The primary objective of this project is to bring together Hawaii’s climate change scientists, Molokai’s traditional fishpond managers, and other natural resource managers to share scientific and cultural knowledge and work together as a team to identify adaptive management strategies for two of Molokai’s ancient fishponds. We will accomplish this through a short series of workshops. A secondary objective is to form new and strengthen existing partnerships so we can pool resources and better respond to climate change as an island. We will incorporate workshop results into our strategic plan for the ponds and upland areas, revise our K-6 educational curriculum, create a climate change video featuring Moloka’i kupuna, hold a community meeting, create a “community engagement protocol” to help scientists work with other small communities throughout Hawaii Nei (and the Pacific), and share our experience with others in the scientific and cultural management communities.
