Helping a Lāhainā Community Rebuild with Reef-Friendly Landscaping After the Wildfire

After losing four buildings in the Lāhainā wildfire, the residents of Kahoma Village turned to the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) to help revitalize their community by using Reef-Friendly Landscaping (RFL) at a beloved park space bordered by the burned buildings. 

The park has served as a hub for the residents and was used for informal gatherings and celebrations. As part of the rebuild process after the 2023 fires, the community wants to use RFL to create a welcoming space for healing and resiliency in the ongoing recovery process. 

Through the generosity of a grant from the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife program, MNMRC has been working with the community for over a year on plans to revitalize the park by installing fruit trees, shrubs, ground cover, and native plants in combination with the application of a locally-made compost tea and biochar. Our RFL program emphasizes using native plants and natural products like the ones planned for Kahoma Village to increase soil health, reduce erosion, and minimize the amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides that wash onto local reefs. MNMRC has also been coordinating with partners like Native Nursery in Kula to grow plants that will be installed at Kahoma Village, including loulu lelo, ʻulu, and wiliwili.  

“We are honored to be helping our friends at Kahoma Village revitalize the park space that is so important to their community,” said Program Director, Jill Wirt. “Not only will it bring back an important place in West Maui but it will also protect local reefs because residents here are so committed to using practices that are healthier for the land and ocean.” 

With the community standing behind reef-friendly landscaping, there is potential for an even greater impact by connecting land to sea. Wirt says that residents have expressed an interest in exploring coral restoration downstream of Kahoma Village near Mala Wharf. MNMRC already does water quality testing in the area and will continue doing reef surveys to see if there is an opportunity to connect land and water-based efforts on a larger scale. 

In the meantime, the first group of plants are scheduled to be installed by residents at a Community Planting Day on April 26. The public is invited to join the event and the community is looking for volunteers on Friday, April 25 to help prepare the park and plants for the next day.

There is has a big vision for what the space will do and be like once current construction ends and all plants are installed by the end of 2025 or early in 2026. People will be able to pick mangoes and avocados, host events, and even attend Reef-Friendly Landscaping workshops. Residents will continue to gather at the park for all kinds of occasions and the children in the community will continue to play there. It will continue being a major hub for all Kahoma Village residents, bringing a renewed sense of kuleana for the new plants. 

 

 

Sign up to volunteer on April 25 or 26!