Mālama Loko Ea Foundation
Mentor: Jacob Noa
STEM Fields: Biology; Environmental Studies; Environmental Conservation; Aquaculture; Botany, Zoology, Indigenous aquaculture
Research Goal: Understand the traditional system of loko iʻa to better conserve and rebuild Loko Ea to provide for the community
Mālama Loko Ea Foundation Website: www.lokoea.org/
About Mālama Loko Ea Foundation
Loko Ea is a 400-500 year old tradtional Hawaiian fishpond. Located in the moku of Waialua and the ahupuaʻa of Kawailoa. This fishpond is a loko puʻuone in other words a sand dune fishpond located behind Māeaea beach commonly known as Haleʻiwa beach park now. Mālama Loko Ea Foundation was founded in 2009 by community members whose intentions was to restore this loko iʻa and connect the two waters of Loko Ea and another fishpond Ukoʻa. At this site there is a wide array of fields and specialties that participants can delve into. Some of which include: Water qualtiy, phytoplankton cultivation, fish identification, data collection, tradtitional aquaculture, agriculture, and an immense amount of mālama ʻāina.
This site offers many different fields that have the same goal of restoring Loko Ea. There are many issues that Loko Ea faces wether it be the ever growing invasive plants, or animals, water quality, huge swells, encroaching neighbors and/or native fish cultivation. Taking a look at these issues there is always ideas to be shared, research to be done, and connections to be built.
Thus, the primary goal at Loko Ea is to continue restoring Loko Ea through community building, mālama ʻāina, native species cultivation, and invasive removal. Through this Loko Ea will flourish and feed the lāhui with food, knowledge, and perpetuation.
Meet Our Internship Mentor 
Jacob has been with Mālama Loko Ea as the Kupuʻohi Program Coordinator for 4 years. He facilitates education programs at Loko Ea that teach K-12 students Hawaiian science and culture through engagement with ʻāina and fishpond practices. Jacob grew up in Mililani and received his BA in American Studies from UH Mānoa, where he studied Hawaiian movements and struggles for lands and waters.
At the loko iʻa, the saying ma ka hana ka ʻike– one learns by doing, is a constant reality and guiding principle. Jacob believes in STEM learning through hands-on engagement with ʻāina and constant kilo- observation of natural cycles, as a way to cultivate the next generation of ʻāina leaders and stewards.
Internship duties and responsibilities:
This internship will educate students on the basics of traditional Hawaiian aquaculture. They will be working out in the field majority of the time understanding the effects of invasive species while also learning the efforts being put forth to restore and conserve. The work will be dependent on what the fishpond needs. Working hands-on in the fishpond requires an open mind, teamwork skills, and communication.
Students will come out to Loko Ea and participate in general and day to day tasks.
Student will focus in on specific fields of interest while also restoring the fishpond.
Students will develop workplan of desired restoration project and see it through to completion.
Interns should be comfortable with and able to:
- Lift 30lbs or more
- Swim
- Work outdoors for long periods of time
- Learn Hawaiian protocol
- Follow all safety procedures
- Work with all teammates and sometimes with children
2025 Internship Schedule:
Spring 2025:
- March 18th, 8am – 4pm
Summer 2025:
- June 2 – 6, 8am – 4pm
- Internship wrap-up (Virtual):
- June 7, 9am – 1pm
*Schedules are tentative and are subject to change. Interns will be required to work 8 hours in the Spring 2025. Interns will be required to work 40 hours in the Summer 2025.
Internship Meeting Location:
Mālama Loko Ea Foundation
62-540B Kamehameha Hwy,
Haleʻiwa, HI 96712