Cultivating Youth and Community Resiliency: A Community Science Approach to Land Stewardship for Wildfire Mitigation in Maui, Hawaiʻi

Project Overview

In August of last year, I submitted a proposal to the Citizen Science in Conservation Fellowship program. This collaborative project is titled “Cultivating Youth and Community Resiliency: A Community Science Approach to Land Stewardship for Wildfire Mitigation in Maui, Hawaiʻi”. Through this project, we seek to address a global environmental and social issue -wildfire- through a place-based, culturally responsive, and culturally sustaining, curriculum. 

Partners and Supporters

This project is the result of a collaborative effort involving several key partners: Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) Cultural Practitioners and local ecologists from Kipuka Olowalu (a watershed nonprofit), field ecology high school students at Kīhei Charter School (based in Maui); education faculty members at UC Davis; faculty researchers and members at the Center for Community and Citizen Science. By bringing together diverse expertise, we are developing and implementing a transdisciplinary field ecology curriculum in response to the devastating wildfires that left an indelible mark on the island’s landscape and communities in August 2023. 

This project has received support from the Citizen Science in Conservation Fellowship program, the Public Scholars for the Future Program through the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement, the Public Impact Research Initiative Grant also part of the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement, and the UC Davis School of Education. The generous funding and invaluable support from these organizations have been crucial in providing the necessary resources, expertise, and guidance to successfully develop this community-based initiative.

Activities

Throughout the next academic year (2024-2025), participating students will engage in field investigations with Kipuka Olowalu. During these hands-on experiences, students will collect data on native and invasive plant species, remove flammable invasive grasses, and plant native drought-resistant species. By actively participating in these land stewardship and cultural practices, students will gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of maintaining a resilient ʻāina (land) and understanding the history of the land through moʻolelo (stories), moʻokūʻauhau (genealogy), and Hawaiian epistemology.

To further raise awareness of land stewardship strategies for wildfire mitigation, and community resilience, students will create media projects, such as public service announcements (PSAs), toward the end of the school year. These projects will allow students to share their findings and experiences with the broader community, promoting collective resilience. 

Intended Outcomes

The expected outcomes of this initiative include an increase in the abundance of native plants, a reduction in the presence of flammable invasive grasses, and an enhancement of students’ knowledge and skills in land stewardship, vegetation monitoring, and Traditional Ecological practices.

Assessing Impact

To assess the impact of the project on students’ personal growth and evolving connections to land, community, and culture, students will be invited to engage in pre- and post-program written narratives. These reflections will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the program in fostering student identity, well-being, and place-based connections.

Implications 

This project emphasizes the importance of addressing community needs through place-based, culturally responsive education. By integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge and fostering community partnerships, this project serves as a model for locally relevant environmental education that contributes to collective resilience.

As the project progresses, the findings will inform best practices and future initiatives at the intersections of community science, culturally responsive pedagogy, and youth agency.