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Several species of fish have been restored during the project’s first 15 years, but the nonprofit organization Paepae O He’eia is still in the early stages of its work on the He’eia Fishpond in Kaneohe Bay. The ultimate goal is make it a fully functioning fishpond that can produce a marketable fish supply.

Volunteers circle up for a blessing before starting their workday at He’eia State Park on March 23. Every month community members work to restore the fishpond, including the 7,000-foot wall that encloses it.

Volunteers transport rocks from the shore to a portion of the fishpond wall. The wall is the backbone of the fishpond and is being restored with pohaku pele (volcanic rock) and ko’a (coral).

Stones are dry-stacked without the use of mortar in the traditional way using lava rock on the outer edges for protection against wind and waves and then filling interior spaces with coral.

Keli Kotubetey, assistant executive director for Paepae O He’eia, teaches volunteers about the invasive limu seaweed before they work to remove it. In addition to fishpond restoration, the nonprofit offers cultural, educational and aquacultural programs.

Volunteers hunt for limu seaweed. The project combines traditional Hawaiian practices and modern technology.

Donnell Mokuau, left, and Cher Foley collect limu seaweed from inside the fishpond walls. The Bank of Hawaii employees were among numerous volunteers participating in the community workday.

A volunteer transports bags of seaweed to shore, where it is left for pickup by farmers who use the limu, rich in potassium, as mulch to fertilize gardens.

Kotubetey repairs a sluice gate on fishpond wall. The gates are made from poles lashed together to allow water to flow in and out. The spacing of the poles allows young fish to swim in to feed on algae in the brackish waters but prevents them from swimming back to sea once they’re mature. Adult fish are easily caught as they gather near the gates.

Paepae O He’eia staff member Pulama Long, middle, works with Zarqui Edwards, left, and Neil Coffey, right, along with other volunteers pounding and peeling bark from mangrove branches to be used in construction projects around the fishpond. The invasive mangroves are continuously removed from the fishpond, and excess wood is made available to the public. Similar to kiawe, it’s great for barbecues, small construction work or handcrafting projects.

It’s not all work: Volunteers gather inside one of several hales built along the fishpond wall to learn about its history, purpose and functions.