Hawaiʻi Life Kauai agents and family, accounting team members, leadership team members, and one brave client, returned for a third volunteer work day at Alakoko Fish Pond, learning about the function of this ancient loko ʻia and helping to repair a historic rock wall.
The work day was part of an initiative of the Hawaii Life Conservation and Legacy Lands practice, to involve our Hawaiʻi Life ʻohana in hands on experiences with ʻāina protection and stewardship.
Hawaiʻi Life Managing Broker Palo Luckett holds up one end of display while Peleke Flores of Mālama Hulēʻia explains the history of the Alakoko Fish Pond and surrounding area using archival photos
Malama Huleia and Alakoko Fish Pond – One of Hundreds of Landscapes Being Protected and Stewarded Across Hawaiʻi to Benefit Communities
As I explained in this 2023 post about our second volunteer work day, historically along the Hulēʻia River a significant sustainable food system flourished. The river waters fed into taro patches and multiple fishponds, in addition to the fish and shellfish within the river itself. There are at least six types of fishponds developed by Hawaiians. The one at Alakoko is a loko kuapa. This type of pond is near the coast, where sweet water from a stream mixes with salt water from the ocean. Brackish water in the pond supports rich algae growth attracting herbivore fish, and sluices allow huge numbers of immature fish to exit, supporting healthy fish populations in coastal waters and the deep ocean.
Over 60 fish ponds under restoration are part of a larger network Hui Mālama Loko ʻIa, which in turn is part of KUA, a larger network of community-based practitioners sharing their knowledge in caring for lands that form the backbone of the biocultural heritage of Hawaiʻi.
This 2022 post explained how the non-profit Mālama Hulēʻia was formed in 2015 to begin removing invasive mangrove that choked off the fish pond and was encroaching into the river itself. In 2021, the landowner put the property on the market. With the help of the Trust for Public Lands, the organization was able to raise the funds to purchase the property so they could continue to restore the fish pond to health.
Hawaiʻi Life Conservation and Legacy Lands Initiative
The community-led organizations seeking to preserve important places rely on a network of resources to support them in protecting these properties from future sale and development. Hawaii Lifeʻs Conservation and Legacy Landʻs practice area was created to bring our real estate expertise to serve our customers, clients, and communities in participating in these transactions.
In the past seven years Hawaiʻi Life has become established in the Hawaiʻi conservation community as a resource for conservation transactions. Here are some of the ways we have assisted in protecting ʻāina across the State:
- represented property owners in the complex process of selling to Hawaiʻi County for conservation;
- represented property owners in seeking conservation easements;
- represented conservation-minded buyers in acquiring critical property and working with the local community towards their goals;
- advised communities and non-profits on preservation strategies.
How You Can Get Involved in Stewarding Hawaiʻiʻs Special Places
Formally and informally, the organizations devoted to protecting these special places rely heavily on the efforts of volunteers, which is why Hawaiʻi Life is committed to supporting ʻāina protection organizations with expertise, donations, and the work of our hands.
A view of the loko ʻia, the traditional Hawaiian fish pond near the Lihue airport and Nawiliwili harbor – thousands of volunteers showed up in October 2023 to rebuild 1,700 feet of rock wall
If you would like to donate or participate in a regularly scheduled work day at Alakoko Fish Pond on Kauai, information is available here: Malama Huleʻia – How to Help.
By the way, there is a large scale work day scheduled for October 18th, so if you would like to be part of the Hawaiʻi Life Team that day, please reach out!
And for volunteer opportunities on all the islands, here is a list of work days and talk stories on the land (no work required!) at the properties owned and stewarded by Hawaiʻi Land Trust across the state. Note: if big fundraiser events are more your cup of tea, I would welcome you to join us on Oʻahu at Malama ʻAina Kakou – Saturday, October 4 2025.
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