Waimnalo health center seeks to perpetuate the planting and growth of native plants with the waimnalo community to address the impact of climate change on health and wellness

The Waimanalo Health Center (WHC) was awarded a $505,000 Project Grant under the U.S. Department of the Interior's Native Hawaiian Climate Resilience Program (CFDA 15.098) to perpetuate the planting and growth of native plants within the Waimanalo community. The goal is to address the impact of climate change on the health and wellness of the Waimanalo community, a largely Native Hawaiian population facing socioeconomic challenges. Over the 3-year award period from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027, WHC will cultivate native plants on its campus to be shared with patients and used by cultural practitioners for treatment. The organization will also develop a Lau Lapaau Kkoo training program curriculum to teach community members, including elementary school students and their families, about the role of native planting in addressing climate change impacts. This project aims to preserve the natural environment and cultural practices of the Waimanalo community situated between the Koolau Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

This project will focus on the kapapahuliau program priority area of creating opportunities for innovation, transformation, and systemic change (transformational). Aligned with the title of this proposal, a healer in every home, a garden in every home. The community of waimnalo is located on the east side of the island of oahu is not only defined by its geographical features but also by the challenges and opportunities that arise from its unique landscape. The features of the region contribute to its cultural and community identity, which waimnalo health center aims to assist in preserving and perpetuating. The audience to be served by this project includes the community of waimnalo and students attending three elementary schools in waimnalo.despite socioeconomic challenges to the largely native population, the community of waimnalo perseveres to sustain its natural environment. This community is situated between the picturesque koolau mountains to the south and the vast expanse of the pacific ocean to the north. These natural boundaries define the physical limits of the area. In an effort to address the climate impact on the cultivation of native plants, food as medicine, WHC will work to perpetuate and preserve the planting of native plants conducive to the geography and climate in waimnalo. Through a series of special community activities and events, WHC will provide waimnalo elementary school children, their families, and community members an opportunity to learn about LAU lapaau, cultivating and nurturing their own family knowledge as healers with their own gardens. The WHC campus will be used as a hub of learning to cultivate native plants and trees, demonstrate the removal of introduced plants such has KOA haole and train staff ambassadors for caring of native gardens. Native plants will be grown on the WHC campus will be shared with patients and used by cultural practitioners to treat patients. Based on the lelo noeau MA KA hana KA IKE, WHC will develop a LAU lapaau kkoo training program curriculum to perpetruate the values and ideals of the project on the role of native planting to address the impacts of climate change.