Honoring Earth Day through Mālama ʻĀina at Hāwea Heiau and Keawāwa Wetland

For generations, this area has served as a place for cultural practice, ceremony, and learning. Today, it continues to provide opportunities for community members to reconnect with ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge) while helping to restore and care for the land.

The site also includes a spring-fed wetland that plays a critical role in improving water quality, supporting native species, and managing stormwater runoff in a highly urbanized region. The wetland provides habitat for native and endangered species, such as ‘alae ‘ula (Hawaiian moorhen or gallinule) and contributes to the overall health of the Maunalua watershed.

“Caring for places like Hāwea Heiau and Keawāwa Wetland requires long-term commitment and strong community partnerships,” said Van Matsushige, division chief of DHLM’s Conservation Office. “These spaces carry deep cultural meaning, and through events like Mālama ʻĀina Day, we’re able to bring people together not only to restore the land, but to strengthen that connection between people, place, and history.”

For more information about the Clean Water and Natural Lands Program, visit: https://www.honolulu.gov/dhlm/cwnl/