Malama O Puna

MALAMA O PUNA IS A HAWAI'I NON-PROFIT CORPORATION AND 501(C)(3) VOLUNTEER SERVICE ORGANIZATION WHICH FOCUSES ON THE ENVIRONMENT. OUR MISSION IS TO ASSURE CRITICAL HABITAT FOR NATIVE SPECIES AND OPEN SPACE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, HANDS-ON PROJECTS, ADVOCACY, WATCH-DOGGING AND LAND TRUSTING

LEILANI COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION GRANTMOP WAS A FISCAL HOST FOR A GRANT FROM THE COUNTY THROUGH THEIR KILAUEA RECOVER PROGRAM. MOP WAS AWARDED $375,000 FOR USE BY THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION OF LEILANI REFERRED TO AS THE LEILANI COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION. THE 2018 KILAUEA LOWER EAST RIFT ZONE (KLERZ) ERUPTION INITIATED IN LEILANI ESTATES, AND DAMAGED MANY OF THEIR PRIVATE ROADWAYS. MOP RETAINED $11,000 FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES AND THE REST WAS SPENT ON ROAD REPAIRS IN THE SUBDIVISION. THE ENGINEERING WORK WAS DONE BY THE HOA UNDER THEIR OWN FUNDING AND THEN PUT OUT TO BID. GLOVER WON THE CONTRACT FOR THE WORK WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER OF 2021.

OTHER PROGRAMS FOCUS ON FOOD SECURITY AND BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCY.

PUNA STRONG GRANTTHE PUNA STRONG GRANT PROGRAM WAS FUNDED BY THE COUNTY OF HAWAII WITH RECOVERY MONEY PROVIDED BY THE 2019 STATE LEGISLATURE AND ADMINISTERED BY THE HAWAII COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO HELP RECOVERY IN PUNA FROM THE 2018 KLERZ ERUPTION, MOP SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL TO EXPAND ITS PRE-EXISTING PROGRAM OF FOOD SECURITY TO HELP BUILD RESILIENCE IN PUNA AND ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP RESOURCES THAT WOULD BE NEEDED IN THE EVENT OF FUTURE DISASTERS. MOP RECEIVED $42,500 FOR PROJECTS INCLUDING A BACKYARD GARDENING PROJECT IN NANAWALE ESTATES SUBDIVISION, PLANTING A FRUIT ORCHARD IN HAWAIIAN SHORES RECREATIONAL ESTATES, DEVELOPING A PERMACULTURE/URBAN GARDEN DEMONSTRATION AT THE MOP FACILITY, AN ULU (BREADFRUIT) PROGRAM WORKING WITH THE HAWAII ULU COOPERATIVE AND SEED/PLANT CUTTING EXCHANGES.

RAT LUNG WORM WORKSHOPMALAMA O PUNA SERVED AS A FISCAL HOST FOR THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON RAT LUNG WORM DISEASE (RLWD), A THREE-DAY EVENT HELD IN HILO, HAWAII AND ATTENDED BY SCIENTISTS, RESEARCHERS, MEDICAL AND VETERINARIAN PRACTITIONERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT DREW FUNDING FROM THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL, THE HAWAII COUNTY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND DONATIONS BY THE CHINESE CIVIC GROUP. MALAMA O PUNA WORKED CLOSELY WITH DR. SUSAN JARVI OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII'S PHARMACY COLLEGE, A LEAD RESEARCHER INTO PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF THIS DEVASTATING DISEASE TO HOST THE CONFERENCE.