The Molokaʻi Wetland Partnership was formed in 2019 to explore opportunities for wetland restoration on Molokaʻi, integrating both cultural uses and habitat needs.
wetland functions
Wetlands
Molokaʻi faces serious impacts from sea-level rise and severe run-off and sedimentation from upland forest degradation. Wetlands can provide important ecosystem services to Molokaʻi residents, such as water quality improvements, sediment control, and flood control. Traditionally these landscapes were referred to as ʻāina wai, emphasizing the most important function of a wetland, being their ability to importance of these spaces for their water q
Restoration also brings the opportunity to revitalize traditional loʻipūnāwai, creating sustainable, self sufficiend food sources on Molokaʻi. Lastly, wetlands provide habitat for native Hawaiian plants and wildlife, including makaloa for mat-making and endemic waterbirds that feature heavily in Hawaiian legends.
Molokaʻi faces serious impacts from sea-level rise and severe run-off and sedimentation from upland forest degradation. Wetlands can provide important ecosystem services to Molokaʻi residents, such as water quality improvements, sediment control, and flood control. Traditionally these landscapes were referred to as ʻāina wai, emphasizing the most important function of a wetland, being their ability to importance of these spaces for their water q
Restoration also brings the opportunity to revitalize traditional loʻipūnāwai, creating sustainable, self sufficiend food sources on Molokaʻi. Lastly, wetlands provide habitat for native Hawaiian plants and wildlife, including makaloa for mat-making and endemic waterbirds that feature heavily in Hawaiian legends.
Partnership projects
partnersKa Ipu Makani Cultural Heritage Center
Moloka‘i Land Trust Department of Hawaiian Home Lands U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hawai‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture Natural Resources Conservation Service Hawaiian Islands Conservation Collective |
our Logo
The logo for the Molokai Wetland Partnership is more than a pretty graphic. Eleven diverse partners, worked together to design something that reflected the work of the partnership. The logo features an ae‘o (Hawaiian Stilt) which represents the value of existing wetland habitat and Hawaiian agro-ecology on the islands; the second bird featured is the ‘alae ‘ula (Hawaiian Common Gallinule), which has been wiped out on the island; its presence in the logo indicates the hopes that partners have to see this native Hawaiian bird make a comeback; and the damselfly perched atop the letter M is megalagrion xanthomelas, which represents the rich native flora and fauna that wetlands support. Weaving all of this together is the textured background, symbolizing makaloa mats, made on Molokaʻi from the native makaloa sedge and highly sought after as a status symbol from ancient Hawaiian times to today.
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