When I was in Hawaii on the Island of Oahu in October of 2025 I met a woman who works for an organization called Ipu o Lono with Hoʻoulu ʻĀina and I was able to volunteer one day in their community garden. Their website describes their work as follows “Our kūpuna knew and celebrated the importance of food. IpuoLono workdays continue this ancestral celebration. Work with our Mahi ʻĀina staff in the garden to feed our community. Help and learn to care for space and soil – feeding, amending, and shaping garden beds as well as pulling weeds and feeding compost piles. The work is based on the ancestral imagery of a calabash (the ipu gourd) full of food, and focuses on connection, nourishment, and reciprocity Hoʻoulu ʻĀina | Ipu-o-Lono. ”
I spent the morning weeding the garden. We removed invasive plants to make space for the native plants that help feed the community to grow. I learned that they repurpose the invasive plants and are able to use them to make furniture and other things. It was such an honor to be able to give back and not just visit. To learn how they honor and care for the earth. I liked how they talked about how everything is connected and now the earth knows and recognizes us from our effort to take care of it. I left with a very full heart and feeling grateful for the unique opportunity volunteering provided.
Here are some ways to support their efforts:
If you’re ever visiting Oahu: To participate in Hoʻoulu ʻĀina’s Ipu o Lono mahi ʻāina-based programming, sign up for their weekly community workdays held every Monday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM Hoʻoulu ʻĀina Instagram. The program operates out of their 74-acre nature preserve in the back of Kalihi Valley, Oʻahu Roots Kalihi Valley.
Main Website: https://www.rootskalihi.com/
Link to where I volunteered:
https://www.rootskalihi.com/gardens-roots-kkv
https://www.rootskalihi.com/roots-blog-roots-kkv/2024/3/22/ipu-o-lono
Donate: https://www.rootskalihi.com/donate
