Kaneohe, HI

Paepae o Heʻeia

EIN 71-0903791

Environment & Animal Welfare Local Food & Sustainable Farming Indigenous communities

Mission

To perpetuate cultural sustainability for Hawai‘i communities by using the model of a traditional loko iʻa (fishpond) to provide intellectual, physical, and spiritual sustenance through restoration, aquaculture, education, and community engagement.

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity Contributions are tax-deductible

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About Paepae o Heʻeia

Paepae o Heʻeia is a private, donor-facing 501(c)(3) nonprofit established to steward and restore Heʻeia Fishpond (loko iʻa) on Oʻahu’s windward coast. The organization works in partnership with the landowner (Kamehameha Schools) and multiple research and conservation partners to restore the pond’s kuapā (stone wall), remove invasive species, and re-establish traditional aquaculture practices. The organization runs interlocking programs in physical restoration, production (aquaculture and resource sharing), and education — including seasonal internships and community family fishing days — that serve as hands-on learning and cultural-practice sites. The EIN 71-0903791 has been verified against public nonprofit filings and the organization’s own materials, and Paepae o Heʻeia is actively operating with recent program activity and public outreach in 2023–2025 and into 2026.

Notable achievements

Kuapā (fishpond wall) restoration

Community-led Kū Hou Kuapā efforts have rebuilt substantial lengths of Heʻeia’s traditional stone wall since restoration work began (organization and reserve partners report restoration measured in thousands of feet since the program’s start in the early 2000s), including consistent annual wall repair activity and recent milestones toward full restoration of key sections of the kuapā.

Invasive limu and mangrove removal

Long-term invasive-species management has removed substantial quantities of invasive seaweed from the pond (the organization reports over 50 tons removed since removals began in the mid-2000s) and ongoing mangrove removal and control have been part of improving circulation and habitat inside the pond.

Education, internships, and community events

Paepae o Heʻeia operates multi-year internship and education programs (summer internships active in 2023, 2024, and 2025) and regular community events such as Lā Holoholo (family fishing days), providing hands-on training in traditional practices, stewardship, and aquaculture to youth and the broader community.

At a glance

Total assets: $1.6M
Annual revenue: $1.1M
Tax status: 501(c)(3)Public charity
EIN: 71-0903791
Location: Kaneohe, HI
Website: paepaeoheeia.org
On Mahalo since: May 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Longstanding partnership with Kamehameha Schools as landowner partner and community steward of Heʻeia Fishpond.

Active partner in the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve network and collaborator with conservation agencies and NGOs (e.g., The Nature Conservancy, Hawaiʻi Department of Aquatic Resources) on restoration and research.

Featured in regional media and conservation literature for its cultural-restoration model and measurable restoration milestones; listed as an active 501(c)(3) nonprofit in public nonprofit databases and recent Form 990 filings.

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