Alooooooha.  I joined the Indigenous Cropping Systems laboratory as a KUPU workforce development intern, and had the blessing to work on preserving the Lahaina 'ulu trees. I am now working on managing our two nurseries at the Komohana Research and Extension Station where I grow many of our native crop varieties, including 'awa, 'ulu, kō and others.  I also support our outreach and education on Hawaiian agroforestry. 

I am recently finished my PhD in the Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences Department at UH Mānoa, studying the formation of volcanic soils here in Hawai'i. My research looks at the evolution of soil from beginning to end, from fresh lava rock to highly weathered oxisols, using Hawai'i as a model system. This biogeochemical work was combined with historical data to understand how Native Hawaiian agroecology related to soils across the state. 

This work caught the attention of the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), which is interested in incorporating traditional land management concepts into their ecosystem process models. I am now working with NRCS to further work on Hawaiian soil systems, traditional agriculture, and federal policies and programs. 

Based in Hilo on Hawai'i Island, I am working with Dr. Lincoln and other ICS lab members at the Komohana Research Extension Center where we are conducting various soil analyses, investigating the connection between traditional Hawaiian agriculture systems and the natural soil fertility of the land, and having pau hana volleyball matches when the work gets tough. Feel free to email me any time: thaensel@hawaii.edu.  Aloha!

Talofa! I'm a PhD student from Samoa working on ulu quality and postharvest. The goal is to improve harvest and postharvest handling practices that can prolong ulu shelf life and in turn improve profit for breadfruit farms and farmers. I am in the field every two weeks or weekly with other ICS lab members to collect data, harvesting, pruning, fertilizing, and other tasks. I also work closely with USDA-PBARC in Hilo to do ulu nutrient analysis, fruit edible coating and near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) analysis.  

If you are interested in knowing more on ʻulu and want to come out with us on a field day, email me at: autufuga@hawaii.edu. Faafetai!

Aloha! I am a PhD student in the Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences Department at UH Mānoa

studying the integration of native plants into agricultural systems to support sustainable agriculture. My work is focused on a native Hawaiian legume, nānea (Vigna marina), in dryland kalo production systems. This research will involve some of the first recorded measurements of biological nitrogen fixation in nānea, development of management guidelines for establishment of nānea in ag settings, and measurements of crop yield, soil health indicators and arthropod biodiversity under nānea cover cropping.

I hold a B.S. In Entomology and Plant Science from Cornell University, where I researched the 

functional ecology of huntsman spider locomotion and an MSc in Plant Science from California State University, Fresno, where I developed in vitro and traditional grafting protocols for salt-tolerant prickly pear cactus. Feel free to reach out to me at jahurst@hawaii.edu. Mahalo!

I’ve always wanted to be an environmental educator, but right out of high school everything was quite new and there wasn’t a perfect path. I took a course in the college of education during my previous Masters program (Environmental Management) and I fell in love with the College of Education. I was an ambassador for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) during both my Bachelors and Masters Degrees, during which time I traveled to other islands, represented the college at events, served as the colleges MC for conferences, competitions, & banquets, helped coordinate student life activities, aided in student recruitment, and received leadership training. I am a full time teacher during summer session at Punahou for the PUEO Program serving public school students from Title I Schools. 

I am currently pursuing my PhD in 'Aina Based education, focused on agricultural education methods, within the Indigenous Cropping Systems Laboratory. I am also a Research Assistant under Dr. Lincoln, working on a cross-campus collaborative focused on improving student pathways in agriculture within the University of Hawaii. 

Aloha, I am a Masterʻs student in the Geography & Environment department. My research is invested in expanding agroforestry to support food system resilience in Hawaii. Before graduate school I worked in various capacities supporting Hawaiiʻs farmers through project management, strategic planning and education.

My research specifically focuses on the barriers farmers face to transitioning to agroforestry in Hawaii, both structural and social. I use a political ecology lens to understand farmersʻ ability to transition to agroforestry as a result of uneven access to power and resources. In collaboration with Dr. Noa Lincoln and other lab members, I research both farmer perceptions of agroforestry as well as the economic costs and benefits of agroforestry systems—with the goal to develop practical resources to support adoption. Feel free to connect with me at iwappler@hawaii.edu!

Aloha! I am a master's student at UH Mānoa studying tropical plant and soil science. I pivoted into agriculture after getting my bachelor's degree, working on farms for several years in North Carolina and on the island of Hawai'i. I am interested in tropical fruit production, agroforestry, and the diversity and conservation of canoe crop varieties. 

My research focuses on the shade tolerance of bananas in agroforestry systems, investigating what yields farmers can anticipate based on banana cultivar and level of shade. I am especially interested in the potential of Mai'a Iholena, a Hawaiian banana cultivar with a short crop cycle and dual usage for both fresh eating and cooking. Other Indigenous Cropping Systems Lab projects I am involved in include researching the Pāhala method of kalo cultivation, and a study of the economics of 'ulu agroforestry, surveying and interviewing farmers across the islands with 'ulu incorporated into their agroforestry systems. 

Feel free to reach out to me at weiskopf@hawaii.edu if you ever want to chat about bananas, agroforestry, or farming here in Hawai'i! 

I'm a Master's student in the CTHAR TPSS Indigenous Cropping Systems Lab researching 'awa nutrient demands and hydroponic growth potential. I currently own and operate several kava ('awa) establishments in the Bay Area and became curious about the nutrient demands and potential capability of growing 'awa in hydroponics. As a root crop with a long growth period, it certainly presents unique challenges to the traditional hydroponics set up. Therefore, my current study focuses on the feasibility of an in-house design for hydroponics that takes these challenges into account. 

I am also researching more of the general characteristics of 'awa and trying to shed a little more scientific light on the plethora of ancient wisdom and reverence for this intriguing plant. In my spare time, I enjoy drinking plenty of 'awa coupled with my love of freediving the beautiful coasts here and piloting the short flights between the islands.

Christian Buehler has managed the ICS Labs experimental greenhouse at the Magoon Research Station in Manoa, Hawai'i for the past four years. During this time he has overseen projects on nitrogen fixation in sugarcane, the use of traditional mulches in kalo cultivation, breadfruit nutrient deficiency trials, and has maintained a breadfruit propagation program that has produced and distributed over 4,000 breadfruit trees in Hawai'i!