Our Path to Stewardship
Dedicated to Hawaiian fishponds, Hui Hoʻoleimaluō was founded by Kamala Warren, Manoa Johansen, and Nāhōkū Kahana in 2014. Our mission to restoring loko iʻa along the Keaukaha coastline continues to foster a thriving community through the stewardship of these vital ecosystems. In 2019, the organization achieved official nonprofit status further solidifying its commitment to hands-on education, community advocacy, and place-based natural resource management.
Hui Hoʻoleimaluō’s practices are guided by the writings and teachings of the Malo ʻohana of Waiuli, the original caretakers of Honokea Loko in Keaukaha. This deep connection originating from David Kauikoaole Malo’s family legacy ensures that cultural practices are preserved and passed down here in Hilo. The families ancestral knowledge rooted in traditional resource stewardship and sustainable marine management, help shape the organization’s approach to caring for loko iʻa.
Since its inception, Hui Hoʻoleimaluō has engaged over 5,000 individuals, including local and international community members, students and educators. Our initiatives primarily provide outdoor classroom space and learning opportunities for grades 3-12, organize community maintenance events, and programs that build STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) skills through activities like water quality monitoring and species repopulation.
ʻElika Jardin
Papahana Puakahīnano Program Director
From the shores of Piʻilani, ʻElika moved to Hilo about 15 years ago in pursuit of her degree at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Since 2010, she has called Hilo home and since earned a Bachelor's of Art in Hawaiian Studies and Marine Science. Her passion for Hawaiʻi-based education led her to a Masters of Education in Curriculum Studies at the University of Mānoa, and has since been dedicated to creating educational experiences for keiki and communities to connect to ʻāina.
Nāhōkū Kahana
Papahana Puakahīnano Educational Coordinator
Native to Hilo and its many flowing rivers, Nāhōkū was raised deeply rooted in community. Her strong sense of family has led her to pursuing her undergraduate education with a B.A. in Anthropology and a certificate in Beekeeping at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and then becoming a graduate of the Kahoʻiwai Center for Adult Teaching and Learning.
Manoa Johansen
Arts and Cultural Specialist
With a strong genealogical connection to Hawaiʻi Island, Manoa comes from the Hilo area famous for its heavy and fertile rains. His place-based upbringing has influenced him to pursue his education and obtain an Associates degree in Hawaiian Lifestyles with a focus on Cultural Fishery Management from Hilo’s Hawaiʻi Community College and a B.A. in Geography from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.
Kamala Warren
Executive Director
Born and raised on the island of Hawaii, Kamala grew up at Waiuli, Keaukaha. She earned a Bachelorʻs of science degree in Agriculture: specialty in aquaculture and a Master’s of Science in the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.