Calls went out on social media and the coconut wireless to spend a Saturday morning in He‘eia getting dirty. Volunteers signed up in droves to participate in the Mo‘okuapā, a community event to restore a Native Hawaiian fishpond in Kāneʻohe.
Paepae o He‘eia, the stewards of today’s largest loko i‘a — fishpond — in Hawaiʻi, orchestrated a masterful work flow: parking cars at King Intermediate School, enlisting school buses to shuttle roughly 2,000 volunteers, drinking water, food and, of course, live music.
“We estimate there were just under 2,000 volunteers from around the island chain and friends from across the Pacific,” said Keli‘i Kotubetey, founder and assistant executive director of Paepae o He‘eia.
“This is more than just building the wall and moving coral,” Paepae O He‘eia posted on Instagram before the event. “It’s about honoring 800 years of history. With your help, we are closing the final gap in the wall of He‘eia Fishpond, completing the kuapā and forming a full circle, weaving together past and present, ancestors and ‘āina.”
Pre-planning logistics for Paepae o He‘eia included where to strategically place tons of crushed ko‘a and gathering supplies.
“The wall was designed by our kūpuna who left this treasure for us to maintain and continue,” Kotubetey said. “As Paepae o Heʻeia has restored the wall over the last 25 years, we have followed the design and alignment of the niho, foundation, stones that were set in the ground approximately 800 years ago. We would like to highlight and thank our restoration coordinator, Keahi Piʻiohiʻa, for his vision as the architect and lead mason for this last stretch of wall, ʻauwai, and removal of the last mangrove trees in Heʻeia Fishpond all in this year.”
“Helping the land to heal gives me satisfaction in knowing it will help future generations,” said Norton Chan, who works with living coral as a senior coral specialist with the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources.
Kotubetey said 380 feet of wall was completed — 380 feet long, by 14 feet wide, by 4 feet high. The kuapā contains 88 acres of water, and the wall is now almost 1.5 miles long.
“It is the longest kuapā in the islands,” he said.
Participants underscored how the effort to rebuild the fishpond wall also restores the community.
“I was honored to stand alongside more than 2,000 community volunteers at He‘eia Fishpond for a truly historic day,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi wrote on Instagram. “After 25 years of hard work, Paepae O He’eia completed the final 300 feet of the 7,000-foot fishpond wall — a powerful example of what’s possible when community, culture, and stewardship come together.”
“This wasn’t just about restoring a wall.” Blangiardi’s Instagram post continued. “It was about restoring the connection — to ‘āina, to history, and to one another. Mahalo to everyone who showed up, lent a hand, and helped bring this incredible journey to completion.”
When asked about what it means for He‘eia Loko I‘a to have so many volunteers show up, Kotubetey said, “It shows us that even amidst the daily grind, people truly care about each other and the places that nourish us. We know people show up to UH football games and Christmas craft fairs. But for almost 2,000 people to show up and help heal our island and rebuild a fishpond, now we are making progress toward a Hawaiʻi that can sustain itself.”
Civil Beat’s coverage of climate change and the environment is supported by The Healy Foundation, the Marisla Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.
