WCC offers new tuition-free limu culture pathway

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Windward Community College has partnered with Waikalua Loko Ia to bring forth a brand-new pathway and courses all based around limu .

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For hundreds of years, loko ia, or fishponds, served a vital function in our community providing food and sustenance.

“So, limu, of course, most people think of it as food and traditionally, it was a very important part of the Hawaiian diet,” Professor Dave Krupp told KHON2. “But there is so much more that algae can be used for and when we talk about limu, we are talking about seaweed or macroalgae, but there are also microalgae, and our program is also training people in how to culture that as well as the limu that people want to eat and want to grow back on our reefs. But applications include everything from pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, biofuels, use of or actually bringing down carbon levels in our atmosphere, carbon dioxide levels, what we call carbon sequestration, to vital remediation of polluted waters. There is all these different cool applications for limu. Even compostable replacement plastic products, okay, instead of plastics that don’t break down. People are making plastic like materials out of algae. All these different applications which I think are going to be important in terms of industry and sustainability in the state of Hawaii.”

KHON2: What are the different courses that are being offered?

“At Windward Community College, we have a suite of classes that we are offering that teaches people about algae in general but also about how to culture algae,” Krupp said. “This fall, we are offering three classes that are tuition waived, that is free to take. No tuition charged to the students. One is just called ‘Introduction to Algae.’ That is an online class that students can take from anywhere. But we are also teaching, that is called ‘Botany 111,’ But we are also teaching Hawaiian studies classes, Na Limu Hawaii , and a lecture and a lab companion class with that. It is all about traditional practices and uses with respect to limu, and those classes are going to be taught at the fishpond.”

Jayten Galario, the manager at Waikalua Loko Ia shared his traditional knowledge of western science.

“To me, both traditional science and western knowledge go hand in hand together” Galario said. “So, just like we say Kane and Kanaloa , fresh water, salt water. Two sides of the same coin. We have to understand that, yes, both ways are the correct way but it’s how do we blend both ways so we both see eye to eye on everything and everything works harmoniously, just as partnerships do and what we do with Windward Community College. I am also a; how do I say this? I am also a student of Windward and I am a product of Windward and look at me now, I am managing the fishpond in which has a partnership with Windward.”

Windward Community College’s new limu Culture pathway at Waikalua Loko Ia will be the classroom, at least for one of the courses available.

For all the information, click here.