Scheduled presentations:

Back to the Loko
Speaker: Ricky-Thomas Serikawa
Ricky-Thomas Kahanoʻokalokoʻakahai Kenji Serikawa is a Native Hawaiian visual storyteller based in the Hawaiian Islands. Born and raised on the east side of Oʻahu, his start to documenting and creating was and continues to be rooted from his relationship with his environment, culture, and community growing up from mountain to sea. Influenced deeply by the fleeting nature of life itself, culture, and the interconnectedness of all things living, he hopes his work not only reflects but celebrates the significance of stories, culture & community, a love for creation, and a unique perspective on the relationship between such to inspire more of it.

ʻĀina Momona Metrics: Quantifying Agroforestry Restoration in Heʻeia
Speaker: Tressa Hoppe
Agroforestry, or food forests, are a longstanding and diverse practice found among indigenous groups worldwide. Puʻulani is an agroforestry restoration site established at Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi in the ahupua’a of He’eia in 2019 by a team of community members, UH faculty/students, and farmers/practitioners. Six years later we are continuing to grow and steward Puʻulani, as well as finding ways to interpret many years of data from soil health to volunteer surveys in order to inform management and track environmental changes resulting from restoration. How does one wrangle all of that data? We’re still figuring it out! Join us while we talkabout food and forestry, and hopefully have fun in the process.

Hoʻi to the Koʻi – Indigenizing Community Engagement through the Hoʻi Program
Speaker: K. Kuulei Kanahele
K. Kuulei Kanahele shares about “Hoʻi”, Hilo’s upcoming returnable foodware program. She will share four practices that the Zero Waste Hawaiʻi island engaged during the community feedback process prior to program launch (set for mid 2026). She will also share about free cultural resources and materials for all to use in their homes and fields of work.