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University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Ka Papa Loʻi

Ka Papa Loʻi o Punaluʻu is a satellite location for the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Ka Papa Loʻi o Kānewai Center in the Hawaiian School of Knowledge. The area consists of eleven loʻi on two acres about one mile up the main farm road in Punaluʻu Valley. The program’s curriculum focuses on the Hawaiian relationship with Hāloa through the cultivation of kalo and traditional ahupuaʻa management values. The loʻi at Punaluʻu serve as a seed bank for UH’s collection of kalo varieties; the loʻi in Punaluʻu are particularly valuable as they are free from apple snails, a significant pest that reduces the amount of usable kalo in many kalo-growing regions in Hawaiʻi.

The day-to-day activities of Ka Papa Loʻi provide cultural, educational and scientific learning experiences through interpretive tours and hands-on practical tasks. Activities focus on proper maintenance of the loʻi. Just over half of the program’s participants are of elementary school age, and the majority of those students come from the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama campus and summer programs. Approximately 4,000 students visit and work in loʻi each year, with the majority of work performed during the summer when most schools are on break. Click here to learn more about the Ka Papa Loʻi O Kānewai.