1 00:00:00,933 --> 00:00:09,166 (ethereal music) 2 00:00:10,566 --> 00:00:12,366 - [Ekolu] When we look at our Hawaiian creation chant, 3 00:00:12,966 --> 00:00:14,466 the Kumulipo, 4 00:00:15,766 --> 00:00:22,033 the Kumulipo tells us that life began in the ocean. 5 00:00:23,233 --> 00:00:25,333 The coral polyp is the first living thing. 6 00:00:26,633 --> 00:00:29,200 And the last living thing to come to life is man. 7 00:00:30,233 --> 00:00:31,133 For every living thing in the ocean, 8 00:00:32,166 --> 00:00:33,433 there is a protector on the land, 9 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,400 so we need to understand the duality of life. 10 00:00:38,666 --> 00:00:46,566 Everything has a direct impact from land to ocean. 11 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,133 - [Narrator] Prior to Western colonization, 12 00:00:50,333 --> 00:00:52,100 the Hawaiian people embraced this duality, 13 00:00:52,933 --> 00:00:53,666 stewarding their island home 14 00:00:54,700 --> 00:00:57,100 through the creation of ahupua'a. 15 00:00:58,333 --> 00:01:00,033 These pie-shaped districts traced fresh water 16 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,200 from summit to surf, or from mauka to makai. 17 00:01:07,500 --> 00:01:09,733 - [Cody] In the Ahupua'a system, it's all one body. 18 00:01:11,066 --> 00:01:12,100 And when you live like an islander, 19 00:01:12,900 --> 00:01:13,666 whatever happens up mauka 20 00:01:14,733 --> 00:01:16,000 is impacting everything down makai, 21 00:01:17,033 --> 00:01:20,200 and same thing with makai up mauka, 22 00:01:21,666 --> 00:01:24,566 from the ocean to the mountain and mountain to the ocean. 23 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:25,766 (calm acoustic guitar music) 24 00:01:27,133 --> 00:01:27,666 - [Narrator] Today, this Hawaiian tradition 25 00:01:28,733 --> 00:01:31,300 of sustainable resource management 26 00:01:32,633 --> 00:01:37,566 endures through aloha 'aina, or love of the land. 27 00:01:38,666 --> 00:01:38,600 - [Scott] Wherever you go in Hawaii, 28 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:39,733 you always find people talking 29 00:01:41,033 --> 00:01:41,233 about how much they love the land, 30 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:43,666 how much they want to care for the land. 31 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:44,700 Huli n lima i ka lepo 32 00:01:45,766 --> 00:01:46,533 Turn your hands into the soil. 33 00:01:47,766 --> 00:01:48,300 That's the kind of the quintessential essence 34 00:01:49,466 --> 00:01:51,766 of how you express your love of the land. 35 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:54,300 That is connected directly to malama 'aina, 36 00:01:55,166 --> 00:01:57,200 which is caring for the land. 37 00:01:58,433 --> 00:01:59,533 And that's embodied in the concept of kuleana, 38 00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:01,066 responsibility. 39 00:02:02,433 --> 00:02:05,766 So we have a responsibility to care for our land. 40 00:02:07,133 --> 00:02:08,066 - [Narrator] Across the island of Maui, 41 00:02:09,133 --> 00:02:11,466 scientists, land managers, and volunteers 42 00:02:12,766 --> 00:02:15,033 draw on the ancient wisdom of the Hawaiian people 43 00:02:16,100 --> 00:02:19,033 to revive traditional watersheds. 44 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:23,733 Even amidst profound loss in the wake of recent wildfires, 45 00:02:25,133 --> 00:02:26,366 islanders have strengthened their resolve 46 00:02:27,666 --> 00:02:31,733 to bring balance back to their cherished ecosystems. 47 00:02:33,333 --> 00:02:35,600 How are local communities restoring Maui's watersheds 48 00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:38,733 and reefs from mauka to makai? 49 00:02:40,133 --> 00:02:42,300 And what lasting impact will these efforts have 50 00:02:43,466 --> 00:02:46,733 on the islanders who call these places home? 51 00:02:47,566 --> 00:03:09,400 (moving music) 52 00:03:10,566 --> 00:03:11,333 - [Announcer] Major funding for this program 53 00:03:12,566 --> 00:03:14,466 was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 54 00:03:15,366 --> 00:03:16,533 encouraging people to preserve 55 00:03:17,766 --> 00:03:20,500 and protect America's underwater resources. 56 00:03:21,866 --> 00:03:24,600 Additional funding was provided by Trish and Dan Bell 57 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:27,266 and by the Parrot Family Endowment 58 00:03:28,100 --> 00:03:31,266 for Environmental Education. 59 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:38,600 (angelic choral music) 60 00:03:40,066 --> 00:03:41,266 - [Narrator] Nestled along the shore of the former capital 61 00:03:42,466 --> 00:03:46,733 of the Hawaiian kingdom lies the Lahaina reef. 62 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:50,533 The corals and sea life here face unknown impacts 63 00:03:52,033 --> 00:03:58,433 from the wildfire that ravaged the town on August 8th, 2023. 64 00:03:59,666 --> 00:04:03,333 The unprecedented fire claimed over 100 lives 65 00:04:04,666 --> 00:04:10,300 and decimated some of Maui's most sacred places. 66 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,466 Dr. Andrea Kealoha is among a team of scientists 67 00:04:15,666 --> 00:04:17,533 dedicated to studying the effects of the fire 68 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:24,666 on coastal water quality and coral reef ecosystems. 69 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:26,200 - [Andrea] After the fires, 70 00:04:26,900 --> 00:04:27,366 I think, you know, 71 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,200 we were really in response and recovery mode 72 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:32,500 for quite some time. 73 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:33,733 But unsurprisingly, 74 00:04:35,166 --> 00:04:37,466 it wasn't long before people in the community 75 00:04:38,700 --> 00:04:41,200 started turning their attention to the water. 76 00:04:42,333 --> 00:04:43,400 And that's because the reef provides us 77 00:04:44,900 --> 00:04:46,633 with so many of the resources that we need to survive here. 78 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,466 And so it's a project that's responding 79 00:04:50,333 --> 00:04:55,600 to the needs of our community. 80 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:58,600 - [Narrator] Since the fire, Andrea and her colleagues 81 00:04:59,733 --> 00:05:02,600 have collected hundreds of water samples. 82 00:05:03,833 --> 00:05:05,366 They measured not only the health of the reef, 83 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:07,566 but also levels of contaminants 84 00:05:08,633 --> 00:05:10,300 from burned materials and heavy metals 85 00:05:11,133 --> 00:05:14,500 like copper, lead, and zinc. 86 00:05:15,333 --> 00:05:16,366 - [Andrea] We also have sensors 87 00:05:17,433 --> 00:05:19,566 that have been deployed since October. 88 00:05:20,633 --> 00:05:22,200 And so those sensors are monitoring 89 00:05:23,433 --> 00:05:27,333 just the general water quality parameters. 90 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,733 Holy moly. It's dirty here. 91 00:05:34,333 --> 00:05:35,500 Five sites are located within the Lahaina Burn Zone, 92 00:05:36,866 --> 00:05:38,466 and two sites are located outside of the burn zone. 93 00:05:39,666 --> 00:05:41,500 And these sites serve as the control sites 94 00:05:42,766 --> 00:05:44,200 where we wouldn't really expect to see the impacts 95 00:05:45,233 --> 00:05:47,466 of the Lahaina wildfires on those reefs. 96 00:05:48,533 --> 00:05:49,066 - [Narrator] As Andrea and her team 97 00:05:49,900 --> 00:05:51,200 begin to review sensor data, 98 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,466 she stresses that these recordings only provide snapshots. 99 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:02,633 It will be years before long-term impacts are known. 100 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:04,000 - [Andrea] As far as we know, 101 00:06:05,100 --> 00:06:06,066 there's never been an urban wildfire 102 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:08,333 adjacent to a coral reef. 103 00:06:09,066 --> 00:06:09,633 With an urban wildfire, 104 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:12,466 you have the burning of urban infrastructure 105 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:15,533 and that releases all different types of contaminants. 106 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,000 And so we have some hypotheses 107 00:06:20,066 --> 00:06:20,700 about what we might expect to see 108 00:06:21,966 --> 00:06:23,233 in terms of stressors to the reef, 109 00:06:24,233 --> 00:06:27,166 but we're really learning as we go. 110 00:06:27,766 --> 00:06:31,600 (somber music) 111 00:06:32,766 --> 00:06:33,533 - [Narrator] Andrea and other experts 112 00:06:34,833 --> 00:06:38,600 warn that the worst impacts may still lie ahead. 113 00:06:39,333 --> 00:06:40,466 As Lahaina rebuilds, 114 00:06:41,766 --> 00:06:44,033 soil disruption and significant rainfall events 115 00:06:44,866 --> 00:06:47,600 will increase risks to the reef. 116 00:06:48,766 --> 00:06:49,200 - [Andrea] So there's an 'olelo no'eau, 117 00:06:50,366 --> 00:06:52,033 which is a Hawaiian proverb, and it says... 118 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,666 He poi na kai uli, kai koo, aohe hina pkoa. 119 00:06:57,666 --> 00:06:58,166 "Though the sea be deep and rough, 120 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:00,233 the coral rock remains standing." 121 00:07:01,233 --> 00:07:03,200 And I think, you can hammer a reef 122 00:07:04,500 --> 00:07:06,200 for a short period of time and it will come back. 123 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,333 It is resilient, but also if you have these stressors 124 00:07:11,166 --> 00:07:12,666 that occur for many, many years, 125 00:07:13,666 --> 00:07:14,500 I really believe that we can cause 126 00:07:15,366 --> 00:07:17,033 a full shift in the ecosystem. 127 00:07:17,633 --> 00:07:21,066 (gentle music) 128 00:07:22,233 --> 00:07:23,200 - [Narrator] High above Lahaina's reef, 129 00:07:24,066 --> 00:07:26,033 the upland ecosystem is overrun 130 00:07:27,166 --> 00:07:29,100 with the same fire-prone non-native grasses 131 00:07:30,366 --> 00:07:33,466 that significantly contributed to the wildfire. 132 00:07:34,866 --> 00:07:37,766 This once-lush landscape was cleared over a century ago 133 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:43,733 to make way for U.S. sugarcane and pineapple plantations. 134 00:07:44,500 --> 00:07:45,366 (exciting music) 135 00:07:46,833 --> 00:07:49,333 Today, local community members aim to heal this landscape. 136 00:07:50,700 --> 00:07:53,400 Despite enduring immense personal loss from the fires, 137 00:07:54,633 --> 00:07:59,733 they have not wavered in their aloha 'aina. 138 00:08:01,133 --> 00:08:02,333 - [Dustin] So, just try for any of the plants, 139 00:08:03,100 --> 00:08:04,233 not just the vetiver. 140 00:08:04,933 --> 00:08:07,133 Somebody can go do that 141 00:08:08,300 --> 00:08:09,666 along this edge all the way to the road. 142 00:08:10,366 --> 00:08:11,000 - [Narrator] Aiding them 143 00:08:12,066 --> 00:08:14,533 is restoration ecologist Dustin Palos, 144 00:08:15,933 --> 00:08:18,333 who is committed to applying indigenous Hawaiian wisdom 145 00:08:19,366 --> 00:08:22,200 to the restoration of native lands. 146 00:08:23,500 --> 00:08:24,733 - Indigenous people had these indigenous sciences 147 00:08:25,966 --> 00:08:27,666 and methods, and it wasn't written. 148 00:08:28,833 --> 00:08:31,266 So I feel like it might be just in our DNA, 149 00:08:32,700 --> 00:08:36,766 or in our koko, in our blood, because it wasn't written. 150 00:08:37,566 --> 00:08:40,333 (gentle music) 151 00:08:41,233 --> 00:08:41,700 - [Narrator] After the fires, 152 00:08:43,233 --> 00:08:45,333 Dustin and his team transformed the restoration garden 153 00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:48,433 at the University of Hawaii Maui College 154 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,600 into a biocultural pu'uhonua, or refuge. 155 00:08:54,433 --> 00:08:55,766 Using traditional practices, 156 00:08:57,233 --> 00:08:59,633 they've grown more than 5,000 native tree starts, 157 00:09:00,900 --> 00:09:02,666 which have already been planted across the island 158 00:09:03,533 --> 00:09:06,533 in fire-impacted communities. 159 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:09,166 - [Dustin] In the recent devastations here on Maui, 160 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:11,200 we want to showcase and incorporate 161 00:09:12,033 --> 00:09:14,200 these biocultural pu'uhonuas 162 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:18,266 that provide this multifunction sense of place, 163 00:09:19,733 --> 00:09:23,166 sense of wellbeing, a place where you can practice culture 164 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:27,333 or harvest and cultivate from this culture 165 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,300 and continue this perpetuation of what ike kupuna, 166 00:09:32,533 --> 00:09:34,466 or this ancestral knowledge, it looks like. 167 00:09:35,500 --> 00:09:38,700 And pretty much Kauluwehi is that. 168 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,066 (atmospheric music) 169 00:09:42,066 --> 00:09:42,700 - [Narrator] Just east of Lahaina, 170 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:46,066 in the culturally-significant Olowalu Valley, 171 00:09:47,233 --> 00:09:49,333 another biocultural refuge is thriving 172 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:51,200 after more than two decades 173 00:09:52,233 --> 00:09:54,166 of dedicated restoration efforts. 174 00:09:55,033 --> 00:09:56,466 Central to this transformation 175 00:09:57,700 --> 00:10:00,466 is the replacement of thirsty invasive trees 176 00:10:01,566 --> 00:10:05,433 with more fire-resistant native plants. 177 00:10:06,566 --> 00:10:07,366 - We're trying to restore this valley 178 00:10:08,833 --> 00:10:11,366 into what it maybe looked like before sugar cane was here, 179 00:10:12,733 --> 00:10:15,666 before Westerners came in and changed the landscape. 180 00:10:17,033 --> 00:10:19,600 We want to help to restore that ecological integrity 181 00:10:20,633 --> 00:10:24,433 of this valley from mauka to makai. 182 00:10:25,100 --> 00:10:26,333 (stream babbling) 183 00:10:27,633 --> 00:10:28,466 - [Narrator] Flowing through the heart of the valley 184 00:10:29,233 --> 00:10:31,066 is the Olowalu stream. 185 00:10:32,066 --> 00:10:33,266 Here, traditional planting methods 186 00:10:34,666 --> 00:10:39,200 also play a vital role in securing sediment upstream. 187 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:40,600 - [Karin] The stream runs 188 00:10:42,033 --> 00:10:43,433 through the entirety of our property that we steward, 189 00:10:44,666 --> 00:10:46,266 and we're very mindful of our practices here 190 00:10:47,133 --> 00:10:49,333 because of that stream water. 191 00:10:50,533 --> 00:10:52,066 Everything along the way impacts the quality 192 00:10:53,366 --> 00:10:54,233 of that stream water, the health of that stream. 193 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:56,666 And that then flows out into the ocean, 194 00:10:57,933 --> 00:10:59,666 which in turn impacts the health of the coral reef 195 00:11:00,466 --> 00:11:01,000 and all of the marine life 196 00:11:02,066 --> 00:11:04,066 that's in that nearshore coastal area. 197 00:11:04,666 --> 00:11:05,033 (gentle music) 198 00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:06,566 - [Narrator] The Olowalu reef 199 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,033 is among Hawaii largest and healthiest. 200 00:11:12,333 --> 00:11:15,366 500-year-old corals attest to an ancient lineage, 201 00:11:16,566 --> 00:11:18,766 but its significance is even more crucial. 202 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,033 This vast mother reef seeds not only Lahaina 203 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,433 and all of West Maui, but also neighboring islands. 204 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,333 - [Ekolu] If we can understand the life 205 00:11:32,166 --> 00:11:34,100 and ebb and flow of the corals, 206 00:11:35,266 --> 00:11:36,700 and that they're not just inanimate objects, 207 00:11:38,300 --> 00:11:41,200 that they're alive, they're living, they're breathing, 208 00:11:42,700 --> 00:11:45,233 if we can take care of them as such, then they can populate 209 00:11:46,366 --> 00:11:51,066 the rest of these reefs in perpetuity. 210 00:11:52,366 --> 00:11:53,466 - [Narrator] Ekolu Lindsey, a community leader 211 00:11:55,100 --> 00:11:57,600 whose ancestral home was destroyed by the Lahaina wildfire, 212 00:11:59,066 --> 00:12:01,633 has been a steadfast advocate for coral reef restoration 213 00:12:02,466 --> 00:12:05,200 through better land stewardship. 214 00:12:06,533 --> 00:12:08,266 He emphasizes the essential role of Hawaiian values 215 00:12:09,100 --> 00:12:14,066 in Kipuka Olowalu's mission. 216 00:12:15,100 --> 00:12:16,633 - There are a few cultural values, 217 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:19,200 cultural processes that are important for us 218 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:21,433 to learn how to take care of these things properly. 219 00:12:22,533 --> 00:12:27,733 Kupono is honesty, honesty to build. 220 00:12:29,266 --> 00:12:31,333 Malama is to cherish, to take care of things properly, 221 00:12:32,166 --> 00:12:34,466 to cherish relationships. 222 00:12:35,966 --> 00:12:39,466 Kokua is to help without any expectations of reciprocation. 223 00:12:40,766 --> 00:12:42,600 When we understand these processes and values, 224 00:12:43,300 --> 00:12:45,000 aloha becomes automatic. 225 00:12:46,333 --> 00:12:52,566 Aloha is love and compassion for all living things. 226 00:12:53,233 --> 00:12:56,200 (uplifting music) 227 00:12:57,366 --> 00:12:58,233 - [Narrator] On the South Maui coast, 228 00:12:59,733 --> 00:13:02,433 local residents are also centering Hawaiian cultural values 229 00:13:03,533 --> 00:13:07,100 in the restoration of local wetlands. 230 00:13:08,366 --> 00:13:10,500 Employing the traditional practice of kilo 'aina, 231 00:13:11,333 --> 00:13:13,066 they carefully observe the land 232 00:13:14,233 --> 00:13:18,700 and the natural rhythms of the ecosystem. 233 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,233 - [Cody] Kilo 'aina to me, here, in Waiohuli Kai, 234 00:13:25,433 --> 00:13:28,266 is really about learning how to communicate with the 'aina. 235 00:13:29,566 --> 00:13:31,033 Kilo is really about understanding the connection 236 00:13:31,733 --> 00:13:32,633 one thing has to another 237 00:13:33,766 --> 00:13:36,466 and how that connection makes things work. 238 00:13:37,866 --> 00:13:40,433 In those terms, we develop this reciprocal connection 239 00:13:41,266 --> 00:13:43,500 between the 'aina and ourselves. 240 00:13:44,666 --> 00:13:47,233 - [Narrator] Since 2017, Cody Nemet Tuivaiti 241 00:13:48,433 --> 00:13:55,066 has led the effort to protect these wetlands. 242 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,333 - In the beginning, we were just some local brothers 243 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,700 wanting to care for our home. 244 00:14:03,333 --> 00:14:07,033 And we've definitely been educated from the 'aina itself 245 00:14:08,566 --> 00:14:12,300 to a point where now we're teaching education 246 00:14:13,466 --> 00:14:15,166 as to why these areas are so important. 247 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:16,400 (cheerful acoustic guitar music) 248 00:14:17,266 --> 00:14:18,133 - [Narrator] In ancient times, 249 00:14:19,433 --> 00:14:22,733 this coastline was renowned for its Royal fishponds. 250 00:14:24,166 --> 00:14:26,333 Expertly constructed by Hawaiian engineers, 251 00:14:27,333 --> 00:14:29,066 these walled ponds caught sediment, 252 00:14:30,266 --> 00:14:32,733 nourished the fish, and protected the reefs. 253 00:14:34,133 --> 00:14:36,100 Native vegetation was strategically maintained 254 00:14:36,900 --> 00:14:37,633 in the wetland buffer zone 255 00:14:38,666 --> 00:14:41,033 to retain water and filter sediment. 256 00:14:42,266 --> 00:14:44,633 However, urban development has nearly erased 257 00:14:45,433 --> 00:14:48,466 the traditional landscape. 258 00:14:49,666 --> 00:14:50,100 - (Cody) And so it's very, very important 259 00:14:50,933 --> 00:14:52,366 that we have these wetlands, 260 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:55,066 that we have these native and endemic plants 261 00:14:56,233 --> 00:15:00,366 to do those jobs the way that they should be. 262 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,433 He alii ka ina; he kau ke knaka 263 00:15:04,833 --> 00:15:08,666 Means, "The island is chief, and we are its servants." 264 00:15:09,833 --> 00:15:12,733 And I try to live by that as much as possible 265 00:15:14,266 --> 00:15:17,366 by allowing the 'aina to dictate how we move forward. 266 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:20,200 There are no time restraints when it comes to that. 267 00:15:20,933 --> 00:15:22,266 There are no due dates. 268 00:15:23,433 --> 00:15:26,133 The 'aina will move on the 'aina's time. 269 00:15:27,533 --> 00:15:32,500 The 'aina will reveal when the 'ainas ready to reveal. 270 00:15:33,366 --> 00:15:39,233 (bright acoustic guitar music) 271 00:15:40,266 --> 00:15:41,166 - [Narrator] Farther afield, in Nu'u, 272 00:15:42,066 --> 00:15:44,000 on Maui's remote southeast coast, 273 00:15:45,066 --> 00:15:46,700 restoration ecologist Scott Fisher 274 00:15:48,300 --> 00:15:53,066 recognizes the value of patience and listening to the land. 275 00:15:53,933 --> 00:15:54,366 - The application of ike kupuna, 276 00:15:55,166 --> 00:15:56,000 of traditional knowledge, 277 00:15:57,333 --> 00:16:03,100 does not allow for quick movements and quick activity. 278 00:16:04,366 --> 00:16:06,600 You end up doing so much more destruction that way. 279 00:16:07,466 --> 00:16:08,200 My first couple years here, 280 00:16:09,233 --> 00:16:09,333 I didn't plant any native plants, 281 00:16:10,233 --> 00:16:10,733 I didn't clear any invasives, 282 00:16:11,833 --> 00:16:12,366 because I wanted to understand 283 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:15,466 what was the relationship that had developed here, now. 284 00:16:16,333 --> 00:16:18,333 And so that process of observing 285 00:16:19,233 --> 00:16:20,066 was critical for understanding 286 00:16:21,266 --> 00:16:23,766 how to be more efficient and more effective. 287 00:16:24,833 --> 00:16:25,433 - [Narrator] The Nu'u Refuge, 288 00:16:26,466 --> 00:16:28,066 managed by the Hawaii Land Trust, 289 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,200 spans 82-acres of rugged coastline, 290 00:16:33,233 --> 00:16:35,533 and includes pre-contact petroglyphs 291 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,333 and pristine natural habitat. 292 00:16:41,466 --> 00:16:42,233 - The Pupuka Pond, although it's small, 293 00:16:43,666 --> 00:16:46,566 it is among the healthiest coastal wetlands in the state. 294 00:16:47,566 --> 00:16:48,533 The endangered and threatened birds 295 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:51,000 that we're trying to protect, actually use this 296 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:53,600 as their launching off point to Hawaii Island. 297 00:16:54,866 --> 00:16:56,566 So it's disproportionately important and valuable, 298 00:16:57,733 --> 00:16:58,100 which is why we're putting so much effort 299 00:16:58,800 --> 00:16:59,666 into protecting it. 300 00:17:00,333 --> 00:17:04,533 (intriguing music) 301 00:17:05,700 --> 00:17:06,633 - [Narrator] This delicate pond habitat 302 00:17:07,700 --> 00:17:09,733 is especially vulnerable to tsunamis, 303 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,466 which occur roughly every 11 years in the islands. 304 00:17:15,900 --> 00:17:18,066 To gain deeper insights into the area's tsunami history, 305 00:17:18,866 --> 00:17:19,533 Scott and his team started 306 00:17:20,666 --> 00:17:23,000 by looking into ancient Hawaiian stories. 307 00:17:24,266 --> 00:17:26,633 One local legend recounted the tale of two deities, 308 00:17:27,466 --> 00:17:29,066 including the God of the ocean, 309 00:17:30,100 --> 00:17:36,233 who devastated a fishpond near Nu'u. 310 00:17:37,433 --> 00:17:38,200 - We took that legend very seriously and said, 311 00:17:39,533 --> 00:17:41,200 "Okay, well, if there was an event of that size, 312 00:17:42,333 --> 00:17:43,166 that it could completely destroy a fishpond 313 00:17:44,233 --> 00:17:46,533 that was once here, is it possible 314 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,200 that it also left a signature on the ground?" 315 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,066 And so we began searching. 316 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:55,300 - [Narrator] Scott discovered compelling evidence 317 00:17:56,766 --> 00:18:00,200 scattered along the hillside: more than 60 coral boulders, 318 00:18:01,066 --> 00:18:02,733 some weighing up to 50 pounds, 319 00:18:03,966 --> 00:18:06,400 displaced by the force of the waves. 320 00:18:07,466 --> 00:18:08,633 Using their weights and positions, 321 00:18:10,133 --> 00:18:18,700 he estimated a wave traveling five to six meters per second. 322 00:18:20,333 --> 00:18:21,533 - [Scott] We also found what we call paleo-stage indicators, 323 00:18:22,933 --> 00:18:24,500 or markers of how high the wave height might have been. 324 00:18:25,866 --> 00:18:27,600 And those are in the form of these waterworn pebbles 325 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,100 that were wedged into these cracks. 326 00:18:31,300 --> 00:18:32,400 So some of those were up to eight meters high 327 00:18:33,133 --> 00:18:34,300 and 188 meters inland. 328 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:36,600 So that tells you that there was a substantial wave. 329 00:18:37,933 --> 00:18:40,166 So what we can do is we can actually design a forest 330 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,566 around the pond in order to provide maximum protection. 331 00:18:46,233 --> 00:18:48,000 (chainsaw buzzing) 332 00:18:49,066 --> 00:18:50,700 - [Narrator] In 2023, local volunteers 333 00:18:51,766 --> 00:18:53,333 began clearing invasive trees 334 00:18:54,766 --> 00:18:57,233 and planted the first layer of this forested bioshield 335 00:18:58,500 --> 00:19:00,733 which is designed to slow down an incoming tsunami 336 00:19:01,666 --> 00:19:03,033 and capture sediment. 337 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,600 When finished, these native trees and shrubs 338 00:19:08,100 --> 00:19:15,000 will create a living tsunami barrier nearly 200 feet deep. 339 00:19:15,833 --> 00:19:17,166 In addition, Scott and his team 340 00:19:18,666 --> 00:19:21,166 are incorporating native plant species that are also revered 341 00:19:22,333 --> 00:19:24,733 for their medicinal and ceremonial significance. 342 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,600 - On one level, we're trying to protect a coastal wetlands, 343 00:19:30,100 --> 00:19:31,500 but also what we're trying to do is reinvigorate a culture, 344 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:37,066 and especially the relationship between people and land. 345 00:19:38,300 --> 00:19:40,266 Our vision is i ola ka ina, i ola mkou nei 346 00:19:41,766 --> 00:19:46,400 which is basically, "When the land thrives, we all thrive." 347 00:19:47,066 --> 00:19:51,600 (uplifting music) 348 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:53,566 - [Narrator] On the North Shore of Maui, 349 00:19:54,566 --> 00:19:56,233 the Hawaii Land Trust also manages 350 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:59,666 the Waihe'e Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge, 351 00:20:00,966 --> 00:20:03,733 one of Hawaii most culturally significant sites. 352 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,766 This area was once home to two prosperous Hawaiian villages 353 00:20:08,866 --> 00:20:11,066 and an expansive inland fishpond. 354 00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:13,766 But large-scale agriculture drained this land 355 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,066 of its once-flowing water years ago. 356 00:20:19,233 --> 00:20:21,233 - My main focus as a steward here in Waihe'e 357 00:20:22,466 --> 00:20:25,100 is to bring the water back to the wetlands. 358 00:20:26,133 --> 00:20:27,300 And the water is important to bring back 359 00:20:28,166 --> 00:20:29,333 because it's water, it's wai. 360 00:20:30,166 --> 00:20:33,533 And wai to us, for kanaka, 361 00:20:34,666 --> 00:20:37,766 is very, very important because it's life. 362 00:20:38,533 --> 00:20:42,166 (river rushing) 363 00:20:43,333 --> 00:20:44,433 - [Narrator] High above the coastal refuge, 364 00:20:45,433 --> 00:20:47,066 the wild flow of the Waihe'e River 365 00:20:48,233 --> 00:20:50,200 is harnessed by ancient irrigation canals 366 00:20:51,533 --> 00:20:54,000 to nourish traditional Hawaiian farms growing kalo, 367 00:20:55,300 --> 00:20:59,600 a plant of profound significance in Hawaiian culture. 368 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:02,666 - If you have a pretty healthy ahupua'a, 369 00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:05,500 you have your river that comes down, 370 00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:08,633 you have kalo farmers who take the wai for their kalo, 371 00:21:09,466 --> 00:21:10,500 it goes back into the river, 372 00:21:11,533 --> 00:21:12,666 and that's how it's supposed to be. 373 00:21:13,766 --> 00:21:14,566 The overall health of ahupua'a system 374 00:21:15,833 --> 00:21:17,300 is dependent on everybody who uses the system. 375 00:21:18,533 --> 00:21:19,600 And it's trying to figure out what can we do 376 00:21:20,433 --> 00:21:21,233 as users on the same system 377 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,333 that will help each other out you know. 378 00:21:25,666 --> 00:21:26,400 - [Narrator] Because the southern irrigation channel 379 00:21:27,633 --> 00:21:29,566 is losing nearly half of its water to leaks, 380 00:21:30,933 --> 00:21:33,733 the Land Trust is working with farmers to repair it. 381 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:36,733 (trimmer buzzing) 382 00:21:38,466 --> 00:21:41,300 After clearing invasives, they must dredge the canal by hand 383 00:21:42,133 --> 00:21:43,666 to remove accumulated sediment, 384 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,300 ensuring the faster, cooler water flow 385 00:21:47,366 --> 00:21:51,233 crucial for nourishing the kalo plants. 386 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:53,600 (mud squelching) 387 00:21:55,100 --> 00:21:57,200 This waterway will one day be reconnected to the wetlands 388 00:21:58,266 --> 00:22:01,033 and inland fishpond at Waihe'e Reserve. 389 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,100 However, restoring this ancient watershed 390 00:22:05,166 --> 00:22:10,200 still requires years of work ahead. 391 00:22:11,233 --> 00:22:12,066 - A fishpond is really a reflection 392 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:14,700 of the health of your ahupua'a, because it really shows 393 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:17,700 how much the entirety of your system is working in harmony. 394 00:22:18,966 --> 00:22:20,266 And this space hasn't really had water 395 00:22:21,066 --> 00:22:22,333 for about 100 years or so. 396 00:22:23,633 --> 00:22:26,500 And that really changes the 'aina, the community, 397 00:22:27,566 --> 00:22:30,033 and also the spirit of the place. 398 00:22:31,300 --> 00:22:32,633 There are a lot of different ways to heal 'aina 399 00:22:33,333 --> 00:22:35,266 and to heal people. 400 00:22:36,300 --> 00:22:37,000 That's why the work that we do here, 401 00:22:37,866 --> 00:22:38,433 which is bringing water back, 402 00:22:39,866 --> 00:22:42,066 is very important because the physical embodiment of wai 403 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,600 can change the spirit of the land and the community. 404 00:22:47,966 --> 00:22:49,333 So a lot of it comes through understanding identity 405 00:22:50,166 --> 00:22:53,500 and empowerment of being kanaka. 406 00:22:54,066 --> 00:22:56,700 (ethereal music) 407 00:22:57,766 --> 00:22:58,500 - [Narrator] All across Maui, 408 00:22:59,766 --> 00:23:02,066 the efforts of community volunteers, land managers, 409 00:23:03,533 --> 00:23:06,566 and restoration ecologists mark a transformational shift 410 00:23:07,633 --> 00:23:09,500 toward ancient Hawaiian practices. 411 00:23:10,666 --> 00:23:12,200 Islanders are reconnecting with the land 412 00:23:12,933 --> 00:23:14,566 through aloha 'aina. 413 00:23:15,566 --> 00:23:17,233 This deep-rooted love for the land 414 00:23:18,266 --> 00:23:20,366 is not only revitalizing ecosystems 415 00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:26,433 but also restoring communities from mauka to makai. 416 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:28,466 [Scott] He alii ka ina, he kau ke knaka, 417 00:23:29,933 --> 00:23:32,466 "The land is the chief, and the people are the servants." 418 00:23:33,533 --> 00:23:34,266 None of us are gonna be here forever. 419 00:23:35,100 --> 00:23:35,466 We're all gonna hala i ka po 420 00:23:36,666 --> 00:23:37,500 We're all going to pass on into the next world. 421 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:40,033 But if we share that sense of aloha 'aina, 422 00:23:41,300 --> 00:23:42,166 then we can ensure that the subsequent generations 423 00:23:42,866 --> 00:23:43,466 take on the kuleana, 424 00:23:44,666 --> 00:23:46,733 the responsibility of caring for the land. 425 00:23:47,766 --> 00:23:48,200 Anytime you talk about land, 426 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:49,500 the first thing you ought to think about 427 00:23:50,366 --> 00:23:53,333 is kuleana, is responsibility. 428 00:23:54,066 --> 00:23:54,766 - We continue to forget 429 00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:59,733 that we need and have kuleana or responsibilities, 430 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:03,766 as older siblings, as kinship. 431 00:24:05,266 --> 00:24:06,200 I tell the kids, the keiki, that's what this is for. 432 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,333 This is not for us. This is not for me. 433 00:24:10,133 --> 00:24:11,100 This is for the community. 434 00:24:12,100 --> 00:24:13,700 This is for our lahui, our nation. 435 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:16,133 This is for the future. 436 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,066 That's what conservation and preservation is about: 437 00:24:20,133 --> 00:24:22,633 preserving and conserving resources 438 00:24:23,666 --> 00:24:28,366 for the next generation, not for us. 439 00:24:29,666 --> 00:24:31,566 - If you just give it time, give the 'aina time 440 00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:34,633 to acclimate to the changes and the impacts, 441 00:24:35,633 --> 00:24:37,333 it'll slowly begin to bounce back. 442 00:24:38,666 --> 00:24:39,766 You just gotta pay attention. You gotta give it time. 443 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,166 He alii ka ina, he kau ke knaka. 444 00:24:44,533 --> 00:24:48,300 Know your land, know your space before you traverse. 445 00:24:49,333 --> 00:24:50,066 If we don't know these things 446 00:24:51,233 --> 00:24:54,066 and we continue to just be separated from them, 447 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:56,233 then we're really not being islanders, 448 00:24:57,100 --> 00:24:59,600 we're really not being kanaka. 449 00:25:00,466 --> 00:25:01,600 It's really about peeling back 450 00:25:02,466 --> 00:25:05,300 all these layers of colonialism, 451 00:25:06,533 --> 00:25:08,333 and revealing the islander within ourselves. 452 00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:11,666 This is how we're gonna help to malama 453 00:25:12,533 --> 00:25:16,066 and care for these resources. 454 00:25:17,166 --> 00:25:17,533 [Ekolu] I ka w ma mua, ka w ma hope. 455 00:25:18,833 --> 00:25:23,333 "The future can be found in the wisdom of the past." 456 00:25:24,566 --> 00:25:25,566 So in the Hawaiian lens of looking at things, 457 00:25:26,433 --> 00:25:27,733 the answers are already there. 458 00:25:29,100 --> 00:25:32,700 We look behind us to see where we need to go. 459 00:25:34,166 --> 00:25:35,066 There is no perfect answer for anything out there. 460 00:25:35,933 --> 00:25:41,300 There's only, "Let's try it." 461 00:25:41,866 --> 00:25:46,333 (waves lapping) 462 00:25:46,933 --> 00:26:16,466 (moving music) 463 00:26:17,633 --> 00:26:18,400 - [Announcer] Major funding for this program 464 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:21,500 was provided by the Batchelor Foundation, 465 00:26:22,366 --> 00:26:23,566 encouraging people to preserve 466 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,533 and protect America's underwater resources. 467 00:26:28,900 --> 00:26:31,600 Additional funding was provided by Trish and Dan Bell 468 00:26:32,633 --> 00:26:34,333 and by the Parrot Family Endowment 469 00:26:35,166 --> 00:26:37,633 for Environmental Education. 470 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,600 (exciting music)