My name is M.J. I hold an A.S. in Tropical Forest Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management and am currently a junior majoring in Biology, with a focus on ecology, evolution, and conservation. At the Indigenous Cropping Systems Laboratory at Komohana, I work hands-on with the propagation and care of traditional canoe crops such as ʻawa, kō, ʻulu, and tī, as well as native plants and trees. I also help manage the canoe crop–based germplasm site at Waiākea and am currently workingunder the guidance of Dr. Noa Kekuewa Lincoln to build a comprehensive living collection of Hawaiian kō. In addition, I support ongoing research efforts at the lab.

My interests center on traditional Hawaiian agroforestry systems, with a strong focus on soil health as wealth and the genetic preservation of crops that have sustained peoples across the Pacific for millenia. I am particularly interested in work that supports food sovereignty and land stewardship grounded in ahupuaʻa-based management and regenerative agroecological practices that prioritize long-term ecosystem health for Kānaka ʻŌiwi communities.

Outside of the lab, I spend time in the field hiking, camping, fishing, and farming, experiences that deepen my ecological perspective and reinforce a place-based approach to research.

Aloha, my name is Evan Kamber - I practice organic Agroforestry implementation, design, and maintenance in Hilo, Hawai’i. Grounded in observation and guided by teachings embedded within Hawai’i’s historical Agroforestry systems, the research consists of creating ideal environments for cultivating indigenous microorganisms using locally sourced byproducts and plants, weaving native plantings into Agroforestry systems as cover crops and pollinators, and helping make culturally relevant food crops more accessible to our local community. The research is collaborative and multidisciplinary in nature and strives to contribute solutions that enhance food security through the (re)establishment of Agroforestry systems throughout Hawai’i. Evan Kamber is a site technician at the partnering demonstration agroforestry site located at OK Farms. Evan is deeply knowledgeable about natural farming methods, growing canoe crops, and agroforestry.  The site is supporting the active lab projects such as "Evaluating Nānea as an Indigenous Cover Crop" and "Understanding Barriers to Agroforestry Transitions."

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. 

Building upon the work of Dr. Noa Lincoln, which has provided high-accuracy spatial models of seven agroecological forms across the Hawaiian archipelago, and the work of Mr. Indrajit Gunasekara, who has laid some foundational work for exploring traditional Hawaiian coconut diversity in the islands,  I would like to explore the patterns of coconut varieties within isolated areas in an attempt to connect specific varieties to the environmental and/or traditional agroecological patterns.

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.