Mālama ‘Āina

Pictured above: Summer Solstice

Each year, ALOHA Collection donates 5% of profits to a Hawai‘i-based conservation organization as a way to give back to the community and to help preserve the cultural heritage and natural beauty of our home.

Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to donate to Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, Kīpuka Kuleana, Kua‘aina Ulu ‘Aumamo, and KAHEA – The Hawaiian Environmental Alliance and Livable Hawai‘i Kai Hui

We wanted to share the experience with you, our ‘Ohana, so we asked Tina Aiu, who manages the community programs, to bring one of the projects to life for us.

Pictured above: View of Hāwea Heiau Complex and Keawāwa Wetland

A Call to Mālama ‘Āina (Care for the Land) - By Tina Aiu

For those of us who live in Hawai‘i, being outside on the ‘āina (land) is just part of our lifestyle. Growing up on Kaua‘i, family picnics on the beach, nature walks in the forest, and backyard kanikapila sessions were almost weekly rituals. Then suddenly trails were closed, beaches were off-limits, and gatherings were prohibited. Now more than ever, we can appreciate the value of being on the ‘āina and coming together as a community. 

The ‘āina provides us with so much. In Hawai‘i, we are fortunate to have clean water to drink, places to grow food, natural beauty that nourishes our spirits, and a rich cultural heritage that is the heart of aloha. Over the last few months, we’ve had time to look inward and reflect upon the things in our lives that matter most. All this time indoors has reaffirmed a deep kuleana (responsibility) that we all have to give back to the place we love so much.

In the spirit of mālama ʻāina, this year ALOHA Collection donated to Livable Hawai‘i Kai Hui (“the Hui”) – an Oʻahu based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is doing amazing work to preserve Hawaiian land and provide opportunities for people to mālama ʻāina.

In addition to reviving agricultural lands in Kamilonui Valley and protecting 181 acres of mountain lands along the Ka Iwi coast from development, the Hui has taken on the kuleana of caring for Hāwea Heiau Complex and Keawāwa Wetland. 

Located in Maunalua, commonly referred to as Hawai‘i Kai, the Heiau and Wetland were once slated to be developed into amenities for a high rise condominium complex. More than ten years ago, the community came together in peaceful protest of the development. Eventually, the Hui was able to work with the developer and, with assistance from county, state, and non-profit partners, purchased the land to protect it in perpetuity for the benefit of the public. Since then, thousands of community members, students, and visitors alike have come to Hāwea and Keawāwa to learn, experience, and be a part of the care and protection of this remarkable cultural treasure.

As we emerge from our homes and get back to being outside, we hope residents and visitors to Hawai‘i will take the time to mālama places like Hāwea and Keawāwa. The Hui will be launching new volunteer opportunities in the coming months. To learn how you can give back by volunteering on the land, email directors@hawaiikaihui.org. To participate in the Hui’s hale build education program, email tina.aiu@gmail.com. To donate to the Hui, visit https://www.hawaiikaihui.org/contact-donate-links/.

RECIPIENTS OF ALOHA COLLECTION’S GIVEBACK

2015 - Hawaiian Islands Land Trust

2016 - Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (Maunawila Heiau Project)

2017 & 2018 - Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (Maunawila Heiau Project); Kīpuka Kuleana; Conservation Council for Hawaiʻi

2019 - KAHEA - the Hawaiian Environmental Alliance (Mauna Kea Legal Defense Fund) ; Livable Hawaiʻi Kai Hui; Kuaʻaina Ulu ʻAuamo

2020 -Livable Hawaiʻi Kai Hui (Kamilonui Valley ʻOhana Gardens Program); Kuaʻaina Ulu ʻAuamo, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (Makaʻalae Project); The Trust for Public Land Hawaiian Islands Program

2021 - The Trust for Public Land and Mālama Huleia (Alakoko Fishpond); Kuaʻaina Ulu ʻAuamo (Year of the Limu Campaign); Livable Hawaiʻi Kai Hui (Kamilonui ʻOhana Gardens Program & Land Acquisition Fund); Kīpuka Kuleana; Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (Mahukona Project); Molokaʻi Land Trust; Hoʻokuaʻaina; Kaluakalana; Kauaʻi Historical Society.