This project will train high school students in multiple ways to visually assess the health of the honouliuli watershed and the greater area of the honouliuli ahupua`a. Through experiential learning…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $105,400 project grant to Hui O Ho'Ohonua through the Office for Coastal Management's Coastal Zone Management Program. The grant will fund a project to train high school students in visually assessing the health of the Honouliuli Watershed in Honolulu, Hawaii from September 2021 through July 2023. Students will learn culturally grounded observation practices, visual stream assessment protocols, and GIS technology to evaluate watersheds. They will apply these skills hands-on by removing invasive vegetation, planting natives, and identifying disturbances impacting the makai portion of the watershed. The project also includes pathways for students' continued stewardship to address observed issues. The Office for Coastal Management's program supports projects developing science-based, multi-dimensional approaches to maintain environmental quality while allowing economic growth.

This project will train high school students in multiple ways to visually assess the health of the honouliuli watershed and the greater area of the honouliuli ahupua`a. Through experiential learning activities including culturally grounded kilo observation practices, visual stream assessment protocols developed by the USDA and GIS technology, students will gain the skills and understanding to assess any watershed they encounter throughout their lifetime. The techniques students learn will be applied to the honouliuli watershed in a field experience that includes opportunities to remove invasive vegetation and plant native wetland species. In addition to hands-on field experiences, this project includes multiple pathways for continued student stewardship that address one or more observed human disturbances that impact the makai (nearest the ocean) portion of the honouliuli watershed.