Ko Koa Uka, Ko Koa Kai
A Pacific GLOBE Training of Trainers

By Paul Dumas

Over thousands of years, Pacific Islanders developed a large body of knowledge about the islands on which they live. Their understanding of the world around them enabled them to survive in unique environments. This body of indigenous knowledge includes understanding and managing the land and water environments.

A healthy environment is important everywhere, but it is vital to those of us who live on islands. People look at the environment from different perspectives: teachers and their students learn about it through textbook and classroom experiences; scientists conduct research; conservationists engage in preservation; government agencies manage resources; and the community sees its surroundings through long-established practices that involve resource use and stewardship. When all these perspectives can be brought together, young people have the opportunity to participate in extraordinary learning experiences that are not only relevant and applicable, but integrate scientific research and indigenous knowledge.

In late July, Hawaii was the site of Ko Koa Uka, Ko Koa Kai, an institute that brought these different learning perspectives together. The workshop’s title refers to the ahupuaa, or traditional Hawaiian land division. Through this indigenous resource management system, people living near the ocean and people living near the mountains shared resources and knowledge. Ko Koa Uka, Ko Koa Kai blended Hawaiian indigenous knowledge and scientific field studies in the areas of atmosphere, water, soil, and botany to provide a rich learning experience. Holders of indigenous knowledge, scientists from the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) project, representatives from environmentally-focused government and non-profit agencies in the Pacific, and educators came together to share knowledge and perspectives. All left with a more comprehensive view of Pacific island environments.

Ko Koa Uka, Ko Koa Kai was a unique GLOBE Training of Trainers. The event was sponsored by GLOBE (a joint program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation), the Pacific Mathematics & Science Consortium at PREL, and Hawaii Sea Grant. GLOBE is a hands-on, school-based, international environmental science and education program. Participants received training in the GLOBE protocol areas, including atmosphere, hydrology, soil, and land cover. They also learned how locally collected data can be archived and used by teachers, students, and scientists to better understand Earth systems and the environment. This training will enable schools implementing the GLOBE program in the Pacific to make connections across time, space, and cultures, resulting in a fuller and more meaningful experience for the region’s young people.
Continued involvement between teachers, indigenous knowledge holders, scientists, and informal science educators will provide insights and strengthen links between traditional knowledge, theoretical scientific studies, and real world environmental challenges in Pacific science classrooms.

Further information regarding the GLOBE program can be found at www.globe.gov. More on ahupuaa can be found at www.hawaiian.net/~cbokauai/ahupuaa.html. Instructional units integrating standards-based science and indigenous knowledge, including the ahupuaa, and links to more information on sustainable resource management can be found at Project Ahupuaa: Malama I Ka Aina
(www.hawaii.edu/malama).

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