Huli ‘ia is an observational process documenting seasonal changes and shifts across entire landscapes, mauka to makai (from the mountains to the ocean). Developed by Na Maka o Papahānaumokuākea, the Huli ‘ia process documents these environmental changes over time, identifies dominant cycles of important species or ecological occurrences (e.g. flowering, fruiting, presence/absence of flora/fauna, cloud formations, spawning or recruiting of fish species, etc.), and assists in identifying any correlations between species and occurrences. Those correlations help to identify the occurrence of a less visible situation (e.g. fish spawning) when a more obvious one happens (e.g. a flower species blooming). Environmental cycles can then be used to guide management practices, rather than relying simply on the time of year, which has become more problematic as a management indicator with shifting weather patterns. Using environmental cycles for decision-making provides a needed flexibility to ensure the best choices of when to harvest and when to allow areas and species to rest. Huli ‘ia strengthens the kilo (observer) in residents and encourages the traditional practice of kilo, establishes and deepens intimate relationships between people and place, and provides residents with guidance to ensure sustainability, well-being, and mālama ‘āina (participation in caring for the world around us).

An important product of huli ‘ia is a seasonal calendar showcasing the dominant environmental cycles and their correlations. These compiled cycles provide us with a timeline of place and a well-documented source to guide discussions and implementation of best practices to sustain these cycles and, ultimately, enhance their productivity. The seasonal calendar also includes ‘ōlelo no‘eau, a traditional system of transferring knowledge through wise and easily remembered sayings. Based on their monitoring activities, participants compose a new, contemporary set of ‘ōlelo no‘eau that capture the knowledge of today by using a traditional mechanism to pass information to the next generation. This huli ‘ia seasonal calendar applies a novel approach to repair, maintain, and improve ecosystem services by encouraging awareness and consciousness of participants and the public at-large. Ideally, this will encourage best practices and improve the well-being of our world.