KCWA Honored with Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award by Sierra Club Maui
KCWA volunteers planting stabilizing native “kīpuka” gardens for Kula fire survivors
The Kula Community Watershed Alliance (KCWA) is deeply honored to receive the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award from the Sierra Club Maui Group at their upcoming Annual Meeting on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at the Cameron Center Auditorium in Wailuku.
This year’s meeting theme — “Water, ʻĀina, and the Future of Food” — highlights the urgent need to protect Maui’s watersheds and restore healthy relationships between people and the land. KCWA’s recognition reflects the collective effort of hundreds of community members who have come together since the 2023 Kula Fire to heal and restore the slopes of our watershed.
A Collective Honor
“This award belongs to all of Kula’s fire-affected landowners,” said Sara Tekula, Executive Director of KCWA. “Without them, there would be no KCWA. Every fenceline, every native seedling, every inch of soil we’ve stabilized represents a community that refused to give up on its home. I’m humbled to accept this recognition on their behalf.”
Since its founding in the wake of the 2023 Maui wildfires, KCWA has brought together hundreds of landowners, partners, and volunteers to lead a truly community-driven, long-term watershed restoration project in the fire affected areas of Kula. The organization’s work spans 110 acres of fire-affected terrain, where burgeoning invasive species are being replaced with native trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to rebuild ecosystem health through living, moisture-promoting, shaded green breaks that safeguard homes, restore soil health, and replenish Maui’s upland aquifers.
Caring for Place, Together
KCWA’s work is grounded in care for place — rooted in the understanding that when people care for the land, the land cares for them in return. With support from government agencies, expert advisors, private donors, and community volunteers, the alliance continues to advance wildfire mitigation, native reforestation, and long-term watershed stewardship in partnership with landowners across Upper Kula.
The Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award recognizes this shared effort and honors the resilience, cooperation, and dedication of the Kula community as it restores both the land and the relationships that sustain it.
Celebrate With Us
Community members are invited to attend the Sierra Club Maui Annual Meeting on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Cameron Center Auditorium in Wailuku. The event is free, and features a seed and plant swap, a community potluck, engaging discussions on water and food sustainability, and an awards ceremony recognizing Maui’s environmental leaders. RSVP is required, and can be completed at http://bit.ly/4gJ1OJy.
