Malama Ahupua‘a

Undergraduate students interested in Native Hawaiian cultural practices in agriculture, land management, and sustainability may be interested in the opportunity for one-year fellowships in ahupua‘a management. These fellowships, beginning in Summer 2018, will involve experiential learning and project work in partnership with UH faculty mentors and community groups working to restore and sustain ecologically and culturally important ahupua‘a on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, or Hawai‘i Island. Fellows will be trained in traditional ecological knowledge and modern scientific theories and practice, including an upper-division course in natural resource conservation planning. Undergraduate students at all UH campuses are eligible to apply, though preference will be given to students with knowledge of Hawaiian or other Pacific Island languages and protocols for cultural and natural resource management. Applicants should have completed at least two years of undergraduate coursework by the time the fellowship begins and have academic preparation in ecology, natural resources, Hawaiian studies, agriculture, or a related discipline. The fellowship includes a stipend for project work during the summer, an education award, and funds to support in-state travel and data collection and analysis. Applications for the fellowship can be found here. Applications are due March 31; selections for interviews will be made by April 13; and training will begin June 4 on O‘ahu. For more information, contact Travis Idol (NREM), the project director, at idol@hawaii.edu.