Mānoa is a large valley in the land division of Waikīkī, and is one of the largest valleys on the island of Oʻahu. Famous for its fertile soil and abundance of water, a large part of Mānoa was once covered with irrigated terraces used for the cultivation of kalo (taro), the staple food of the Hawaiian people.

The Mai Uka a i Kai (from the uplands to the sea) concept reflects the traditional Hawaiian land-management system known as the ahupuaʻa. Within this system, resources flow from the mountain forests down through the cultivated lowlands and out to the ocean — and the community, in turn, cares for each part of this interconnected whole.

The Ahupuaʻa of Mānoa

Mānoa's abundant fresh water, fed by rainfall in the Koʻolau mountains, made it one of the most productive agricultural areas on Oʻahu. The valley's streams fed intricate systems of loʻi kalo (taro patches), which sustained a thriving population. Understanding this relationship between natural resources and community stewardship is at the heart of the Welina Mānoa project.

Explore Further

The tour connects to other resources that deepen understanding of water, land, and culture in Hawaiʻi:

The Mai Uka a i Kai tour invites visitors to experience the living legacy of the ahupuaʻa system that once sustained Mānoa Valley from mountain summit to ocean shore. This traditional Hawaiian land-management framework organized resource use along the natural flow of water, recognizing that what happens in the uplands directly affects the health of the lowlands and sea. As guests journey through the valley, they encounter sites where irrigated terraces for kalo cultivation still echo ancient practices, and hear stories of how ʻohana (families) cared for the land with deep generational knowledge. The tour offers a meaningful opportunity to understand how Native Hawaiian relationships with ʻāina (land) and wai (water) continue to inform contemporary approaches to ecosystem stewardship and sustainability.