Indigenous Knowledge & Soil Science to Restore ʻĀina Momona

By Kawika Winter, PhD, and Tai McCellan Maaz, PhD
Presented October 30, 2024
The Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), designated in 2017, is a collaborative research effort between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, NOAA, and four Native Hawaiian organizations. A key goal is co-developing research and co-producing knowledge to support biocultural restoration. In 2023, the Hawaiʻi Soil Health Hui introduced a soil health test based on a comprehensive set of indicators, calibrated from a survey of Hawaiian soils. The Hui aims to develop affordable soil health assessments for Hawaiʻi's diverse soils and land uses while linking soil management practices to measurable health improvements. Practitioner input is critical for refining recommendations. Since 2018, Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi, a Heʻeia NERR partner, has worked with the Hui to monitor soil health at Puʻulani Agroforest, with efforts now expanding to nearby wetland agroecosystems. This collaboration integrates Indigenous knowledge with soil science to enhance understanding of soil health's role in restoring ʻāina momona (sustainable food abundance) in Hawaiʻi.