Ua Ritte to Address ‘Ahupua’a Restoration

Molokai Bahá’í Community News Release

Restoring an ahupua‘a is no small task—it requires resilience and consistency driven by necessity. In his presentation “Restoring ‘Ahupua‘a: A Generational Undertaking,” Kalaniua “Ua” Ritte, Executive Director of ʻAina Momona, will share the challenges and triumphs of restoring the Kaʻamola ʻahupua‘a on Molokai. The presentation at Molokai Public Library will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19.

ʻAina Momona is a Native Hawaiian nonprofit dedicated to restoring Molokai’s cultural and environmental abundance. Deeply rooted in his Molokai community, Ritte brings decades of experience as a steward of the land and advocate for traditional practices. Under his leadership, ʻAina Momona has spearheaded efforts to restore the Kaʻamola ahupuaʻa, blending indigenous wisdom with innovative strategies to combat soil erosion, invasive species, and watershed degradation.

In this presentation, Ritte will delve into the realities of restoration in a time of environmental urgency. He will highlight how ungulates overgraze and degrade the uplands, invasive species choke native biodiversity, and sporadic rains wash fragile soils into agricultural lands and coastal waters. These forces combine to create devastating runoff that not only erodes the land but also threatens the fishponds and reefs that sustain Molokai’s food resources. Ritte will share how ʻAina Momona is addressing these challenges with a combination of traditional Hawaiian practices and modern solutions, such as planting resilient native vegetation, implementing erosion control measures like swales and check dams, and engaging the community—especially local youth—in hands-on restoration work. He will also discuss the critical role of the Kaʻamola watershed in preserving the interconnected health of the land and sea, ensuring food security and sustainability for future generations.

The talk, sponsored by the Molokai Bahá’í Community in collaboration with the public library, will conclude with time for comments and questions. Light refreshments will be served.