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Awawalei Agroforestry Connects Community to Aina

Posted on Nov. 7, 2024  /  Arboriculture  /  Subscribe 0

Awāwalei: Agroforestry Connects Community to ʻĀina

By: Ilana Nimz & Heidi Bornhorst

Tucked away in Kunia, just on the other side of the H1 onramp, is a glimmer of hope. Driving on the freeway during traffic, it’s hard to imagine that a small oasis is hidden amongst the invasive koa haole brush and dry clay soil. A healthy koa stands tall, surrounded by young ‘ulu trees, loulu palms, and puakenikeni. This is Awāwalei, a proof-of-concept that 2 acres of former sugar land can become productive again with dedication and community involvement. 

Awāwalei agroforest is situated on Hawaii Agriculture Research Center’s parcel, and is managed by the Mālama Learning Center (MLC). As a private non-profit, the MLC mission brings art, science, and culture together to promote sustainable living throughout Hawaii. The Awāwalei site is a collaboration between MLC and the Research Center and is less focused on research and more focused on connecting people to local agriculture. In that sense, Awāwalei embodies the vision of MLC, and fosters community involvement in the practice of Mālama ʻāina. 

A group of us from Scenic Hawaii visited the Awāwalei site on a sweltering morning in mid-October. Scenic Hawaii is a non-profit that supports programs that protect Hawaii’s natural beauty, and preserve and enhance landscapes, cultural resources, and scenic views. The non-profit was in a fortunate position to disperse funding, and MLC was a perfect organization to receive support.  Grant writing is very hard work, especially with all the important work taking place in MLC’s various field sites.  Sometimes it is great to just be given some funding as a reward for all the great work with plants, food forests, and our community.

We had greetings and exchanged lei in the shade of the Research Center parking lot with fellow volunteers from First Insurance Company of Hawaii, and several dedicated community members who were excited to get their hands dirty. We met Pauline Sato, the MLC Executive Director. Pauline radiates passion, optimism, and dedication to her organization and community. Her excitement about the Awāwalei site and the other MLC projects was palpable and established good vibes for the work day. Pauline warned us the site would be loud, because of its location next to the freeway. But, this site would be otherwise unused, proving even undesirable locations can be productive.

We carpooled to Awāwalei, where three chipper wahine from MLC lead us to the shaded pavilions and picnic tables for our site orientation. The pavilions were funded by the Scenic Hawaii grant! The freeway is indeed loud, but it’s easy to tune out the noise being in the shade and surrounded by interesting fruit trees. Pauline explained our plan for the day, which was an educational guided tour of the site, followed by weeding, spreading mulch, and planting a fruit tree. We learned Awāwalei refers to the view over Pu’uloa, or the lei of bays that we now call Pearl Harbor. Four years ago, the two acres were dominated by invasive grasses and brush. While clearing is always ongoing, much of the site has been now planted and young trees are beginning to bear the fruits of hard work and dedication. The site is an AgroForest in progress, and a site for trial and error.

An agroforest mimics a natural ecosystem by integrating a diversity of crops into an agricultural system. Woody trees, perennial plants, short-term crops, and native species grow together to create a forest of useful plants. The ecosystem benefits are numerous, including water conservation, improved soil health, increased biodiversity of plants and animals, and habitat restoration. Awāwalei is set up as an orchard-style system, and combines native species with Polynesian-introduced plants, and classic food crops. Lei plants, such as crownflower, are also important to include in Awāwalei. MLC grows lei plants show abundance and aloha to the community that cares for this place.

Our guide Aiko Kawakami begins our site tour with the newest addition to the agroforest, young citrus trees nestled amongst 15-ft. tall Madre de Cacao and surrounded by native ʻAʻaliʻi shrubs. This is a perfect example of companion planting. The madre de cacao are nitrogen fixers, which improve the soil for the young orange, lemon, and lime trees. Madre de Cacao trees are fundamental in agroforestry systems, as they are also medicinal plants, useful as timber, provide shade to young trees, and are easily propagated by cuttings. The ʻAʻaliʻi are hardy dryland shrubs that provide a windbreak to the young citrus grove. The ʻAʻaliʻiexemplify strength in nature, as they bend and move with the wind, without breaking their branches. All plants in this grove have a purpose, and benefit each other and the people that care for them.

Our tour of the agroforest passes a variety of native plants. Aiko teaches us that the native Hawaiian cotton, ma’o, saved the American cotton industry. An invasive boil weevil was attracted to the cotton flowers and damaged American cotton plants by laying eggs on the cotton flower buds. The infected buds stopped developing, which reduced the yield of cotton. Ma’o flowers are less attractive to the weevils, but the plant is not a productive cotton producer. The ma’o were hybridized with American cotton to develop a pest-resistant variety. Your cotton shirt likely has the genetics of the native Hawaiian cotton in it! This story not only shows the value of maintaining a diversity of plants, but the ingenuity of people and the power of collaboration.

The value of diversity is evident in the kalo patch. The Awāwalei site is a repository for several kupuna varieties of dryland kalo. Many people are familiar with the flooded lo’i kalo in lowland waterways, but not all kalo varieties need that amount of water. The kalo here are thriving in the hot and dry Kunia environment, and perpetuate the legacy of cultivars brought to Hawaii by the first settlers of the islands.

Throughout the site, we noticed ornaments hanging in the trees- crumpled paper balls and cardboard. These simple contraptions turned out to be ingenious wasp deterrents! The decoy nests look like wasp nests, which repel real wasps and protect keiki and staff.

After the tour, the groups split into two teams. One team pulled weeds off the native and food plants in the garden. Invasive Spanish Needles (Bidens pilosa) and Passiflora spp. vines were tangled in the plants. We were able to expose an ‘ihi (Portulaca molokiniensis) hiding beneath the invasive plants. The second group spread fresh mulch around the newly planted citrus grove. The mulch will help with water retention and provide nutrients to the soil.

While the agroforest itself was impressive, I was more captivated by the intangible aspects of our tour. Community volunteers were able to see the lush liliko’i vines that were laden with round green fruits. Several people didn’t know that liliko’i grew on vines, as they just pick the ripe fruit up from the store or farm stand, or eat the tangy pulp on top of a cheesecake. Native koa trees are becoming rarer to observe nowadays, especially on the densely urbanized island of Oahu. We were able to go up to the koa tree, touch its bark, and feel the texture of its phyllodes, or the secondary leaves that make koa more drought tolerant. We rubbed the bright red seeds from the achiote (lipstick) tree between our fingers and streaked our faces with the pigmented powder. We saw the cassava plant, which is the foundation of the beloved boba drinks. It's these connections to food and plants that make Awāwalei such a special place.

If you want to visit Awāwalei, contact Malama Learning Center or follow @malamalearningcenter on social media. They put out calls for community volunteer workdays at Awāwalei and their other sites.

Mahalo to Malama Learning Center staff: Pauline Sato, Aiko Kawakami, Mariah Gaoiran, Sasha Giron, and to our other Scenic Hawaii board members for visiting Awāwalei: Scott Fujii, Cicely George, Carl Kim, and Jason Umemoto.

Figure 1. Community volunteers learn about the history of the Awawalei site from Malama Learning Center staff and executive director Pauline Sato. The site is hot, dry, and full of invasive shrubs, so the shaded pavilions are the perfect learning spot. 

Figure 2. Malama Learning Center staff Aiko tells us the story of the Ma’o, Hawaiian cotton plant. Behind Aiko, the lush agroforest hosts numerous species, including koa, ulu and puakenikeni. 

Figure 3. Aiko shows us the origin of boba- the cassava plant! While there is still area to be cleared and cultivated, usable space is in production and teaching the community about where food comes from. 

Figure 4. Master horticulturist, Heidi Bornhorst, shows off a ladybug- a predatory insect that reduces pest populations in the agroforest. The food forest supports a diversity of insects, which is a healthier and more productive ecosystem. The kupuna dryland kalo plants are lush and thriving behind Heidi. Beyond the fence is the H1 Freeway. 

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