Climate Change are two words that we’re hearing more often every day. While sometimes controversial, it’s undeniable that our climate is changing faster than ever recorded in history. Here, we see it with sea level rise, we feel it in the heat, and we experience a lack of rain – or perhaps too much of it all at once. On this episode of Outside Hawai'i, we’ll learn how to become more resilient to the effects of climate change. We’ll see how communities are exploring strategies to become stronger as challenges grow. We’ll understand the increasing threat of wildfires and how to prevent them with advice from the Honolulu Fire Department, and we’ll visit with Paul Reppun of Waiahole who shows us how his family farm runs completely off the grid. Outside Hawai'i is a program of Mālama Learning Center. Copyright 2022.

As we gradually emerge from the long pandemic, we are grateful to those who have kept us safe and helped us build strength and resilience. Even in times of isolation, we saw the power and beauty of building pilina, or relationships. This episode is dedicated to all the educators who have developed pilina with their students – and even with each other – through their love for `āina, which connects us all. On this episode, we’ll see what teachers have discovered through a curriculum project tied to `āina in the `Ewa O`ahu region. We’ll visit with Dean Wilhelm at Ho`okua`āina who shares about growing youth through growing kalo. We’ll sail aboard Mānaiakalani with youth from Maui, and we’ll learn how the Mālama Learning Center builds pilina through `āina based education. Outside Hawai'i is a program of Mālama Learning Center. Copyright 2022

For those not used to living on islands, being surrounded by water can be unsettling. But for those of us who call the Pacific our home, the ocean is less a barrier and more a connector. It reminds us as islanders of our ancestral ties and shared reliance for the future. On this episode of Outside Hawai'i, we’ll dive deep into Pacific cultures, starting with an exploration of the Kumulipo, which is foundational to the Hawaiian culture. Then we’ll look at how our relationship with niu, or coconuts, is re-emerging through renewed cultural traditions. We’ll learn about an environmental scientist in the Cook Islands who took bold steps to protect her nation’s ocean territory. And we’ll close with the next major voyage of Hōkūle`a that will circumnavigate the Pacific in a race to heal the earth. Outside Hawai'i airs on Spectrum OC16 and is a program of Mālama Learning Center. Copyright 2022

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature designated 2022 as the Year of the Limu. Also known as seaweed or marine algae, limu is a critical part of a healthy and productive reef system. It is the base of our nearshore marine food chain and key indicator of environmental health. Unfortunately, there’s been a steep decline of limu throughout Hawaiʻi as well as a loss of knowledge. On this episode, we honor cultural practitioners and scientists who help us take better care of our ocean. We’ll hear from the late Dr. Isabella Abbott, arguably one of the most influential contributors to knowledge of limu in modern history. We’ll visit with scientists learning about the health of Maunalua Bay. We’ll go to the island of Kauaʻi to visit with the Koʻolau Limu Hui, and we’ll hear Uncle Mac Poepoe, a respected kupuna on Molokai, share his perspectives on gathering responsibly. Outside Hawai'i is produced by Mālama Learning Center. Copyright 2022.

Hawaii’s native forests are diverse, unique, and home to plants and animals only found in these islands. They’re also places that foster spiritual and cultural connection. On this episode, we’ll explore forests in ways that few people have experienced. We’ll go to the slopes of Mauna Kea at Hakalau forest to see how decades of dedication have brought the forest back. We’ll learn how Laka is revered in the Hawaiian culture as the forest. And then we’ll go to Wai'anae to understand the impact of wildfires on dryland forests found nowhere else in the world. This episode is made possible through support from American Forests, Salesforce, Hālāwai, Ltd, Hawaiian Electric, and Ke Ala Naʻauao Native Hawaiian Education Act Federal Grant. Outside Hawai'i is a program of Mālama Learning Center. Copyright 2022. Contact Mālama Learning Center at info@malamalearningcenter.org.

On this episode of Outside Hawai'i, we’ll see how non-profit groups are working with communities to restore abundance to `āina. We’ll go to Olowalu, Maui, where kalo and native plants are returning, and then explore the rich `āina of Kīpahulu. We’ll go to Kuhiawaho, a cultural kīpuka in urban Honolulu. And we’ll journey to Molokai where fishponds and generational wisdom abound. Outside Hawai'i on Spectrum OC16 is produced by Malama Learning Center. Copyright 2022

It’s no doubt that the quality of our freshwater is of top concern – for water is life. But do we think enough about where our water comes from and how we can take better care of our water resources? On this episode, we’ll explore those questions by visiting with people who put their hands to the ground to ensure that our watersheds are healthy. We’ll go to both East and West Maui where wetlands and forests are being restored. And we’ll go deep into the forests of Kaua`i, at one of the wettest spots on earth, to see what it takes to protect an entire forest landscape. Outside Hawai'i is a program of the Mālama Learning Center. Copyright 2022

Here in Hawai’i, we are fortunate to have trees flourish year round. They give us clean air, cooler temperatures, food, fiber, and much, much more. On this episode, we’ll celebrate trees with the Mālama Learning Center and its non-profit partners who participated in Arbor Day. As in the past, they worked with Kaulunani, the state’s urban and community forestry program to provide free trees and educational activities. We’ll also visit with farmers who grow ‘ulu trees and hear an enchanting mo’olelo from the island of Lāna’i. Outside Hawai'i is a program of the Mālama Learning Center. Copyright 2021.

Invasive species -- they’re a serious threat to all of us in Hawai’i. The struggle is real to protect our way of life. On this episode, we’ll home in on two types of invasive species. The Little Fire Ant, an ecological and agricultural pest, is considered one of the worst invaders that we have today. On Molokai, where gorilla ogo was first introduced as a potential food source, the community is fighting back to reclaim their shores. Outside Hawai`i is a program of the Malama Learning Center. Copyright Malama Learning Center 2021.