Kauluwehi Biocultural Garden

The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui has re-envisioned the community garden with campus input and a new design by UHMC student Dustin Palos, showcasing a unique collection of endemic and indigenous plants. 

“The future of our islands depends on preserving our native species and protection of our watershed,” Dustin said. “The garden features different zones to showcase plants for ethnobotanical uses, including kapa and lei making, and native species that we need to raise awareness about through education, such as protecting ʻōhiʻa lehua from the spread of rapid ʻōhiʻa death.”

Kauluwehi, meaning a place for beautiful plants to thrive, is open for students and the community to visit Monday through Saturday, from dawn to dusk, for self-guided tour and community workshops.

SLIM Community Garden

at UH Maui College (2015-2018)

The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui Community Garden was originally supported by Community Work Day, the Department of Water Supply, Ulupono Initative, and the Frost Family Foundation!

The original space was transformed from a drainage basin into a community garden on the UHMC campus and a center for learning about food sustainability, rain gardens, home gardening and island food security.

Garden Goals:

1. Food Security: Increase food security in Maui County.  Food security in Hawaii is of utmost importance to the Maui community as Maui is ~90% dependent on food imports for its food supply

2. Community Empowerment: Serve as a center for faculty and students to grow their own food, learn about sustainable agriculture, and bridge different areas of the community together.

3. Education: Provide students with hands-on tools for learning about sustainable agriculture and how to grow their own food. The garden will be integrated into areas of relevant curriculum.

4. Farm-to-School: Create a pathway for produce to more easily enter into the school food systems to support the health of the students, staff, and faculty.

Rain Garden Demonstration Site:

SLIM, in collaboration with Roth Ecological Designs, also completed a demonstration rain garden which is designed to treat and work with the incoming storm water to the site, recharging more than 270,000 gallons of water per year back into our aquifers instead of running off to our ocean nearby.

Garden Learning:

Throughout the year we also offer free and fee-based workshops on a variety of topics, including edible landscaping, pest management, composting and home gardening for beginners. Visit our SLIM Garden Facebook page for up-to-date events: www.facebook.com/SLIMCommunityGarden

Learn more from CTAHR about managing pests and diseases, and cultivating beneficial insects using insectary plants as cover crops in your garden plot.

 Garden Needs:

The garden is always in need of donated items including:

On UH Maui College Campus:

The garden is located in between the Kūpaʻa Building, the College of Agriculture training field, the main campus parking lot, and Wahine Pi’o Avenue, shown by the red box below.