SOUTH KOHALA — Numerous citizen groups care for South Kohala and North Kona’s cultural and natural resources. These groups and their social networks are crucial to the health and well-being of local communities, yet their activities are not always known or easily understood.
The Stewardship Mapping and Assessment Project (STEW-MAP) seeks to change that by acknowledging and promoting the work done by these groups. Sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, STEW-MAP features a mapping tool to understand where and how groups and organizations conduct or lead stewardship activities. The data provides information for recognizing and strengthening a community’s capacity to care for its unique lands and waters.
The North Kona-South Kohala STEW-MAP effort is the first in Hawaii with a second STEW-MAP project is being planned for Honolulu. STEW-MAP is a project of the US Forest Service, supported by the Pacific Southwest Research Station in partnership with the Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests, Hui Aloha Kiholo, the Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
STEW-MAP Hawaii encourages local groups and organizations to get involved. The project works by engaging the many groups that conserve, manage, monitor, transform, educate and advocate for freshwater, marine, land, air, waste, food and energy issues. Groups are invited to share information about themselves and their projects and the areas where they work. Using the STEW-MAP tool, the information is then integrated into a project database and subsequently used to create a publicly accessible online map and group database.
Once populated, the STEW-MAP database can illustrate the many ways community groups care for their natural and cultural resources. The tool can serve as a resource for community groups and partner agencies to effectively communicate and collaborate with each other and can lead to a better understanding and support of the role played by each group. It will also provide a means to identify opportunities for supporting and enhancing the capacities of community stewards.
STEM-MAP was launched in New York City 10 years ago and has since been used in Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, as well as international cities in France, Colombia and China.
Groups working in South Kohala and North Kona are encouraged to get involved. To get a group on the map, email stewmaphawaii@gmail.com or visit http://bit.ly/2qhd71P to sign up and have a survey sent. More information can be found at https://adobe.ly/2qcxTn8.