Keonepoko Students Begin a Restoration Journey

In late August, HER partnered with Kumu Danyel Erickson, a fourth-grade teacher at Keonepoko Elementary School in Pāhoa, to begin an exciting school-based restoration project. Kumu Danyel’s social studies curriculum focuses on Hawaiian culture, native plants and animals, and the geography of the Hawaiian Islands. After she reached out to HER, we worked together to organize a two-part program connecting classroom learning with hands-on mālama ʻāina.

HER President Jaya Dupuis visited four fourth-grade classes, reaching approximately 100 students, to share a presentation on ways we can mālama ʻāina, with a focus on the important differences between plant species in Hawaiʻi. Following the presentation, students potted hala seedlings in the Keonepoko greenhouse. These young hala keiki will be cared for by the students over the next several months in preparation for planting at Keauʻohana near the end of the semester in December.

Because of the number of students involved, the forest planting will be divided into two planting days, with two groups participating each day. The students were deeply engaged and full of enthusiasm as they learned about native plants and potted their hala keiki. The day was filled with curiosity, care, and fun, and we look forward to gathering again in December for the second part of this meaningful project together.