In Wai’anae, Hawaii, local community members & scientists co-produce wildfire management decisions

In this episode of CivicSciTV’s “Local Perspectives,” we interview Rachael Cleveland, a natural resources scientist. They discuss Cleveland’s research study conducted at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, in conjunction with the Wai’anae Fire Hui, a local community group in Wai’anae, Hawai’i. The conversation highlights how community-driven science can better inform complex wildfire and land management decisions.

The conversation begins with the study’s motivations. Cleveland wanted to know, “How do we get communities involved in the work that we do to help make it more relevant?” Then, they cover the Structured Decision Making framework and how community decision-making could address wildfire risks while preserving crucial, identified ecosystem services like biodiversity, water resources, and spiritual experience.

They also discuss accuracy in interviews, Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping to capture expert knowledge, actionable advice related to program support, and surprising lessons learned. “Hearing how deeply connected they [Fire Hui landowners] were to place and how deep their love for the land was and how much they wanted to care for it was a really joyful experience,” revealed Cleveland.

The conversation ends with unanswered questions, transferable learnings, and what’s next. Cleveland shares that the Fire Hui enjoyed being part of the decision-making process and implemented actions after the study. “The Hui was really focused on – how they could take their Hui and spread it across the state and have it be impactful to beyond just Wai’anae.”

In the future, Cleveland hopes that “research like this can at least shed a little light onto how insightful communities are and how that can actually be used for land management.”

Research Paper

Diya Dwarakanath

Diya is an independent science and engineering journalist. She writes opinion-editorials,blogs, explainers, and feature articles on various topics. Based in Portland, Oregon, Diya is an insightful writer with "a minimalist approach and an eye for detail," said a professional writing colleague. Her unique skillset is combining her subject matter expertise with her interest in furthering science and engineering communication with the public.