stream bed and regenerative agricultural practices, which then serves the community as a source of regenerative organic produce, erosion prevention, and protection for the neighboring reefs.
A little further reading...
Definition of HO'OWAIWAI
The Hawaiian word for fresh water is "Wai". Water holds so much value in Hawaiian culture, that the word HO'OWAIWAI means “the wealth, enrichment and prosperity that is water”.
SeaTrees has named its efforts in honor of "HO'OWAIWAI", because we hope to restore the real wealth of the land (ʻĀina) back to the local communities.
Thank you to the Kimokeo Foundation for their guidance on Hawaiian etymology.
Reintroducing native species
After removing invasive species from the restoration sites, REC replants the area with native and voyaging plants. A few of these native and voyaging species used in this restoration site include:
- Trees: ‘Ulu (Breadfruit), Niu (Coconut), Pu hala (Pandanus), Kou, Milo, Loulu Palm, Hawaiian Kamani,
- Shrubs: Naupaka (Heliotropes) and Pohinahina (Vitex)
- Grasses: Pili, and Vetiver
Creating Sustainable Benefits
Our restoration efforts focus on removing trash and invasive species, and growing native plant species in critical areas within the watershed. This then serves the community by providing educational experiences, as a source of organic produce, erosion prevention, and protection for the neighboring coral reefs.
Key Impact Metrics
- Jobs to the local community
- 40,000+ lbs of food grown and given away to the local community
- Educational opportunities to the local community and visiting schools
- Protects critical habitat in the watershed and offshore coral reefs
- Protects vulnerable species
Zero Hunger
Regenerative Education Centers works directly with the local community to develop sustainable agriculture initiatives, which benefit the health of community members as well as the planet.
Approximately 40,000 lbs of food and produce, grown without any fertilizer or pesticides, is given away to the local community through this restoration project.
Quality Education
Educating the world and the local community about restoration and regenerative practices is at the heart of of REC’s work. This project creates opportunities for the local community to learn about their local Hawaiian lands, get involved, and see what healthy ecosystems look like.
This project offers educational experiences for students and homeschooled students to visit the restoration project and learn about the regenerative agriculture techniques we are using to heal the land.
Clean Water
Historic mismanagement and overdevelopment of this watershed have led to significant water quality issues as the streams have become polluted with runoff.
Through our watershed restoration and the implementation of regenerative agriculture methods, we are reducing the soil erosion and sedimentation entering the streams, resulting in direct improvements and protection of the reefs systems that are located at the end of the watershed. Improving this water quality also improves critical habitats for local species, thus protecting the local biodiversity.
Climate Action
This restoration involves the removal of invasive species from the restoration sites and replanting the area with native and voyaging plants.
Through this process, a significant amount of carbon is sequestered back into the ground by the native plants we are planting back into the watershed.
Life Below Water
This project restores and maintains the land by direct restoration of the stream bed and regenerative agricultural practices, which provides protection for the neighboring offshore coral reefs.
Without this watershed acting as a filter to the reefs, the coral reefs would become suffocated by sedimentation runoff and survival rates in both the reefs, and the countless marine species that call these reefs home, would decrease.
Life on Land
For years, trash has been dumped in the Maliko Gulch and Launiupoko. This restoration effort focuses specifically on removing trash and invasive species (plant and animal), and growing native and voyaging plant species (a mix of trees, shrubs, and grasses) in critical areas within the watershed.
This process holds the land together, reducing soil erosion and sedimentation runoff into the streams. After removing invasive species from the restoration sites, REC replants the area with native and voyaging plants.