`A `ohe pau ka `ike i ka hālau ho`okāhi.

All knowledge is not taught in the same school.

Native dry forest of Halapepe, Ohe Makai, Lama, Anunu and Hau hele ula. © Photo courtesy of Yvonne Yarber Carter

Nāhelehele is dedicated to cultural and science education related to the dry forests of Hawai’i.  As the above ‘Ōlelo No‘eau (Hawaiian proverb) indicates, there are many different ways to learn, such as by reading, observing or listening.  The following ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, “Ma ka hana ka ‘ike” – In working one learns – is another approach for learning, which is achieved and reinforced by doing.

Each individual learns best in their own unique way, therefore these different pathways for learning about the dry forest are all made available in this educational website, by attending the annual Nāhelehele Dryland Forest Symposium or by volunteering at public dry forest sites in Hawai’i which are listed on the Volunteer page of this website.

For ease of reference, listed below are the pages from this educational website which have many resources for learning about the various aspects of Hawaiian Dry Forests:

Educational Pages

• About Dry Forests provides a good introduction to dry forests
• Cultural Ecology will introduce you to Hawaiian traditional ecological knowledge
• Native Wildlife presents an introduction to both flora and fauna of the dry forest
• Invasives Threat describes why so many dry forests and the wildlife in them have disappeared.
• Wildfire Threat is a major threat to dry forests that is mostly human caused.
• Climate Change Threat is a serious threat for all life on the planet
• Science Resources provides links to many research papers on dry forests.
• Dry Forest Corridors describes why these are important to restoring a healthy ecosystem

Visuals and Learning Activities Pages

• Dry Forest Range Map  Shows the loss of 90% to 95% of dryland habitat to non-native species.
• Videos of past Dryland Symposium Presentations beginning in 2011.
• Ho’ola Ka Makana’a at Ka’ūpūlehu Dryland Forest and Makani O Ka’ūpūlehu offers many visuals and learning
• Learn More Here & Lessons  Ideas and activities for all ages. Especially set up for groups and individuals going to help in the forest!
• Quizzes Test yourself to see how well you learned the above Lessons.
• Native Plant Gallery will begin introducing you to native dry forest plants
• Seed Library provides photos of seeds from dry forest species

External Hawai’i Curriculum Links:

There are many other Hawai`i curriculum resources for teachers. Following are a few of these resources.

• Science in Hawai`i: Nä Hana Ma Ka Ahupua`a. A Culturally Responsive Curriculum Project.
• Ka Hana ‘Imi Na‘auao is a science careers curriculum resource, nurturing Hawaiian scientists for Hawai‘i’s future.
• MALAMA I KA ‘AINA: Sustainability through Traditional Hawaiian Practices is a K-12 Science and Culturally Relevant Curricula
• Teacher’s guide and activities from the Hawai`i Department of Forestry and Wildlife.
• Nä Honua Mauli Ola–Hawai‘i Guidelines for Culturally Healthy and Responsive Learning Environments (NHMO) are now available for downloading by going to their site. These guidelines have been developed by the Native Hawaiian Education Council (NHEC) in partnership with Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elik_lani College of Hawaiian Language. The document includes a set of sixteen guidelines that contain strategies and recommendations for improving the quality of educational outcomes for learners, educators, families, communities and schools/institutions.
• The E Ola Pono Competition is designed to help students develop their own deeper understanding of Pono, and then share that vision with others. The hope is that increased knowledge about this important value and lifestyle will help make our schools and communities even better places to live, learn, and thrive.