Land trust receives $106K for programs

Hawaii Land Trust recently received two grants from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs totaling $106,254 for programs and initiatives on Maui and Kauai from July 2021 through June 2022.

One of the grants will support iwi kupuna protection at Hawaii Land Trust’s 277-acre Waihe‘e Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge on Maui. The funding will support efforts to protect iwi kupuna from disinterment by restoring the native coastal ecosystem, empower Native Hawaiians to care for iwi, train Hawaii Land Trust staff and lineal descendants in the treatment and reinterment of iwi and ensure a secure temporary holding space for iwi until they can be properly reinterred.

“We are grateful for OHA’s support and dedication to community ‘aina stewardship as we work to permanently protect landscapes and provide ways for our communities to connect with ‘aina through education and care of cultural sites and iwi kupuna,” said Laura Kaakua, president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Land Trust.

As Hawaii’s statewide local nonprofit land trust, Hawaii Land Trust protects and stewards the lands that sustain Hawaii and teaches future generations to do the same. To date, it has protected more than 21,500 acres of land throughout Hawaii.