Mauna Kahālāwai, commonly referred to as the West Maui Mountains, is an ancient, heavily eroded shield volcano rising to 5,788 feet at the summit of Puʻu Kukui. Receiving over 380 inches of rain a year, Puʻu Kukui is one of the wettest spots on Earth, and that rainfall is filtered down through bogs, shrublands, and critical watershed forests. The Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership’s (MKWP) mission is to protect these resources to ensure that West Maui has a continuous supply of water for generations to come.
The MKWP is a voluntary alliance protecting 50,000 acres of West Maui mountains, which provide 75% of West Maui’s freshwater. Established in 1998 through a voluntary alliance of state, county, and private landowners, its purpose is to reverse the negative trend of forest degradation caused by numerous threats. MKWP protects and restores native ecosystems, the forested watershed, and the freshwater supply through cooperative management of fencing, watershed health, removal of invasive species, storm management, and public education. The watershed acts like a sponge and is vital for Maui’s water supply; without protection, the forest covering the watershed will continue to degrade due to the impacts of invasive species.
“Healthy watersheds are blanketed by healthy native forests,” said Chris Brosius, MKWP Program Manager. “In a pristine native forest, trees, shrubs, ferns, and mosses are intimately intertwined. The many layers of vegetation capture moisture from fog and passing clouds and soak up falling rain. While some of this water gently flows over the surface of the land to be filtered into streams, the underground network of roots helps water percolate down through the soil and recharge our aquifers.”
The work that MKWP does also protects and preserves approximately 150 rare and endangered flora and fauna, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. Brosius added, “We invite the public to help with stewardship activities to protect the area’s natural ecosystem and cultural heritage. We offer opportunities for groups, clubs, classes, or teams who want to volunteer with us and monthly volunteer service trips at both our Waiheʻe Ridge and Olowalu Valley restoration sites.”
We highly encourage public involvement through our outreach and educational programs so that the people on Maui have opportunities to experience and understand why watersheds, our native ecosystems, and cultural stewardship are all important.
Chris Brosius, Program Manager, Mauna Kahālāwai Watershed Partnership
Bringing together leaders, policymakers, cooperatives, and energy innovators, the 2026 Hawaii Energy Conference will discuss pathways to resilience and sustainability using firm (dispatchable source) power, while incorporating the lessons learned from successful indigenous projects.
From geothermal in Hawaii to energy projects on tribal lands and cooperative models across the U.S. and New Zealand, participants will share experiences and strategies for advancing energy solutions while maintaining harmony with local landscapes and traditions.
A deep dive session will explore the topic of Water & Energy in a more intimate setting for up to 40 people. A panel will discuss current and emerging options for seawater desalination, the status of desalination plans on Oahu and Maui, and the energy challenges that influence the feasibility and cost of these technologies.
Attendees at HEC2026 will engage in meaningful dialogue on how policy, technology, and cultural wisdom can shape a resilient and more affordable energy future across all generations.
Born and raised on Maui, Scott Fisher, Ph.D., is the statewide Director of ʻĀina Stewardship at Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) and has been serving HILT’s 19,500 acres of protected land for 22 years. In this role, he leads all aspects of the ecological restoration and land protection work conducted by the trust. Previously, he worked for HILT as a project manager at the 277-acre Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge. Now as a director, he leads the organization’s conservation programs.
“Our statewide nonprofit land trust seeks to protect, steward, and connect people to the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi,” Fisher noted. “I’ve focused many doctoral and post-doctoral studies on Hawaiʻi Land Trust’s preserves to help understand the land’s ancient history and to help solve problems for future land stewardship in the face of a warming climate and more frequent storms.”
Fisher, a United States Marine Corps veteran, also teaches a course for University of Hawaiʻi Maui College’s Sustainable Science Management program. The class explores traditional Hawaiian cultural practices and strategies to help build and maintain sustainability. He also serves on the Mālama Haleakalā Foundation Board, the Pacific Birds Hawaiʻi Wetlands Conservation Priority Committee, and as chair of the Maui and Lānaʻi Islands Burial Council. In 2023, he was the recipient of the National Wetlands Awards for Local Stewardship.
Fisher explained, “Probably the easiest way to summarize the work I do at the Hawaiʻi Land Trust is found in our mission statement: to protect and steward the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi for present and future generations, fostering deep community connections to the ‘āina (land). We work statewide with eight community preserves — protected lands that we own — and encourage the community to visit, learn, volunteer, hike, camp, etc. We also protect over 22,560 acres through 55 perpetual conservation easements. Our public outreach work includes education programs for students of all ages…over 6,100 students visited our preserves in 2025. We offer free hikes on Maui at both Waiheʻe and Nuʻu sites, plus regular volunteer opportunities and camping.”
More information about HILT’s volunteering, hikes, camping, and education programs can be found online at www.hilt.org. Upcoming volunteering opportunities include ‘āina workdays on the third Saturday of the month (March 21, 2026) and on Fridays from 8am to 12 pm at HILT’s Waiheʻe Coastal Dunes and Wetland Refuge. Volunteers can sign up online at www.hilt.org/volunteer.
Our work on the land is guided by two ‘ōlelo noʻeau: i ola ka ʻāina, i ola kākou nei — when the land thrives, we all thrive; and he aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauā ke kanaka — the land is the chief, and people are the servants.
Scott Fisher, Ph.D., Director of ʻĀina Stewardship, Hawaiʻi Land Trust
As communities across the country observe Women’s History Month this March, it is also a time to recognize the challenges women continue to face and how the Maui Nui community is responding, carrying forward a long tradition of women supporting women. In the spring of 2016, a group of Maui-based doulas, midwives, and childbirth educators, met in the living room of one of their homes to talk about the need for a strong local network of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum professionals. This led to the first annual Labor Day Event in September 2016 and ultimately to the formation of Pacific Birth Collective (PBC), which provides crucial services to Maui families as well as professional development opportunities to its network of professionals.
Morea Mendoza, PBC’s director of leadership and operations, shared “Our board and staff are run by women. We offer many programs such as the Community Birth Project, contributing financial aid to families looking to select a birth worker of their choice, from a midwife, hospital doula, post-partum therapist, lactation specialist, etc. We also work with Medicare and the State of Hawaiʻi, trying to implement better systems so that people can have all these benefits included into their insurance as other states have.”
PBC secured a 501(c)(3) status in 2021. During the Maui wildfire crisis of August 2023, they jumped into action to support some of the most vulnerable of those affected by the fires: mothers and babies. “We knew immediately who would be left most vulnerable in the wake of such destruction,” said Mendoza. “By acting quickly to deliver supplies to these moms and families, PBC saved many lives.”
Mendoza added, “Another PBC program, Farm to Mother, is funded by the Maui County Department of Agriculture. We partner with the Maui Food Bank and various local produce farmers to provide a weekly food box program specifically designed for the nutritional needs throughout pregnancy and postpartum. We offer an online library with recipes and different types of nutritional suggestions explaining the benefits of the food. Plus, at our Haʻikū facility, we provide a wellness and education initiative including a full schedule of classes, clinics, support groups, body work, and group therapy. There are often pop-ups in Hāna, Molokai, and Lānaʻi.”
PBC reaches a wide community, and women at all stages of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum meet each other and become friends while utilizing PBC services. “It takes a village!” Mendoza concluded. “It’s amazing what you can do with community. We have a wonderful mix of women, children, and fathers. All are welcome!” For more information, visit online at https://pacificbirthcollective.org/.
Realizing there is not enough help for mothers and families, our organization has become the support that our founders needed when they were raising their children.
Morea Mendoza, Director of Leadership and Operations, Pacific Birth Collective
Maui resident and marine biology PhD candidate Jessie Hoffman says she’s “always been a little fish.” Originally from Iowa, she grew up surrounded by corn and soybeans. However, her first time in the ocean, she knew she was home. “When I look out at the ocean, I see a big hug, wrapping us all up in joy and magic,” Hoffman said while explaining her work. “My dissertation title, Quantifying the physiological impacts of negative human interactions on humpback whales in the North Pacific, is based on understanding how much people impact the health of humpback whales when they become entangled in fishing gear or get struck by boats.”
With a Master of Science in marine sciences from Hawaiʻi Pacific University, Hoffman was selected as a Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar in 2023 for her PhD research. The scholarship program is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support the mission of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and it’s how Hoffman ended up collaborating with the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, located in Kihei. In 2024, she did a three-month field study with the whales, research that will someday help complete her dissertation.
“I’m looking at the whale’s stress hormone levels, which come from their blubber and their breath, and I’m looking at how their energy use changes when they are entangled,” Hoffman explained. “Researchers have been able to obtain and share a lot of information about entanglements and vessel strikes, a leading cause of whale injury and death. Actions such as improper disposal of gear or debris can lead to whales becoming entangled in fishing lines and nets, which prevents them from swimming, feeding, and breathing properly.”
Hoffman added, “Interacting with these marine mammals, sharing personal experiences with them, looking into their eyes and them looking back at you—there is nothing like it! Humpbacks also taught Hawaiians how to voyage. They are a direct representation of Kanaloa, a major Hawaiian god of the ocean. They are ʻaumakua [ancestral guardians] to some families. They sing the songs and provide important ‘ike [knowledge]. We need to be aware of them and what our actions are doing to them. Never leave gear or trash behind in the sea, maintain a safe distance, and please be responsible!”
Our actions and choices have an impact on the Earth and everything that lives in it, including us.
Jessie Hoffman, Marine Biology PhD Candidate, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) recent quarterly Maui TechOhana presentation featured Mary Anderson, president and owner of Lāhainā Brewing Company. TechOhana meetings provide opportunities for Maui County entrepreneurs and small business owners to network and learn tips and strategies that can be applied to their own business endeavors.
Until recently, Anderson’s company was doing business as Koholā Brewing, but she has changed strategy. She explained, “To honor sense of place, we will now be doing all business under Lāhainā Brewing Company.” Before Koholā, Anderson had over 20 years of experience in the technology sector, working in product strategy and marketing. She sits on the board of directors of private tech companies, including Soundskrit and Ora Graphene, and is also a board member for Maui United Way.
Anderson shared her story of growth and rebuilding since the Lahaina wildfires destroyed the brewery in 2023. “We were a small craft brewery, with award-winning local craft beer, situated in the heart of Lahaina,” she reminisced. “Losing our brewery meant we lost both our production facility and taproom. We then reached out to Kona Brewing on the Big Island, and with their amazing partnership, all the pieces fell into place.” Anderson continued, “We reopened a new taproom and restaurant in Wailea and a taproom located in Kulamalu Town Center in Pukalani. We also continue to seek out new partnerships, including with Merriman’s restaurants, to expand our reach and product offerings.”
Anderson’s advice for entrepreneurs is, “Define yourself, what success means to you, and have a great team to work with.” She spoke not only about grit, resilience, and her business strategy, but also about the importance of community. “Be a leader with aloha,” she added. “Find a nonprofit to contribute to, form connections and partnerships, and work together for betterment. Commitment to the community is a huge part of what has made Lāhainā Brewing successful.”
Attendee Mel Lozano with Ahimsa Sanctuary Farm said, “Anderson gave valuable insights about collaboration. I appreciate TechOhana meetings and how community-focused and educational they are.” Data analyst Matthew Rosenbalm agreed, saying, “As a young entrepreneur, I also appreciated Anderson’s business strategies. She encouraged me to always keep trying. TechOhana meetings are great for marketing advice and networking. Thanks, MEDB, for events that help us succeed.” For more information about past and upcoming Maui TechOhana events, visit https://www.medb.org/techohana/.
We will support anything as long as we are solving local problems. Together, we can actually make a difference in our communities.
-Mary Anderson, President and Owner, Lāhainā Brewing Company
Giving concerts for the community at various venues around the island, the Maui Community Band, a nonprofit ensemble, offers numerous performances throughout the year. The band is a diverse group of about 45 volunteer musicians, with members from all walks of life, including doctors, opera singers, car salesmen, bankers, teachers, hotel workers, and retirees. Many are also students from local intermediate and high schools who yearn for more performance experience and challenges. The rest are adults who enjoy maintaining their skills as well as mentoring the younger musicians. The band practices year-round at Iao Intermediate band room on Thursday evenings.
The current Maui Community Band Director, Ted Manzano, Jr., is a retired middle-school band teacher and performer with over 40 years of experience as a musician and educator. He joined the band as a musician in 2010 and accepted the director position in 2017, following in the footsteps of the late Lisa Owen, who founded the Maui Community Band in 2003 and was involved in the Maui music scene for over 30 years as a professional tuba player and conductor.
Manzano said, “We’re open to anyone who is interested in playing with us. Most of our members have instruments in their closets they just want to play. They hear about us through the grapevine, which helps fulfill our mission of being here for those who simply love to play music.”
The Community Band has a long-time relationship with the Arts Education for Children Group, who commissioned several original works for them. The band has also performed during the Lahaina 4th of July fireworks show. “We still try to perform in Lahaina,” Manzano noted. “Our fourth of July concert was always at the banyan tree; this past year it was in Kāʻanapali. We will surely perform somewhere on the West Side to be part of the support system for everyone. That’s why we’re here: to be Maui Strong!”
This holiday season, the Maui Community Band concert schedule includes performances on December 6, 3:45 pm at the Shops at Wailea, and December 13, 6:00 pm at South Maui Gardens. The Community Band’s performances are free to the public, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early as seating may be limited.
I love this band! The camaraderie among the musicians is phenomenal! We are currently practicing for our winter holiday concerts, which will be full of traditional music with some new surprises.
Ted Manzano, Jr., Director, Maui Community Band
The recent 2025 Sister Cities International Conference in Izumisano, Japan continued to build the already strong collaboration between Hawaiʻi and Japan. The event brought together Hawaiʻi’s state and county representatives with their counterparts from Japan. The event helps to facilitate communication with municipalities and expand Sister City relationships.
Sister Cities in different countries form long-term agreements to foster cultural, educational, business, and technical exchanges. The movement was championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower after World War II through Sister Cities International (SCI), founded in 1956 to advance peace, mutual respect, and understanding through citizen diplomacy and people-to-people partnerships.
“For me, it was a quick trip to Japan, but a wonderful one,” said Deidre Tegarden, Executive Director of the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center on Maui and recipient of the Nihon Bunka Award in 2023 for her work in promoting Japanese culture and heritage. “I was honored to represent Nisei Veterans as a speaker. The conference presented a Sister City exhibit with numerous attractions and, most importantly, new friends.”
Other speakers included Miku Narisawa of Odyssey Japan, who was instrumental in the Kibou (Hope) for Maui Project. Kibou for Maui brought students from Lahainaluna High School to Japan to learn about resilience, rebuilding, and hope from peers and leaders who suffered during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Now the support has come full-circle.
“At the end of my presentation, I was able to share how many of the returning Nisei veterans created and supported Sister Cities on Maui and across the State,” Tegarden said. “Their motto, ‘For Continuing Service,’ established an ongoing legacy of peace, hope, and human connections. There were many highlights to the conference, including an evening of taiko drumming and Fukushima Ondo kicked-off by Maui Taiko’s co-founder, Kay Fukumoto, who led the whole audience in a powerful and heartfelt performance. In addition, the Mayor of Izumisano shared his intent to come to Maui next year with his city’s taiko group.”
Our panel, ‘Helping Through Heartbreak,’ was about how Sister Cities come to each other’s aid after disasters. Of course, I spoke about the wave of support we received from Japan after the 2023 wildfires.
– Deidre Tegarden, Executive Director, Nisei Veterans Memorial Center
Makahiki, the ancient Hawaiian season known as the Hawaiian New Year, is a four-lunar-month period from October or November to February or March, depending on the year. The rising of Makaliʻi (the constellation also known as the Pleiades) at sunset marks the beginning of Makahiki, and the season is recognized as a time of harmony, plenty, relaxation, and Hawaiian-style games. It is also a time to honor the Hawaiian god Lono, who represents fertility, agriculture, and peace. Native Hawaiians have a unique relationship with land and culture deeply rooted in the concept of kuleana, a responsibility and privilege to care for and protect the land and the community to which they belong.
At family-run Nohoʻana Farm, situated on two acres of kuleana land (traditional ahupuaʻa management), Makahiki gratitude is observed as a way of life. “It is a time of reflection to hone our farming practice and to honor the bounty of what the ‘āina offers us,” said Hōkūao Pellegrino, owner and manager of Nohoʻana Farm. “Knowing the ‘āina provides all year long, we need to have a level of consciousness that shows gratitude for what Lono gives to us. Makahiki is about sharing and bringing the community together both for education and for fun events.”
Vincent Mina, co-owner of Kahanu ‘Āina Greens, also walks the talk and has boldly stepped into numerous leadership roles that allow him to teach residents how to transform food systems in Hawaiʻi. His longtime mission has been to promote life-nurturing practices for good health through education and outreach.
“Makahiki, a new year to share love, is a time of appreciation and gratefulness,” Mina reflected. “My vision is to bring the latest scientific research and Hawaiian regenerative agriculture practices for wellness and soil cultivation to the Maui farming community, and to raise awareness of the relationship between our bodies and the soil from which our food is grown.”
Today, the spirit of Makahiki is also celebrated through yearly events and traditions such as Festivals of Aloha. One of the next events, Wailuku First Friday on November 7 from 6pm to 9pm, will usher in a vibrant evening dedicated to community, culture, and connection to the land.
Wailuku First Friday will highlight the richness of Maui-made and Maui-grown offerings directly to the local ‘ohana.
Vincent Mina, Farmer and Co-owner, Kahanu ‘Āina Greens
