HAWAII AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDS FACE DISTINCT CHALLENGES TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND RELATED GLOBAL ISSUES. TRADITIONAL WATERSHED MANAGEMENT BY NATIVE HAWAIIANS PROVIDES A PROVEN MODEL OF LOCAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND RESILIENCY THAT IS INCREASINGLY VIEWED AS A MODEL FOR INTEGRATING THE LATEST SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES TO MEET CURRENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES. TO BETTER PREPARE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FIELDS TO UNDERSTAND AND USE THIS MODEL AS FUTURE PROFESSIONALS, WE ARE OFFERING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH FELLOWSHIPS THAT WILL INCLUDE COURSEWORK, TRAINING, AND PROJECTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY GROUPS ENGAGED IN TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WITHIN SPECIFIC HAWAIIAN WATERSHEDS. STUDENTS WILL ALSO WORK WITH THE LOCAL NRCS OFFICE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW FEDERAL AGENCIES ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS WITH PRODUCERS MORE GENERALLY. STUDENTS WILL GIVE PRESENTATIONS ON THEIR PROJECTS TO STAKEHOLDERS, OTHER STUDENTS, AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD. WE WILL USE THE PROJECT ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP A MODEL FOR INTEGRATING TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE & PRACTICE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGHOUT THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM IN AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FIELDS. WE WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL GROUPS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES AND HELP THEM UTILIZE THE LATEST IN SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY OF TROPICAL ISLAND WATERSHEDS IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER GLOBAL CHALLENGES.

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators