1993–Present
Education Director, Permanent Agriculture Resources
- Co-Principal Investigator, The Traditional Tree Initiative (2003)
An innovative educational project to strengthen the culture and ecology of Pacific Islands by promoting underutilized native and traditional species. Also countering the potential risks of exotic bioinvasions by focusing on locally appropriate trees for reforestation, agroforestry, farming, and landscaping.
- Editor (and occasional Author), The Overstory
A bimonthly electronic agroforestry journal with over 6,000 subscribers in over 160 countries. Responsible for selecting text to publish, editing text into concise concepts and useful information for practitioners. Distilling works from scientific literature with cooperation from authors including P.K.R. Nair, Anthony Young, Alex Shigo, Peter Huxley, Roger Leakey, Darrell Posey, and many others. Perfect on-time delivery record for all 122 editions since 1998.
- Author and/or Editor of three books
Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree (2003)
The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees (2001)
Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands (2000)
- Workshop Coordinator
Developed and coordinated 30 practical workshops and field days (some with funding from the County of Hawai`i, USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, and Low Input Sustainable Agriculture), training over 800 professionals and practitioners in agroforestry. Trainees have included government extension agents, university personnel, professional foresters, farmers and ranchers. Also deliver evening lectures to groups including the University of Hawai`i/Outdoor Circle Master Gardener Program, The Hawaiian Homelands, and Hawai`i Tropical Fruit Growers Association.
- Contributor, Agroforestry.net
A site posting free access to The Overstory, links to international agroforestry organizations, and downloadable publications including Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands and The Nitrogen Fixing Tree Start-up Guide (with combined downloads exceeding 1,200 per month)
1994–2003
Owner/Operator, Future Forests Nursery
- The largest agroforestry nursery in Hawai`i, serving reforestation, Forest Stewardship, and agroforestry projects on six of the Hawaiian Islands. Pioneered ecological nursery practices for Acacia koa, Hawai`i’s premiere native timber tree, including elevating target seedling standards and introducing the use of selected Rhizobium inoculant and mycorrhizal fungi.
- Worked with tree improvement for native and Polynesian trees including koa (Acacia koa), milo/portia tree (Thespesia populnea), kamani (Calophyllum inophyllum) and kou (Cordia subcordata). The first nursery to offer forestry selections of these species.
- Assisted farmers and landholders in species selection and management planning for diverse applications including windbreaks, crop shade, woodlots, soil conservation, commercial forestry, and ecosystem restoration.
- Co-authored five Forest Stewardship Plans approved by the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
- Consulted on design and installation of over 20 private agroforestry and reforestation projects in upland, lowland, dry and moist climate zones.
1995–2003
Farm Manager, Hawai`iki Agroforestry Project
- A five acre research and demonstration project, part of a 150 acre Forest Stewardship Project. Management of a five-acre agroforestry demonstration farm exhibiting practices including alley cropping, the use of multipurpose trees, multi-layered home forest gardening, perennial tropical vegetables, and small-scale forestry.
- Major Participant/Farmer: Research Project, Orchard Alley Cropping. In cooperation with U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and University of Hawai`i. The first project in the tropics to test the applications of alley cropping and contour hedgerows in an orchard setting (as opposed to with annual crops). Researched ability of the alley cropping technique to provide sufficient nutrients to tree crops, reducing the need for imported nitrogen fertilizer inputs. Also analyzed the economic feasibility of the practice. Produced two handbooks about nitrogen fixing trees and the orchard alley cropping practice; published two scientific articles.
- Species and provenance trials, some in cooperation with Cornell University (production of hybrid triploid Leucaena) and The Oxford Forestry Institute (provenance trials for Calliandra and Acacia selections).
1992 Field Technician, Environmental Protection Agency, Colorado. Managed weather station.
1991 Teaching Assistant, Ecology, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
1990 Independent Research, Costa Rica—Undergraduate thesis research in forest management in association with the University of Costa Rica and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. Lived with a family in a small mountain village for several months.
1990 Teaching Assistant, Restoration Ecology, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Colorado.
1988 Research Assistant, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Kim M. Wilkinson
Publications
Books
Wilkinson, Kim M. and Craig R. Elevitch. 2003. Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree. PAR, Holualoa, HI.
Elevitch, Craig R. and Kim M. Wilkinson, eds. 2001. The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees. PAR, Holualoa, HI.
Elevitch, Craig R. and Kim M. Wilkinson, eds. 2000. Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands. PAR/WSARE, Holualoa, HI.
Periodicals, Proceedings, and Other Publications
(Partial List)
Elevitch, Craig R. and Kim M. Wilkinson, eds. 1998–2003. The Overstory (ejournal), Editions 1–122. PAR, Holualoa, HI. web: www.agroforestry.net.
Wilkinson, Kim M. 2000. Developing Microbial Inoculants for Native Hawaiian Trees. In: National Proceedings, Forest and Conservation Nursery Associations 1999, 2000, and 2001. Proceedings RMRS-P-24. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, UT.
Wilkinson, Kim M. 2000. Tropical Agroforestry: Integrated Systems for Diverse Products and Needs. In: Proceedings, Farming and Ranching for Profit, Stewardship, and Community. March 2000, Portland, OR. Sustainable Northwest, Portland, OR.
Thaman, Randy R., Craig R. Elevitch and Kim M. Wilkinson. 2000. Protecting and Expanding Traditional Agroforests in the Pacific. In: Pacific Islands Forests and Trees. March 2000. United Nations Development Programme, Suva, Fiji.
Wilkinson, Kim M. and Craig R. Elevitch. 1999. “Cultivating Connections with Other Farmers” (with sidebar: “Some Do’s and Don’t’s for Researchers Visiting Farms”). In: Agroforestry Today, Vol. 11 nos 3-4 (July-Dec 1999). International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya.
Elevitch, Craig, Kim Wilkinson, and Bruce Mathews. 1998. “Mulch from hedgerows of nitrogen fixing trees affects soil nutrient levels in a jackfruit orchard,” In: The Forest, Farm, and Community Tree Research Reports, Volume 3, 1998. FACT-Network. Winrock International and Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taiwan, China.
Elevitch, Craig R., Kim M. Wilkinson, and Christi A. Sobel. 1998. The Nitrogen-Fixing Tree Start-Up Guide. PAR and USDA/SARE, Holualoa, HI. www.agroforestry.net.
Elevitch, Craig R., Kim M. Wilkinson, and Christi A. Sobel. 1998. A Guide to Orchard Alley Cropping for Fertility, Mulch, and Soil Conservation. PAR and USDA/SARE, Holualoa, HI.
[ Home | Publications | Resume | Contact ]
1993–Present
Education Director, Permanent Agriculture Resources
- Co-Principal Investigator, The Traditional Tree Initiative (2003)
An innovative educational project to strengthen the culture and ecology of Pacific Islands by promoting underutilized native and traditional species. Also countering the potential risks of exotic bioinvasions by focusing on locally appropriate trees for reforestation, agroforestry, farming, and landscaping.
- Editor (and occasional Author), The Overstory
A bimonthly electronic agroforestry journal with over 6,000 subscribers in over 160 countries. Responsible for selecting text to publish, editing text into concise concepts and useful information for practitioners. Distilling works from scientific literature with cooperation from authors including P.K.R. Nair, Anthony Young, Alex Shigo, Peter Huxley, Roger Leakey, Darrell Posey, and many others. Perfect on-time delivery record for all 122 editions since 1998.
- Author and/or Editor of three books
Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree (2003)
The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees (2001)
Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands (2000)
- Workshop Coordinator
Developed and coordinated 30 practical workshops and field days (some with funding from the County of Hawai`i, USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, and Low Input Sustainable Agriculture), training over 800 professionals and practitioners in agroforestry. Trainees have included government extension agents, university personnel, professional foresters, farmers and ranchers. Also deliver evening lectures to groups including the University of Hawai`i/Outdoor Circle Master Gardener Program, The Hawaiian Homelands, and Hawai`i Tropical Fruit Growers Association.
- Contributor, Agroforestry.net
A site posting free access to The Overstory, links to international agroforestry organizations, and downloadable publications including Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands and The Nitrogen Fixing Tree Start-up Guide (with combined downloads exceeding 1,200 per month)
1994–2003
Owner/Operator, Future Forests Nursery
- The largest agroforestry nursery in Hawai`i, serving reforestation, Forest Stewardship, and agroforestry projects on six of the Hawaiian Islands. Pioneered ecological nursery practices for Acacia koa, Hawai`i’s premiere native timber tree, including elevating target seedling standards and introducing the use of selected Rhizobium inoculant and mycorrhizal fungi.
- Worked with tree improvement for native and Polynesian trees including koa (Acacia koa), milo/portia tree (Thespesia populnea), kamani (Calophyllum inophyllum) and kou (Cordia subcordata). The first nursery to offer forestry selections of these species.
- Assisted farmers and landholders in species selection and management planning for diverse applications including windbreaks, crop shade, woodlots, soil conservation, commercial forestry, and ecosystem restoration.
- Co-authored five Forest Stewardship Plans approved by the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
- Consulted on design and installation of over 20 private agroforestry and reforestation projects in upland, lowland, dry and moist climate zones.
1995–2003
Farm Manager, Hawai`iki Agroforestry Project
- A five acre research and demonstration project, part of a 150 acre Forest Stewardship Project. Management of a five-acre agroforestry demonstration farm exhibiting practices including alley cropping, the use of multipurpose trees, multi-layered home forest gardening, perennial tropical vegetables, and small-scale forestry.
- Major Participant/Farmer: Research Project, Orchard Alley Cropping. In cooperation with U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and University of Hawai`i. The first project in the tropics to test the applications of alley cropping and contour hedgerows in an orchard setting (as opposed to with annual crops). Researched ability of the alley cropping technique to provide sufficient nutrients to tree crops, reducing the need for imported nitrogen fertilizer inputs. Also analyzed the economic feasibility of the practice. Produced two handbooks about nitrogen fixing trees and the orchard alley cropping practice; published two scientific articles.
- Species and provenance trials, some in cooperation with Cornell University (production of hybrid triploid Leucaena) and The Oxford Forestry Institute (provenance trials for Calliandra and Acacia selections).
1992 Field Technician, Environmental Protection Agency, Colorado. Managed weather station.
1991 Teaching Assistant, Ecology, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
1990 Independent Research, Costa Rica—Undergraduate thesis research in forest management in association with the University of Costa Rica and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. Lived with a family in a small mountain village for several months.
1990 Teaching Assistant, Restoration Ecology, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Colorado.
1988 Research Assistant, Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
Kim M. Wilkinson
Publications
Books
Wilkinson, Kim M. and Craig R. Elevitch. 2003. Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree. PAR, Holualoa, HI.
Elevitch, Craig R. and Kim M. Wilkinson, eds. 2001. The Overstory Book: Cultivating Connections with Trees. PAR, Holualoa, HI.
Elevitch, Craig R. and Kim M. Wilkinson, eds. 2000. Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands. PAR/WSARE, Holualoa, HI.
Periodicals, Proceedings, and Other Publications
(Partial List)
Elevitch, Craig R. and Kim M. Wilkinson, eds. 1998–2003. The Overstory (ejournal), Editions 1–122. PAR, Holualoa, HI. web: www.agroforestry.net.
Wilkinson, Kim M. 2000. Developing Microbial Inoculants for Native Hawaiian Trees. In: National Proceedings, Forest and Conservation Nursery Associations 1999, 2000, and 2001. Proceedings RMRS-P-24. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, UT.
Wilkinson, Kim M. 2000. Tropical Agroforestry: Integrated Systems for Diverse Products and Needs. In: Proceedings, Farming and Ranching for Profit, Stewardship, and Community. March 2000, Portland, OR. Sustainable Northwest, Portland, OR.
Thaman, Randy R., Craig R. Elevitch and Kim M. Wilkinson. 2000. Protecting and Expanding Traditional Agroforests in the Pacific. In: Pacific Islands Forests and Trees. March 2000. United Nations Development Programme, Suva, Fiji.
Wilkinson, Kim M. and Craig R. Elevitch. 1999. “Cultivating Connections with Other Farmers” (with sidebar: “Some Do’s and Don’t’s for Researchers Visiting Farms”). In: Agroforestry Today, Vol. 11 nos 3-4 (July-Dec 1999). International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya.
Elevitch, Craig, Kim Wilkinson, and Bruce Mathews. 1998. “Mulch from hedgerows of nitrogen fixing trees affects soil nutrient levels in a jackfruit orchard,” In: The Forest, Farm, and Community Tree Research Reports, Volume 3, 1998. FACT-Network. Winrock International and Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taiwan, China.
Elevitch, Craig R., Kim M. Wilkinson, and Christi A. Sobel. 1998. The Nitrogen-Fixing Tree Start-Up Guide. PAR and USDA/SARE, Holualoa, HI. www.agroforestry.net.
Elevitch, Craig R., Kim M. Wilkinson, and Christi A. Sobel. 1998. A Guide to Orchard Alley Cropping for Fertility, Mulch, and Soil Conservation. PAR and USDA/SARE, Holualoa, HI.