In the wake of Hurricane Lala, the Kaʻū community has demonstrated incredible resilience and aloha. This delayed issue features dedicated storm recovery coverage, a call to support rebuilding local advertisers, and exciting updates on our new federal nonprofit status and website launch.

Thirteen Kaʻū High School students joined youth sustainability leaders across Hawaiʻi on Kauaʻi to plan the 2027 National Zero Waste Convergence, connect with cultural stewards, and expand waste diversion initiatives in Kaʻū.

Students at Kaʻū Middle School are stepping up as official Ocean Guardians by planting Naupaka kahakai to prevent erosion and tracking shoreline stability at Punaluʻu. Discover how this collaborative community effort protects critical habitat for native wildlife and creates a future educational site.

Over 300 residents weighed in on the future of Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach in a recent community survey, prioritizing environmental protection, cultural sites, and the restoration of existing infrastructure over new commercial development.

Kaʻū residents expressed skepticism at a recent Nāʻālehu talk story session regarding the Holomua Marine Initiative, questioning the influence of outside funding and the state's proposed "bottom-up" management strategy for near-shore aquatic resources.

On July 2, the Pāhala Community Center hosted the Kaʻū Regional Agrifood Summit to gather community feedback on the draft County of Hawaiʻi Five-Year Agrifood System and Community Food Security Plan. Read highlights from the collaborative discussions and learn how to review the plan's guiding principles online.

The Nature Conservancy is seeking to acquire 1,960 acres of former sugar cane land in Hilea to protect Kaʻū’s coastline and mountain slopes from future development, in alignment with the Kaʻū Community Development Plan.