Hawaii Island (Kailapa) Vegetative Fuels Management Collaborative Action Planning Workshop

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Fire follows fuel. On February 26 at the Hawaii Innovation Center in Hilo, we convened a huge group of 48 people on Hawaii Island representing a patchwork of different agencies, groups, and organizations across a variety of fields to come together to plan for collaborative, large-scale vegetation management to reduce wildfire risks throughout the island. This was part of a series of workshops on Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island we held in February on this matter (we had a similar meeting on Maui in 2018). Big mahalo to the Kailapa community, a nationally recognized Firewise Community on Hawaiian Home Lands in Kawaihae, for hosting us at their beautiful new pavilion.

During the workshop, participants:

• Checked out the results of recent efforts to map current management of hazardous vegetative fuels (thanks to all of the information that partners contributed).

• Identified and discussed shared regional fuels management priorities to mitigate the risks of wildfire across our island landscapes through a facilitated series of small and large group conversations.

Marking values at risk and important areas for risk reduction.

Sharing ideas for next step priority actions.

Voting for priority project ideas.

The knowledge and priorities of the participants will contribute to planning next steps in the ongoing collaboration to manage vegetative fuels to reduce wildfire and protect our communities and natural resources.

We are all in this together and it takes all of us!

Stay tuned via our website, social media, and e-newsletter (sign up at the bottom of this page) for final project-related products before this summer.

Mahalo DOFAW, UH CTAHR Cooperative Extension / Pacific Fire Exchange for co-organizing with us.

Hawaii Island (Hilo) Vegetative Fuels Management Collaborative Action Planning Workshop

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Fire follows fuel. On February 22 at the Hawaii Innovation Center in Hilo, we convened a large group of 20 people on Hawaii Island representing a patchwork of different agencies, groups, and organizations across a variety of fields to come together to plan for collaborative, large-scale vegetation management to reduce wildfire risks throughout the island. This was part of a series of workshops on Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island we held in February on this matter (we had a similar meeting on Maui in 2018).

During the workshop, participants:

• Checked out the results of recent efforts to map current management of hazardous vegetative fuels (thanks to all of the information that partners contributed).

• Identified and discussed shared regional fuels management priorities to mitigate the risks of wildfire across our island landscapes through a facilitated series of small and large group conversations.

Mayor Harry Kim sharing about the importance of fuels management for public safety.

Marking values at risk and areas for fuels treatments.

Chief Eric Moller pointing out values at risk at PTA.

The knowledge and priorities of the participants will contribute to planning next steps in the ongoing collaboration to manage vegetative fuels to reduce wildfire and protect our communities and natural resources.

We are all in this together and it takes all of us!

Stay tuned via our website, social media, and e-newsletter (sign up at the bottom of this page) for final project-related products before this summer.

Mahalo DOFAW, UH CTAHR Cooperative Extension / Pacific Fire Exchange for co-organizing with us.

Special thank you to Mayor Harry Kim, Chief Moller from US Army-Garrison, FES and Chief Okinaka from Hawaii Fire Department for joining us at the workshop.

Hilo Vegetative Fuels Management Mapping Workshop with DOFAW

Mapping with DOFAW representatives in Hilo.

As a hub of wildfire protection efforts across the Hawaiian Islands, we are always looking for ways to bring people together to solve some of our most complex wicked problems. The Hawaiian Islands have been struggling with invasive species spread for decades, but now we are seeing what happens when invasive flammable plants take over the landscape and allow fires to spread more quickly and over larger areas. By controlling or managing flammable vegetation at the landscape-level, we can make great strides towards reducing the wildfire risk on our islands.

That’s why HWMO is coordinating a statewide vegetative fuels management mapping project — a rapid assessment to understand the vegetation management needs and priorities of landowners and land managers throughout the Hawaiian Islands. DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and University of Hawaii CTAHR Cooperative Extension are key partners in the effort.

The vision for the project is that the resulting maps will lead to 1) better prioritization and communication of vegetative fuels management on the landscape-scale and 2) enhance project coordination between organizations and funding opportunities.

On September 18, we linked up with DOFAW for a workshop in Hilo to map current and desired vegetation management activities. Activities could include any vegetation reduction or conversion projects such as roadside mowing, fuelbreaks, grazing rotations, clearing around structures or power poles, brush abatement or thinning, tree trimming, loi restoration, agriculture, and native forest restoration.

Puuwaawaa Bio-Cultural Blitz 2018

Pablo Akira Beimler leads students through an activity to learn about the mauka to makai impacts of wildfire.

Our dry forests are so critical to the health of our leeward areas in Hawaii. It’s no wonder that so many organizations working to protect the dry forests came together on March 9th at Puuwaawaa to outreach with hundreds of students. Puuwaawaa was formed over 110,000 years ago and is home to a rich diversity of native plants and animals — which are all at risk of devastating wildfires that have burned through the area before. HWMO held a booth to talk about the mauka to makai (summit-to-sea) impacts of wildfire with smiling and interested keiki from all over the island.

Wildfire Preparedness Month ʻOhana Day at Kipuka Oweowe

Preparing plants and field equipment for a day of planting and wildfire discussion at Kipuka Oweowe in Puʻuwaʻawaʻa.

To wrap up a busy May of wildfire readiness events, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s Nāpuʻu Conservation Project held an official Wildfire Preparedness Month event at Kīpuka Oweowe in Puʻuwaʻawaʻa. Each month, Nāpuʻu holds an ʻOhana Day, inviting volunteers to come plant a variety of native species, common and rare/endangered, in the lama-dominated forest restoration project.

This month’s ʻOhana Day was wrapped into Wildfire Preparedness Month. HWMO’s Pablo Beimler joined volunteers in the morning by helping plant natives in the beautiful, peaceful forest setting. As part of a potluck lunch, Pablo then shared background on the history of wildfires and fire management in the Puʻuwaʻawaʻa region. Others talked story about their experiences with fire in the area. It was great to spend time in the forest with good people who were all forest stewards and truly embodied Mālama ʻĀina. They also walked away with more knowledge on wildfires and fire preparedness, as well as Wildfire Lookout! and Ready Set Go! materials.

We thank everyone who participated in a fun and successful Wildfire Preparedness Month this May!

HWMO's Beach Party for Wildfire Awareness

Hawaii Island Seed Bank, Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance, and Big Island Invasive Species Committee joined HWMO in setting up information booths at the event. Credit: DLNR

For this year’s National Community Wildfire Preparedness Day, on May 6, HWMO thew a Beach Party to raise awareness on wildfires and their impacts on our lands, water, and communities. The Beach Party for Wildfire Awareness was held at the Old Kona Airport at the first beach pavilion. We had a number of fun classes, presentations, and activities for keiki. 

Classes included two yoga classes, a morning session with Chelsea Morriss of Soul Happy Wellness, and an afternoon one with Rachel Forsberg. HWMO’s very own Melissa Kunz taught a swing dance class that kept the hype up in the morning. There was also a kids capoeira class held by Mario Hill from Capoeira Agua de Beber - UCA Hawaii. Most of the kids that participated were completely new to the Brazilian martial art / dance. Following the class, a group of capoeiristas from various parts of the island joined in for a capoeira and samba drum performance.

Melissa Kunz teaching a swing dance class.

Capoeira workshop and performances thanks to Capoeira Agua de Beber - UCA Hawaii and friends.

Yoga with Rachel Forsberg.

Morning yoga with Chelsea Morriss.

Several presentations were held in the pavilion that exposed visitors to different partners of HWMO that are doing amazing work to restore our native forests and protect our watersheds. Hawaii Island Seed Bank, Big Island Invasive Species Committee, and Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance shared about their organizations to audiences of various age levels. Those same organizations also set-up information booths, which attracted many visitors, as well. 

Chief Eric Moller speaking about the importance of fire prevention during the Wildfire Lookout! launch event.

A major highlight of the event was a press conference to launch the statewide wildfire campaign called Wildfire Lookout! Speakers included State Representative Cindy Evans and Chief Eric Moller of U.S. Army-Garrison, Fire & Emergency Services who both stressed the importance of fire prevention to protect our islands. Executive Director of HWMO, Elizabeth Pickett, also spoke to the visitors of the event on the importance of preparing far in advance of peak fire season. DLNR Senior Communications Director, Dan Dennison, flew from Oahu to film the press conference, as well as other activities at the start of the day. You can watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/216343233

HWMO’s crafty project assistant, Tom Loomis, set-up a few fun games for keiki including a mini golf course, home defensible space ring toss, and pachinko board to win HWMO prizes. Hawaii Fire Department brought a fire truck for kids to explore and Big Island Goat Dozers brought a goat for kids to pet. 

Wildland firefighter dress up and HFD fire engine exploring.

Various activities for keiki including mini golf.

Flyer for Party for Wildfire Awareness

Visitors had a chance to grind on some ono food from Just the Two of Us Chicken and Waffles and Cool Runnings Food Truck. The Selassie Ites wrapped up the event with a jammin' reggae performance.

A series of door prizes were also awarded throughout the day thanks to our list of generous sponsors: Foster’s Kitchen, Daylight Mind Coffee Company, Kona Haven Coffee, Capoeira Agua de Beber, Soul Happy Wellness, The Original Donkey Balls Store, and Hawaii Water Service Company. 

A big mahalo to these sponsors as well as everyone else mentioned above who made the event possible, including our volunteers, staff, and board members!

People's Climate Movement in Kona

HWMO's Pablo Beimler at the HWMO outreach booth. Credit - Val Barnes

Climate change has already changed the Hawaiian Islands and will continue to do so in the future. It will take all of us to connect the dots and come together for adapting our communities for what lies ahead. One such climate change impact is the increase in conditions ripe for wildfires in Hawaiʻi. To help build this awareness, HWMO joined as one of many information booths at the People’s Climate Movement in Kailua-Kona organized by Rally for Common Ground. Hundreds of people from all walks of life joined the event, which kicked off with a march through downtown Kona.

At HWMO’s booth, following the march, we distributed our new “Climate Change Impacts on Wildfires in Hawaiʻi” flyers, as well as Ready Set Go! and Wildfire Lookout! materials. The overall positive atmosphere gave us hope that our island could come together to tackle challenging climate issues such as wildfire. 

PFX Field Tour of Puʻu Waʻawaʻa

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Starting the field tour in a circle at the baseyard at the foot of Puʻu Waʻawaʻa

Pacific Fire Exchange (PFX) continued to ramp up its ongoing effort to connect researchers and managers with a field tour of Puʻu Waʻawaʻa on Saturday, February 25. DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) played host to over 35 participants, many of whom were involved in the conservation field in Hawaiʻi, including HWMO representatives, but even some who were just curious to learn more about the preserve and native dryland forests. The PFX Field Tour was a follow-up to the Nāhelehele Dry Forest Symposium, which was held the day before in Kailua-Kona. 

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Leila Dudley, DOFAW, with Hualalai in the background, shares moʻolelo about Puʻu Waʻawaʻa and its surrounding areas.

The tour kicked off at the Puʻu Waʻawaʻa Baseyard where hundreds of new native plant keiki were housed. After exploring the nursery, the group caravanned up to the Puʻu Waʻawaʻa Cinder Cone summit for a spectacular view of Hualālai, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and the lands and ocean below it. Although the vog was particularly thick that day, we could still make out the outlines of the breathtaking giants that loomed over the cinder cone. Leilā Dudley, who works at the preserve with DOFAW, told an animated moʻolelo (history, tradition) about the connections between the place names and the people tied to them in North Kona. Clay Trauernicht, Co-Coordinator of PFX, shed light on the importance of understanding these stories in order to discuss proper management of these lands and the motivations behind the restoration and preservation of them. Puʻu Waʻawaʻa is the most diverse forest in Hawaiʻi and there are endless reasons for protecting and restoring the area. Wildfire has been a major driver of change for Puʻu Waʻawaʻa, and thus, the theme of the day was how to manage the landscape to keep wildfires at bay.

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Clay Trauernicht (right) and Chris Wada (second from right) share economic analyses in front of a koa restoration plot. 

At the next stop, the Waihou Exclosure, Elliott Parsons, DOFAW, gave background on the large koa restoration plot in the upper reaches of the forest preserve. Chris Wada, University of Hawaiʻi, entered the conversation with an economic analyses on the prioritization of areas for restoration in order to reduce landscape flammability and restore groundwater recharge. Lunch soon followed at the cool and misty Forest Bird Sanctuary (indeed, the chorus of bird songs was a highlight). HWMO’s Pablo Beimler shared a brief history of the organization’s work in the area — Puʻu Waʻawaʻa and its wildfire issues helped spur the creation of HWMO in the early 2000’s. Much of the lessons we had learned in Puʻu Waʻawaʻa are what we continue to carry with us as we expand our work statewide and into the Western Pacific.

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Field tour participants awestruck by the thriving native forest at Kīpuka Oweowe.

After lunch, the group stopped at the 25 Mile Marker Road overlook to talk about valuation of landscapes and elevation gradients. We stopped midway down the final stretch of road to the highway to examine a stand of lama trees, Hawaiian persimmons that are endemic to Hawaiʻi. The plot the group stopped to look at was overgrown with dense and flammable grasses and shrubs, as well as invasive silver oaks. To contrast this plot, DOFAW led us to the final stop at the Kīpuka Oweowe dry forest restoration site. There, the tour participants gathered and then wandered off to explore the many native dryland plant delights. Careful and persistent management of fire fuels (mostly fountain grass) on the aʻaʻ lava flow, along with hours upon hours of volunteer help, has led to a thriving native forest reflective of what once covered the North Kona landscape. As we sampled the lama berries, honed in on uhiuhi flowers, and inquired about native rare plants we had never seen before, we were reminded of just how beautiful Hawaii’s native forests were and why we must continue to bring all stakeholders to the table to ensure the forests that do remain (or are being restored) are protected from wildfire. 

A big mahalo to Melissa Kunz and Clay Trauernicht and to the forest preserve staff of DOFAW for an incredible and worthwhile tour. We are sure the others in the group agree!

Pu'u Wa'awa'a Field Tour

Wildfire management in Pu'u Wa'awa'a was an important focus for many of our organization's founding board members.  Now, over 16 years later, we still find the area of utmost priority and continue to build our relationship with the area's managers and nearby community members. DLNR Division of Forestry & Wildlife own and manage most of the land in the area and have been putting great effort into restoring the watershed, while also taking measures to protect critical habitat from wildfire. 

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Edith Adkins (center) shares management maps with the group.

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The group prepares to examine DOFAW's fuelbreaks and priority wildfire hazard areas.

DOFAW land managers tasked with protecting Pu'u Wa'awa'a's native forests invited HWMO's technical advisors to discuss and brainstorm next steps toward achieving some of the more challenging fire mitigation goals along the highway and community boundaries. HWMO technical advisors provided their expertise in addressing the WUI-based issues in the area. Neighboring land managers from private estates were also invited to be a part of the tour.

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HWMO's staff, Board of Directors, and Technical Advisors with DLNR DOFAW and adjacent land managers.

On July 20th, 2016, a group of HWMO staff, Board of Directors, and Technical Advisors teamed up with DOFAW representatives at the beautiful Pu'u Wa'awa'a preserve. Because of HWMO’s long-standing history of wildfire management in Pu'u Wa'awa'a, our team had plenty to share in terms of lessons learned and input that will help DOFAW work towards their wildfire management goals. It was an exciting day to be out in the field and another strengthening of the invaluable bond between HWMO, its partners, and DOFAW to protect special places such as Pu'u Wa'awa'a.

Governor Ige Community Connect in Kona

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Melissa Kunz (HWMO/PFX) talks to community members at the outreach table.

The Governor of Hawaii, David Ige, who took office in 2014, paid a visit to Kailua-Kona along with his cabinet members to hold a town hall meeting with West Hawaii community members. Pablo Beimler, HWMO Community Outreach Coordinator, and Melissa Kunz, HWMO/PFX Coordination Assistant, set-up an outreach booth next to the registration tables to get people informed about wildfire readiness. Many of the over 100 attendees of the event stopped by the table to pick up a copy of the Ready, Set, Go! Wildland Fire Action Guide or to share their research needs with Melissa. Even David Smith, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife Administrator, stopped by to offer his input. Various community members shared previous close-calls with wildfires in their neighborhoods. The mix of people and stakeholders made the event a worthwhile one for HWMO and PFX to be a part of.