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Maui groups get $550K in grants for marine stewardship training

Community members participate in an akule harvest at Lelekea Bay. — KIPAHULU ‘OHANA photo
A participant in Maui Hui Malama’s summer fishing camp program shows off a recently caught fish. — MAUI HUI MALAMA photo
Six Maui groups received a total of $550,000 in grants from the Hawaii Community Foundation that will help support training on caring for nearshore marine resources over the next two years. The community capacity grants come from the foundation's Marine 30x30 Pooled Fund. Training will be customized to each group and may include civic engagement in the legislative or rulemaking process, community leadership building, development of facilitation skills, strengthening community voice and collaboration, understanding of geographic information systems (GIS) or other mapping software programs, and financial and grant management, according to a news release from the foundation last month. Community groups receiving the funding include: • Kipuka Olowalu, which works to preserve the Native Hawaiian cultural site of Olowalu valley. The funding will go toward protecting reef ecosystems in West Maui, in partnership with the Coral Reef Alliance. • Ka'ehu, a nonprofit with the goal of restoring the land and perpetuating traditional Hawaiian culture. • Ke Ao Hali'i, which is focused on preserving and protecting the coastal lands of Hana and the customary and traditional practices of Native Hawaiians of the region. • Kipahulu 'Ohana Inc., a grassroots Hawaiian nonprofit dedicated to the cultural sustainability of the Kipahulu moku. • Maui Hui Malama, which provides inspiring educational opportunities and supportive compassionate learning environments that help Maui youth overcome barriers to education, careers and cultural goals. The funds will be used to create hands-on activities for parents/caregivers and their children on pono fishing practices. • Na Mamo O Mu'olea, a nonprofit that aims to perpetuate traditional ahupuaa management of the Mu'olea ahupuaa and to restore and maintain Mu'olea's natural, cultural, scenic, historic and marine resources. The state launched Holomua Marine 30x30 in 2016 as a way to work with communities to effectively manage Hawaii's marine resources. The Hawaii Community Foundation manages the Marine 30x30 pooled fund of donations. This is the foundation's first round of community capacity-building cohort grants, with plans for future rounds of funding to go toward other islands. Funding was offered to organizations and community groups on Maui and Lanai; applications were received from Maui only. [gallery ids="1059680,1059679"]

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