E kūpaku ka ʻāina
restore the breath of the land
We are as much an organization as the active process of recovery for the land, the knowledge that comes from it, and as Hāloa teaches us, caring for each other.
We are guided by the long visions of kupuna (elders) and 'āina (land), and the near term needs of our community.
Our Vision
Bringing severely degraded lands back to places of ecological health and abundance
because if the 'āina is not well, neither are we.
And, because it is possible.
Our Mission
To foster wellbeing and an economy of abundance through the critical business of land restoration and the art of traditional cultural practice.
Our Team
Penny Levin
Founder
Executive director/ project coordinator
Penny Levin has worked in tropical agriculture and food sovereignty, community-based conservation and habitat restoration internationally and locally for over four decades. A specialist in Hawaiian kalo, she held space for kalo biodiversity on the state Taro Security and Purity Task Force during its tenure, and is an advisor for Hawaiian crops conservation efforts statewide. Penny remains a life-long student of ʻāina and Hāloa, Hawaiian culture, agriculture and island ecologies. She resides in Wailuku, Maui and has been raising kalo for 35 years.
Kekoa Plauche
Resources coordinator
Kekoa Plauche came to EKKA with a desire to learn grant writing skills and is now our resources coordinator. He is also a field crew member with The Nature Conservancy in East Maui and owner of Mopua Farm in Haʻikū, Maui, a native plant and Hawaiian food crop propagation nursery. His passion for native habitat restoration and interest in kalo is amplified by his role as a husband and father to children of Hawaiian ancestry.
Joshua pastrana
Moloka'i project coordinator / field trials supervisor
Joshua Pastrana is a Native Hawaiian kalo farmer, fisherman and hunter on the island of Molokai where he is deeply involved in growing food for his family and his community. Josh managed the Hawaiian taro collection and EKKA research projects at the Hoʻolehua Applied Research and Demonstration Farm for six years and is a key partner in EKKA’s lunar response in kalo research on his own farm.
Ipolani mae
field assistant
Ipolani Mae is one of our favorite Molokai interns. She has a passion for kalo and growing microgreens and her own food. Initially joining us in 2019 under Sustainable Molokai’s agriculture training program, Ipo continues to be an important part of our Lunar Response in Kalo project.
Tori valdez
Intern
Tori Kiliʻohu Valdez is from Kailua, Oʻahu and Waimea, Hawaiʻi. She attends the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and Hawaiian Studies. At E kūpaku ka ʻāina she is researching ʻuala (sweet potato) through Hawaiian Language resources and archives to discover what Hawaiians of 150 years ago can teach us about Hawaiian ʻuala varieties, planting practices, and places.
Our Commitments
E kūpaku ka ʻāina was established in 2004 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on Maui.