Dr. Kawika Winter points out the traditional practices used in this taro patch.

Jefferson Fellows study food security in Honolulu
There are few themes as universal or as important as food security—the very issue 11 Jefferson Fellows from the Asia-Pacific region are discussing this week at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

These Jefferson Fellows are beginning their study and reporting tour this week in Hawaiʻi, then continuing onwards to Indonesia and Thailand later this month.

Touring the Heʻeia Fishpond

The fellowship started with a tour of the island on Sunday, then a visit Monday to the wonderfully unique and educational Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve and Heʻeia Fishpond. There, the journalists interviewed Dr. Kawika Winter, director of the research reserve, who led the group on a tour of the reserve and fishpond. The research reserve and fishpond are being restored to full productivity using native Hawaiian fish farming and agricultural production techniques. The fascinating tour included a look at a restored taro plantation, and the huge lagoon where eventually large quantities of fish will be raised and harvested.

Later this week, the Jefferson Fellows will attend several panels featuring local food security experts and tour the Hawaiʻi Agricultural Research Center and tour the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, which has a unique food subscription program.

The Jeffs are a great group—engaged, professional, and fun-loving. I look forward to working and traveling with them in the coming weeks.

The Jefferson Fellows at the Heʻeia Fishpond.