Meet the Team

J. D. Nālamakūikapō Ahsing was born on Oʻahu and raised in ʻEwa, Puʻuloa by parents Alan and Karin Ahsing. He currently resides in Waimānalo and serves as the Ulupō ʻĀina Restoration Coordinator. As a mahiʻai, artist, and voyager,
Nālamakū honors the lessons of his teachers, love of his family, and mana of his ʻāina. His love for the people, ʻāina, and moʻolelo of Hawaiʻi is the foundation upon which he asks: What knowledge is encoded through ʻāina? How do we restore pono to Hawaiʻi? Who are we as the ancestors of tomorrow?

I love being a part of Kaulu and fulfilling our mission of connecting people to place. There is something so powerful when we all come together to care for our land, grow our own food, and share a meal. I also know I need to be outside or I'd probably lose my mind haha. Makali'i is a place full of abundance and resilience, and it's so exciting to think about all the restoration that can happen. There are many people who have fought to protect this place and I'm so grateful and inspired by them. I'm happy to help out in any way I can. Also, we have a great team and it's so fun to be surrounded by such amazing people.

Up until 2025, I was a special education teacher in Kailua. I would bring my class to Ulupō whenever I could, and I saw how my students changed on ʻāina. I saw how their disabilities became superpowers in the loʻi, how their intense interests were sparked by the plants and birds they met here. I realized the power ʻāina education has to ground and grow our keiki. Inspired by those moments, I felt a deep calling to create more opportunities for keiki to learn through ʻāina education. In my free time, I dance for Hālau Mōhala ʻIlima under the direction of Kumu Hula Māpuana de Silva. By dancing, I have deepened my understanding of hula as a way of knowing and connecting to ʻāina. My hula training has cultivated a strong foundation in ʻike kupuna and a profound respect for the stories, places, and people of Kailua.

I first grew my pilina with Kauluakalana through attending Pili Mai, our family board and stone program, and soon after became a kākoʻo for Ka Pahuhopu, our intersession program for middle school students. It was the ʻāina of Kūkanono that first taught me the power and potential of aloha ʻāina, and I am lucky now to get to hoʻi hou i ka mole and return to this ʻāina as a coordinator for both Pili Mai and Ka Pahuhopu, as well as a kākoʻo for our DOE field trips and other educational programs. In my free time I love to run, hike, play music, and dream about the future.

From the moment I began interning with Kauluakalana, my naʻau re-awakened in a profound way. I realized I want both my present and future to be deeply rooted in the living legacy of our Native Hawaiian culture. So when I was offered a full-time position the following year, it was an easy decision.

This journey of identity reclamation, cultural revitalization, and renewal of kuleana aligns directly with Kauluakalana’s mission and vision, which have become inspiring and intentional guides for both my life and the work we do. Through Kaulu, I have had the privilege to engage in ancestral practices that nourish my soul and strengthen my connection to ʻāina and community — from planting and harvesting traditional foods, to learning and sharing moʻolelo, to caring tenderly for our precious land, and embracing our beautiful ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

This is a journey of hoʻi hou i ka mole — returning to my taproot and foundation — and I am deeply thankful for the sense of purpose, belonging, and empowerment Kauluakalana has fostered within me. Every day, I am inspired by the dedication, passion, and aloha of our team. It is an honor to walk this path alongside such committed kānaka, supporting the restoration and healing of our land, culture, and community.

Kauluakalana not only supports my personal and professional dreams — it has become a place where those dreams are lived, breathed, and made real.

Eat more breadfruit. Love your ohana. Malama aina.

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​The reason I stay working at kauluakalana is because I did not like working for tourist and I would rather build relationships with the aina.

Kaulu is an organization unlike any I have ever encountered before. The 3 pillars of hānai, haʻi moʻolelo, and huli ka lima i lalo work to cultivate the whole person, their connection to ʻāina, and each other. In times like these, I feel that this is the best way to ameliorate all of the chaos of the world. I appreciate that Kaulu has become a kīpuka for the community that that will hopefully expand into the future. Beyond that, I appreciate my coworkers, the satisfaction of the work itself, the fact that I get to learn so much every day, and much more.

For the past six years, I have served as a poʻe aloha ʻāina in Kailua, deepening my connection to this piko. With a passion for teaching and perpetuating our moʻolelo, I found purpose in educating our keiki through Kauluakalana’s ʻĀina Education frameworks—a path that allows me to nourish both ʻāina and kanaka relationships.

Since my brothers were in the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi KPOK programs I had always thought that this Kauluakalana would be the ideal place to work and was fortunate enough to be hired here while finishing up my palapala in Dec 2024. I have always appreciated the fact that there is an amazing Hawaiian non-profit in Kailua that continues to share the moʻolelo of this incredible place.

I was called to Kauluakalana's mission to weave kānaka and 'āina together through a braid of mo'olelo, hana, and hānai. The intention to build our community through remembering the true identity of Kailua spoke to me as I transitioned from being a college student. You can catch me at Wāwāmalu sending sets on a mean swell🤙🏽

ʻAʻole pau ke koʻikoʻi iaʻu no ka mālama ʻāina ʻana a me ka hoʻoulu mau i koʻu ʻike a me kālena, a i koʻu loaʻa ʻana mai i kēia kāhea no ka mālama ʻana iā Makaliʻi, ua ʻokoʻa kēia ʻano hana, me koʻu hana ʻāina ʻana ma mua. I kēia manawa, pili koʻu mau lima i ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i ke kāhua no nā nuʻukia ʻo Makaliʻi; ʻo ia hoʻi ka hānai ʻana i ke kaiāulu, ka hoʻonoho ʻana i wahi no ke aʻo ʻana i nā mahiʻai o na hanauna e hiki mai, a ke kōnea ʻana i ia wahi kei no ka uʻi. Nui koʻu haʻaheo e lilo i mokuna liʻiliʻi o kēia moʻolelo nui ʻO Kauluakalana. O ke kāhua ma mua, ma hope ke kukulu!

As an Admin Technician at Kauluakalana, my two worlds collide. Through the work I do for Kauluakalana both administratively and physically while being on aina, I find myself reconnecting with my indignity and the past. As a mother of soon to be three it was important for me to have a career that aligns with who I am, and the change I wanted to see and be in the world. I wanted to be proud of the person I am as a whole so that I may pass those experiences and teachings my keiki as well. I'm always finding new lessons and reflections hidden away in the abundance of the beautiful lands we care take here at Kauluakalana.

It is such a beautiful thing to bring career and culture together for the betterment of my people, and more so for my growing keiki.

To reconnect to my piko of Kailua through this organization that fosters the restoration of ‘āina and reconnection between kanaka and ‘āina. Kauluakalana is grounded by the mole of mo’olelo, ‘āina, and ‘Ike kupuna. I also chose Kauluakalana because of the kanaka that mālama every aspect of Kauluakalana being. On both the restoration and education side of the organization. They offer an individual speciality that they all bring together that makes working with them a rich and relaxing environment. He leo mahalo kēia, for everything that I have learned and offered to me through my journey through my term as a Kupu intern. All the laughter and memories that exists in this space of Kūkanono that is home to the Kauluakalana organization.