HomeMy WebLinkAboutSTU.25.01 - Midterm Report1 | Hawaii Land Trust | PONC Interim Report
PONC Interim Report
Prepared for County of Hawaii
Period: July 1 – December 31, 2025
PROJECT STATUS
Hawaii Land Trust has made good progress toward our proposed objectives between July 1 and
December 31, 2025. You’ll find below the specific benchmarks achieved in the time period.
Mahukona is a 642-acre community preserve encompassing both coastal and mauka restoration
areas. Much of our efforts have been in making repairs and improvements to an established
water system and clear kiawe trees from areas with structures to mitigate the threat of wildfire.
We also use some of the water now available from the well for watering our newly planted native
plants. We’ve developed a partnership with Kohala High School’s Alternative Learning Program
whose participants spend part of their school week at Mahukona. Over the summer they were
working on bee keeping and this winter they have been taking water quality tests and monitoring
the nearshore environment.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES & METRICS
Objective 1: Recruit, orient, and supervise 150 volunteers at 7 events to assist with ecological
restoration of high priority dryland forest and coastal areas, including removing invasive plants
and debris and planting native plants, and maintaining a coastal trail.
- During the reporting period HILT hosted 59 volunteers at Mahukona to assist with
ecological restoration activities. These volunteers provided 152 service hours. Volunteers
assisted in clearing approximately 1 acre of habitat and planting 367 native milo, hinahina,
and canoe plants like niu.
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Objective 2: Develop aina-based education curriculum specific to Mahukona for elementary,
middle, and high school students. Indigenous and local knowledge will be integrated into the
curriculum lessons through moolelo, Hawaiian place names, and names for natural phenomena.
- Our Aina Steward Educator, Kaaina Ishimine, has been working closely with Denby
Freeland, HILT’s Director of Aina Community Programs, to develop a curriculum for school
visits. We expect to have this completed by the end of June, 2026.
Objective 3: Provide aina-based education programs to 45 elementary, middle, and high school
students from Kohala schools during weekly visits to Mahukona throughout the 25-26 school
year.
- Between July 1 and December 31, HILT hosted 193 student visits during the reporting
period. This represents 29 individuals from an elementary program and 12 individuals
from Kohala High School’s Naau Oiwi Program.
Objective 4: Guide 30 students in hands-on restoration at Mahukona. Elementary and high school
students will help control non-native invasive plants and grow and plant native plants.
- During the reporting period, HILT guided 41 individual students in hands-on restoration
at Mahukona. HILT incorporates stewardship into its aina-based education programs so
students can put into practice what they learn and create personal connections with
place.
Objective 5: Provide quarterly Talk Story on the Land educational hikes led by local experts to 80
people, including 70 residents and 10 visitors. Participants learn about the history, culture, and
ecology, and conservation efforts at Mahukona.
- HILT hosted 25 individuals on three Talk Story on the Land Events between July 1 and
December 31, 2025.
Objective 6. Educate visitors about proper behavior to protect cultural and natural resources at
Mahukona.
- HILT’s Aina Steward Educators interact with dozens of visitors at Mahukona on a daily
basis. Many times, this includes a simple greeting and introduction, sometimes it can
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include requests to leash dogs or clean up trash. HILT created a visitor education video
and posted it to its website in October. Visitors are encouraged to watch the video before
attending (https://www.hilt.org/mahukona). HILT is also working on a set of welcome and
interpretive signage that will include a QR code for the video and will summarize rules
and expectations. We expect that signage to be installed by March 30, 2026.
EXPENSES
HILT has expended $27,479 of PONC funding during the reporting period. Matching income
includes US Department of the Interior HoIHI Grant funds of $155,647 and HILT’s contribution of
$31,131. Volunteers have contributed $5,090 of service hours. See the detail on the attached.
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 1 of 10
OFFICIAL USE ONLY:
PO No.
Vendor #
Rcv’d:
Approved for payment:
___________________
Dated: 1/8/26
County of Hawai‘i
Department of Finance
Property Management Division
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1101
Hilo, HI 96720
Telephone: (808) 961-8069
PLEASE CHECK TYPE OF PROGRESS REPORT: SEMI-ANNUAL ANNUAL
ENTER INFORMATION IN THE FIELDS PROVIDED.
1.NAME AND ADDRESS OF ORGANIZATION:
2. NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF PERSON TO CONTACT:
3.CONTRACT NO.:
4.CONTRACT AWARD AMOUNT:
5.PROJECT NAME (same name used on contract):
6.PROJECT PERIOD:
7.PROGRESS REPORT PERIOD:
8.PROJECT LOCATION (list all TMKs from the contract):
9.CERTIFICATION:
The Applicant certifies that the information contained in this report is true and correct to the best of
his/her knowledge.
NAME OF AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL:
TITLE OF AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL:
SIGNED:___________________________ DATE:___________________________
STEWARDSHIP GRANT PROGRESS REPORT
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 2 of 10
A.PROJECT OVERVIEW:
B.PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
C.PROJECT CHALLENGES
D.FUTURE PLANS RELATING TO THE PROJECT
E.PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, AND OTHER EXHIBITS (These must be attached at the
end of the report as a Word document. If you attach photos, be sure to caption each photo with
a date and subject. If it is a group picture, please identify the group and date photo was taken.
No need to name the individuals in the photo. There is no need for the same location maps that
were attached in the original application. Maps can be sketches and/or drone photos
illustrating before and after activities.)
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 3 of 10
(Use the table format below for details on your project’s activities. Use more than 1 page, if needed. See examples in
Instructions.)
Type of Activity Completion
Date and/or
% Complete
Contractors/Collaborators
F.PROJECT ACTIVITIES FOR CONTRACT NO.
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 4 of 10
Type of Activity Completion
Date and/or
% Complete
Contractors/Collaborators
F.PROJECT ACTIVITIES FOR CONTRACT NO. (Continued)
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 5 of 10
(Please provide receipts to the Department of Finance)
HI County
Charter 10-
16(g)
Date(s) of
Payment Type of Expense Vendor Number of
Receipts
Total
Amount
TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THIS PAGE
G.PROJECT RECEIPTS (GRANT FUNDS ONLY) FOR CONTRACT NO.
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 6 of 10
HI County
Charter 10-
16(g)
Date(s) of
Payment Type of Expense Vendor Number of
Receipts
Total
Amount
TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THIS PAGE
G.PROJECT RECEIPTS (GRANT FUNDS ONLY) FOR CONTRACT NO.
(Continued)
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 7 of 10
HI County
Charter 10-
16(g)
Date(s) of
Payment Type of Expense Vendor Number of
Receipts
Total
Amount
TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THIS PAGE
TOTAL AMOUNT OF GRANT FUNDS ENCUMBERED/SPENT FOR REPORTING PERIOD
GRAND TOTAL OF GRANT FUNDS ENCUMBERED/SPENT (For Annual Report Only)
G.PROJECT RECEIPTS (GRANT FUNDS ONLY) FOR CONTRACT NO.
(Continued)
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 8 of 10
(Use additional pages, if needed. See Instructions.)
Date Activity Person/Organization # of
Participants
Calculation of In-
Kind Value Other Resources
TOTAL OF IN-KIND VALUES AND OTHER RESOURCES
FOR REPORTING PERIOD
H.IN-KIND SERVICES AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR CONTRACT NO.
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 9 of 10
Date Activity Person/Organization # of
Participants
Calculation of In-
Kind Value Other Resources
TOTAL OF IN-KIND VALUES AND OTHER RESOURCES
FOR REPORTING PERIOD
GRAND TOTAL OF IN-KIND VALUES AND OTHER
RESOURCES (For Annual Report Only)
H.IN-KIND SERVICES AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR CONTRACT NO. (Continued)
Stewardship Grant Progress Report, Page 10 of 10
(Attach a copy of any warranty documents.)
Item Description Cost Purchase Date Model/Serial No. Location
TOTAL COST
I.EQUIPMENT INVENTORY ≥ $250.00 (GRANT FUNDS ONLY) FOR CONTRACT NO.