Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA) means “grassroots growing through shared kuleana (responsibility).”The acronym KUA means “backbone.” KUA is a movement-building organization that works to empower communities across Hawaiʻi to improve their quality of life and mālama (care for) their environmental heritage to better Hawaiʻi and achieve ‘āina momona—abundant, productive ecological systems that support community well-being. KUA was called into creation in 2011 by a network of grassroots indigenous and local community-based natural resource management initiatives called E Alu Pū, which means “move forward together.” KUA employs a community-driven approach that currently supports three statewide networks: E Alu Pū includes close to 40 mālama ʻāina initiatives, Hui Mālama Loko Iʻa consists of approximately 46 traditional Hawaiian fishpond projects and practitioners called, and the Limu Hui is a new and growing group of limu (native seaweed) practitioners, educators, researchers and community stewards throughout the islands.

The Sidney E. Frank Foundation supports general operations for KUA and its mission.

Photography: Scott Kanda courtesy of Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo