Waipa Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Waipa Foundation is a non-profit organization which sponsors a program called Aina Ulu (in the Hawaiian language
), funded by Kamehameha Schools
.
of Waipa, a valley on the north shore of the island of Kauai
in Hawaii
, 22°12′4"N 159°31′0"W. The Waipa stream flows through the valley and empties into Hanalei Bay
. An ahupuaa is an ancient Hawaii
an land division from mountains to the sea, often corresponding to a watershed district. It was used in traditional Hawaiian times as a way to distribute the resources of the land to the people. The mission of the foundation is "the physical and cultural restoration of the ahupuaa of Waipa".
, Pritchardia
spp.(Loulu), and Microlepia strigosa (Palapalai). Some sites feature Polynesian introduction plants, such as Piper methysticum (Kawa) and Cordyline fruticosa (Ti). These plants all have value in Hawaiian ethnobiology
. The last designation of restoration sites is agroforestry
. Waipa is planting fruit and timber trees to satisfy this category. All of the agroforestry plantings are plants with commercial value. They can be harvested and sold as well as provide food and medicine. By planting the trees, Waipa community is rehabilitating the land as well as providing for the community.
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
), funded by Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools , formerly called Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate , is a private co-educational college-preparatory institution that specializes in Native Hawaiian language and cultural education. It is located in Hawaii and operates three campuses: Kapālama , Pukalani , and Keaau...
.
The program
The foundation makes its home in the ahupuaaAhupua'a
In old Hawaii, ahupuaa was the common subdivision of the land. It is comparable to the tapere in the Southern Cook Islands. The traditional subdivision has four hierarchical levels:*mokupuni *moku...
of Waipa, a valley on the north shore of the island of Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, 22°12′4"N 159°31′0"W. The Waipa stream flows through the valley and empties into Hanalei Bay
Hanalei Bay
Hanalei Bay is the largest bay on the north shore of Kauai island in Hawaii. The town of Hanalei is at the mid-point of the bay.Hanalei Bay consists of nearly two miles of beach, surrounded by mountains. In the summer, the bay offers excellent mooring for sailboats, stand up paddle boarding and...
. An ahupuaa is an ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii
Ancient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD 300–800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
an land division from mountains to the sea, often corresponding to a watershed district. It was used in traditional Hawaiian times as a way to distribute the resources of the land to the people. The mission of the foundation is "the physical and cultural restoration of the ahupuaa of Waipa".
Ecological Restoration
The restoration project at Waipa foccuses on human interactions with plants and land. There are three types of sites. The first is native reforestation. Some of the plants being out planted are Acacia koa (Koa), Dodonea viscosa (A'ali'i), Munroidendron racemosumMunroidendron racemosum
Munroidendron racemosum , the sole species in the genus Munroidendron, is an extremely rare flowering plant in the ivy family, Araliaceae, that is endemic to the island of Kauai in Hawaii.-Description:...
, Pritchardia
Pritchardia
The genus Pritchardia consists of between 24-40 species of fan palms found on tropical Pacific Ocean islands in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuamotus, and Hawaii. The generic name honours William Thomas Pritchard , a British consul at Fiji.-Description:These palms vary in height, ranging from...
spp.(Loulu), and Microlepia strigosa (Palapalai). Some sites feature Polynesian introduction plants, such as Piper methysticum (Kawa) and Cordyline fruticosa (Ti). These plants all have value in Hawaiian ethnobiology
Hawaiian Ethnobiology
Hawaiian ethnobiology is the study of how people in Hawaii, particularly pertaining to those of pre-western contact, interacted with the plants around them...
. The last designation of restoration sites is agroforestry
Agroforestry
Agroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock.It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems.-Definitions:According to...
. Waipa is planting fruit and timber trees to satisfy this category. All of the agroforestry plantings are plants with commercial value. They can be harvested and sold as well as provide food and medicine. By planting the trees, Waipa community is rehabilitating the land as well as providing for the community.