2025: Supporting Kanaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) Food Security through Water Quality Monitoring and Storytelling
Food security is one of the most pressing climate risks for the Pacific Islands. Food economies have become highly dependent on imports, while access to traditional food systems has been greatly diminished due to colonialism. Set in Hawai‘i, where 90% of food is imported, this project supports community monitoring of terrestrial and marine water bodies foundational to restoring traditional food systems. In conjunction with water quality monitoring, student researchers will engage in kanaka ‘ōiwi methodologies of mo‘olelo (storytelling) with community members to contextualize past, present, and future human-environment connections, and integrate traditional knowledge into adaptation strategies.
Faculty Lead: Steven Mana‘oakamai Johnson, Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell CALS
Graduate Student Mentor: Aspen Russell, Ph.D. Student, Information Science