Moʻokuapā
E ala mai!
E naue mai me he pōhaku kaʻa la
E onipaʻa mai me he kuapā la
E kū mau loa!
E nā hoaloha ʻāina .... Saturday December 13, 2025 will be a historic day. A day to build, a day to connect, a day to regenerate. Heʻeia Fishpond is home to the longest kuapā (fishpond wall) in the entire pae ʻāina. It has stood strong for 800 years but the last century left it in disrepair. Now, after 25+ years of restoration, we have nearly reached our goal of complete restoration of the 7,000 foot long wall.
Join us on December 13th to finish the restoration and connect Heʻeia Fishpond's kuapā in a complete circle! Connecting the past to the present with a promise for 800 more years.
Important Things to Know
What is Happening?
Huli ka Lima i Lalo
December 13th will be a day to turn our hands, energy, and focus to the loko iʻa. All participants will help finish the last 300 feet of kuapā. Like our kūpuna did 800 years ago, we will stand in lines and pass coral from large piles to their final resting places in the kuapā.
Participants will rotate through a few other hana (tasks) including invasive plant removal, native plant restoration, and digging an ʻauwai (water channel) into the loko.
The event will close with oli, mele, and a Heʻeia-sourced lunch to restore everyones energy.
Who's Gunna Be There?
Eia nā pulapula a ʻoukou ʻo ka lāhui Hawaiʻi
You, of course! If you made it to this website then you are curious at the minimum and ALL IN at the maximum!
Our goal is to recruit 2,000 people to join us on Dec 13th! This event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. Please be prepared to komo i ka hana (join the work).
Loko iʻa were built by the community, for the community, and we are excited to continue that tradition with Moʻokuapā. If you live nearby or will travel to us from across the Pacific, you are a part of our community.
Come by yourself, bring your family, or organize a group.
Why?
"O na loko ia, oia kekahi mau mea hoohiluhilu o ka aina"
Hawaiian historian, Samuel Manaiakalani Kamakau, famously wrote that fishponds were things that beautified the land, and a land with many ponds was fertile and productive. This quote motivates us daily as we work for ʻāina momona (abundance) and pono (balance) at our loko. Today that entails restoring water flow, teaching community, tackling invasives, supporting natives, growing food, and sharing food grown at the loko.
This event is a momentous occasion - completing the restoration of Heʻeia Fishpond's 7,000 foot long kuapā. It is a continuation of eight centuries of relationships between people and place. And a promise to continue those relationships.
The more we share our aloha ʻāina through collective work, the more healthy we become both individually and as a community. Join hands with us on Dec 13th as we become a part of the next 800 years of abundance and balance in Heʻeia.
