Reviving the Coastal Wetlands of Lokowaka in Hilo, Hawaiʻi
Help care for the ʻāina and restore Lokowaka Pond, a traditional Hawaiian loko iʻa, preserving Hawaiʻi’s unique natural and cultural legacy.
With each invasive plant removed, the land begins to breathe, water flows freely once more, and the loko iʻa tells its story—reviving a landscape and the balance within it that has long been hidden.
Embrace Aloha ʻĀina
The Lokowaka Pond complex—one of Hawai‘i’s traditional fishpond systems—is located in Hilo on the Island of Hawai‘i. It provides essential habitat for native species, including aquatic species, endangered waterbirds, and serves as a refuge for migratory and vagrant species.
People, too, are part of this living system—connected to the land, the water, and all the beings that depend on them. When we care for ʻāina, it responds in return, reminding us that healing the land is also a way of healing ourselves.
Our Approach
Lokowaka is ecologically and culturally significant. To protect its archaeological features and the many species that call it home, we avoid heavy machinery and rely on hand-held tools.
This labor-intensive approach requires time, patience, and many volunteers, but it has led to meaningful results: healthier native ecosystems, stronger connections between people and ʻāina, and visible change on the landscape. Even a few hours of work—though it may restore only a small area at a time—makes a real difference for the life that depends on Lokowaka.
Over the past five years, our focus on restoring habitat for native waterbirds has also benefited aquatic species. We are now expanding efforts to more directly support aquatic life as part of restoring Lokowaka as a functioning loko iʻa—a living system where water, plants, fish, and other aquatic species are interconnected.
The ʻāina continues to teach and guide us as we practice kilo (observation) to understand ecosystem health. This practice supports our growth as kiaʻi loko (guardians of the pond).
1,908+
Volunteers
8,650+
Hours
58
Organizations
15
Countries
Our Impact: Bringing Life Back
Life is returning to the wetlands. Within just three months of our restoration work, nēnē (Hawaiian geese) began visiting—and have been coming frequently ever since. About a year later, a pair of aeʻo (Hawaiian stilts) was observed, and the population of ʻalae keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian coots) doubled—clear proof that when we care for ʻāina, it comes back to life.
These changes are signs of a balanced ecosystem beginning to re-emerge—where water, plants, wildlife, and people exist in a more harmonious and resilient relationship.
Follow our journey and join our team. Together, we can achieve what once felt impossible by believing in the power of ʻāina and community.
Love volunteering days with ʻĀina Hoʻōla Initiative! Itʻs a chance to work hard, learn, get gross, see our native and endemic water fowl, work with great folks, and get some quality time with ʻāina. Never hurt we get to cool off at Kealoha with the honu.
Catarina Zaragoza
Hilo, Hawaiʻi
Mālama ʻĀina (caring for the land): Revitalize, Protect, Engage, Support
What are Coastal Wetlands?
A wetland is an area where the land is covered by water, or where the soil stays wet for long periods of time. From marshes and swamps to rivers, lakes, coastal lagoons, and estuaries, wetlands take many forms. Coastal wetlands are where land meets the sea—dynamic, transitional ecosystems regularly or seasonally flooded by fresh, brackish, or salt water. These environments support a rich diversity of plant and animal life adapted to wet soils, shifting salinity, and changing water levels.
At Lokowaka, these coastal wetland conditions form an estuarine pond complex supported by freshwater springs and surrounded by recovering marsh habitats.
Reviving Coastal Wetland Habitats
Hawaiʻi Island has lost about 75% of its historic low-elevation wetlands, mostly due to infill and development. Remaining wetlands are often degraded by invasive non-native plants.
In response, we are restoring vital habitat for threatened and endangered native birds, as well as migratory species, at the Lokowaka Pond complex in Hilo.
According to the 2024 Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture Strategic Plan, Lokowaka is identified as the highest-priority wetland restoration site on Hawaiʻi Island and ranks 11th in importance statewide.
What are Estuaries and Loko I'a?
Estuaries are coastal areas where freshwater from watersheds meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean. These dynamic, highly productive ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and provide critical habitat for juvenile fish, waterbirds, and invertebrates.
In Hawaiʻi, loko iʻa—traditional fishponds—are ancestral technologies designed to function in harmony with estuarine systems and sustain communities by enhancing naturally available resources, including species such as mullets that depend on estuaries during parts of their life cycle.
At Lokowaka, the estuary is primarily fed by freshwater springs and characterized by very low salinity, contributing to its unique ecological richness.
Reviving Estuarine Habitats and Loko Iʻa Systems
A 1990 survey documented 488 loko iʻa sites across the Hawaiian Islands. Over time, many became degraded, overgrown, or filled in for development.
Today, stewardship groups across Hawaiʻi are actively working to restore and steward these culturally and ecologically important systems. At the Lokowaka Pond complex, we are removing invasive plants that have been encroaching into the ponds.
What Is a Balanced Ecosystem?
A balanced ecosystem is one in which all forms of life—including people—exist in relationship with the land and water in a way that can be sustained over time.
It is characterized by biodiversity, interconnected food webs, and the ability to recover from change. In a balanced system, nothing exists in isolation—each element supports and is supported by the others.
Restoring Ecological Balance
At Lokowaka, this balance is not something we impose, but something we help restore. By caring for the ʻāina—removing invasive species, improving water flow, and supporting native plants, waterbirds, and aquatic life—we are working to reestablish the relationships that allow this system to thrive.
