Cindi Punihaole at Kahaluʻu Bay   Photographed by Ronit Fahl/ronitphoto.com

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 5:30 – 6:30 p.m

Cynthia “Cindi” Punihaole hails from the Kona coast of Hawaiʻi Island, where her ʻohana has served as Hawaiian practitioners, teachers, and stewards since the mid-1800s. Growing up in the 1950s, she remembers flourishing coral reef at Kahaluʻu—a rich landscape that sustained families for generations. Tragically, increasing development and tourism have threatened the Bay’s ecological health and native species.

As Director of the Kahaluʻu Bay Education Center (KBEC), Cindi is doing her part to create a new legacy of keepers that will care for the land and sea as she and her kūpuna have for centuries. Join our virtual talk-story with Aunty Cindi as she shares the history of Kahaluʻu Bay, her advocacy work to save its coral reef, and current trends and policy affecting our coasts. Learn more about KBEC.

This program will feature the trailer for Makai Films’ and Dear Ocean’s upcoming documentary, Keeper of the Bay, about marine conservation and Cindi’s struggle to continue her family’s baykeeping legacy.

If you require accommodation for a disability, please email info@jhchawaii.net or call us at (808) 539-4999.

While the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary provides a venue for diverse discussion, the speakers’ remarks do not necessarily represent opinions of the Judiciary.