Kaua‘i’s Alakoko Fishpond receives $4,000 donation

Kaua‘i nonprofit, Mālama Hulēʻia, recently received $4,000 for its conservation, education and cultural work on the 600-year-old Alakoko Fishpond in Niumalu on east Kauaʻi.

The donation was from the Hawai‘i Chapter of the American Resort Development Association, which represents the timeshare industry in the state. The donation is part of the organization’s commitment to support community-based nonprofit organizations that enhance the visitor experience.

“Mālama Hulēʻia is doing great work that not only preserves culturally important resources but also provides visitors an opportunity to participate through hands-on learning,” stated Mitchell A. Imanaka, ARDA-Hawaii Chairman and managing principal of Imanaka Asato.

Established in 2015, Mālama Hulēʻia also leads the community effort to remove invasive red mangrove from the Hulēʻia watershed.

More than 3,000 Kaua’i students from around the island visited the pond in 2022 for outdoor education classes that included cultural, science, environment and related learning experiences. Additionally, monthly community work days bring hundreds of island residents and visitors to the pond to participate in its restoration and maintenance and to learn about the history of the area.