Waialeʻe Lako Pono is a community-based undertaking to restore and maintain multi-faceted abundance within the ahupuaʻa of Waialeʻe, Koʻolauloa, Oʻahu. North Shore Community Land Trust (NSCLT) initiated this program in 2020, upon securing access to 30 acres of the former University of Hawaiʻi Waialeʻe Livestock Research Station. The name Waialeʻe Lako Pono is inspired by a quote from revered 19th Century Hawaiian scholar John Papa ʻĪʻī, who once recalled Waialeʻe as “he ʻāina maikaʻi kēia a lako pono hoʻi,” which can be translated as “this land is beautiful and well-supplied indeed”. Lako pono evokes a state of holistic wealth in which the needs of humans and environment are comfortably met, which reflects the community and key stakeholders’ collective vision for Waialeʻe.
Volunteer at Waialeʻe
Community Work Days
Join us on the fourth Saturday of each month for our Waialeʻe Lako Pono Community Work Day. These days involve restoring habitat for native plants, fish, and birds; tending to loʻi kalo (taro patches); clearing a traditional loko wai (freshwater fish pond); planting māla (dry-land-agroforestry systems; and gathering as a community to learn and grow together. Activities will vary from month to month and all these efforts will help us to reach our shared vision of Waialeʻe Lako Pono.
Learn more and RSVP here: Waialeʻe Lako Pono Community Work Day (Fourth Saturdays)
Group Visits
Is your company, organization, team, club, class, church, or other group looking for a rewarding service learning opportunity rooted in native ecosystems, sustainability, and Hawaiʻi life ways? Inquire with us to schedule an visit that will provide your group with the experience you are looking for. Email Kawela at [email protected], or send us a message here.
Learn more about the origins of this project by watching the video below.