The Kula Community Watershed Alliance will host its next Community Conversations event at 6 p.m. Feb. 5, featuring hydrologist Christopher Shuler of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Water Resources Research Center.

The free, virtual event will focus on how watersheds function on Maui from a hydrological perspective — exploring how rain moves through the land, how surface water and groundwater are connected, and how soil, vegetation and disturbance shape where water flows and where it is stored.

“After the 2023 Kula wildfire, many of us are paying closer attention to what happens when rain falls on our land,” said Sara Tekula, executive director of KCWA. “Understanding how water moves through our specific landscapes — our soils, slopes and aquifers — is essential for restoring burned areas wisely, protecting our streams and reefs, and securing water for future generations. This kind of knowledge helps our community make grounded, informed decisions about how we care for this place.”

Register for the event at bit.ly/MauiWatersheds.

For more about KCWA, go to www.kulacommunitywatershed.org.