Come Enjoy!
Photo: Emcee Frank De Lima keeps the show rolling along with his island style humor.
Photo from www.frankdelima.com and used by permission here.
“Forget your worries, come and enjoy some beautiful Hawaiian music,” suggests Cindi Punihaole, Kohala Center Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator. The Bay Concert, featuring Na Hoku award winners HAPA and Robi Kahakalau (Sista Robi), comedian Frank De Lima, and the powerful Daifukuji Taiko Drummers, is on Saturday, November 22, at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa’s Hawai‘i Lawn. Doors open at 4 p.m., and the concert is from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 presale. Admission is half-priced for children 12 years old and under. Bay Concert ticket sales support restoration and preservation efforts at Kahalu‘u Bay.
Tune in to KAPA radio to win one of 26 free tickets being given away during the two weeks preceding the concert. Listen to the Bay Concert radio spot for more details. Visit www.kohalacenter.org/bayconcert08 for more information about the concert or to purchase tickets.
Education, Environment, & Empowerment
Image: Cover from The Kohala Center 2008 Annual Report.
“As we listen to the needs of island residents and consider the research and educational interests of our university and agency partners, our work at The Kohala Center becomes more and more focused on the basics of life: energy, food, water, and ecosystem health. And as we address life’s challenges, we create local solutions that have global impact.” - Roberta Fujimoto Chu, President, The Kohala Center Board of Directors.
In January 2001, The Kohala Center was announced as a concept: it had no offices, no employees, and no operating budget. Today, the organization supports 14 full-time and 3 part-time employees, who work with approximately 50 contractors, ranging from camp cooks to marine biologists, copywriters, curriculum specialists, applied mathematicians, media relations experts, and oral historians. Staff and contractors design, coordinate, and implement teaching and research programs that serve island communities, enhance island environments, and advance the work of the academy. The Kohala Center is itself an example of the job creating potential of respectfully engaging the Island of Hawai‘i as a valuable research and learning laboratory. At its very core, our work is motivated by the desire to learn from and benefit Hawai‘i’s cultural and natural environments.
As we step back and assess how far we’ve come, it is clear that The Kohala Center’s work to develop local knowledge is having a global impact. As our initiatives thrive and our staff continues to push for excellence, Hawai‘i Island is taking its place in the global knowledge economy. We invite you to learn more about our work in the fields of energy, food, water, ecosystems health, and education. Read our 2008 Annual Report.
Cornell University Field Program in Earth and Environmental Systems 
Photo: Cornell program students in residence at Waiaka House in Waimea.
Island inhabitants have long known that they must live sustainably, or not live. The Hawaiian Islands are an exceptionally dynamic natural laboratory. Because the islands in the Hawaiian chain were sequentially created by volcanic eruptions, each island is of a different age, and scientists can use the islands as a time machine in which to examine the past, present, and future. Students spend spring semester in Hawai‘i (January-May 2009) exploring a variety of ecosystems, examining their development over time, considering human impacts on plant and animal communities, thinking about our role as stewards, and experiencing geologic processes such as active volcanism and seismicity. Participants gain hands-on experience as they probe the interaction between earth, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere. Courses include Earth Systems Science, Biogeochemistry, Marine Ecology, Hawaiian History and Culture, and an internship experience in the local community. The courses are field-based and taught by Cornell faculty from the Departments of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and by Hawai‘i Island experts. Students earn 19 credit hours during the 16-week semester program, which begins January 17, 2009.
The program is designed for any student majoring in science with a strong interest in Earth and environmental studies. Applications are currently being accepted for Spring 2009 and may be downloaded from http://www.geo.cornell.edu/hawaii/. Interested students should contact the program director, Dr. Alexandra Moore, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell University, via e-mail at afm113@gmail.com.
We Can Change the World Challenge
Image: Thera, one of the Agents of Change from the challenge Web site. This is the scenario: “One hundred and fifty years from now, the earth lies on the brink. Global warming, and human pollution have left nothing but barren soil, filthy water and harsh winds. Plants are struggling to take root again, but it is all happening too slowly. And so the earth has set forth three eco-heroes made from the three remaining elements and sent them back to us. Now. In 2008. Before it’s too late. To help us make the right choices and do what’s necessary for the ailing environment, the earth has sent us its most powerful, focused and committed Agents of Change.” Image courtesy of www.wecanchange.com.
Middle school students across the U.S. are invited to come up with innovative solutions to environmental problems in their communities and to submit their solutions to the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge.
The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, and the National Science Teachers Association have partnered in this national initiative to educate, empower, and engage students to become "agents of change” in their communities.
Student teams of 6th to 8th graders, under the mentorship of a teacher or adult supervisor, can register for the challenge online. Teams comprised of two to three students are invited to identify an environmental issue in their community, research the issue, and create a “green” solution using web-based curriculum tools available at the project Web site. The mentors of the first hundred teams to complete a challenge project will receive a complementary Planet Earth series DVD set. All student teams that enter the challenge will receive prizes for their participation, and selected teams will earn cash, teacher education materials, and "Discovery Experience" trips. The deadline for entries is March 15, 2009.
A total of fifty-one teams representing each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as state finalists and an additional fifty teams will be eligible for honorable mention awards. Three of the state finalist teams will be selected as national finalists, and one of these teams will be chosen as the grand prize winner. The grand prize winning team will receive a comprehensive prize package, which includes an appearance on Planet Green, Discovery's eco-lifestyle network, and a Discovery Adventure Trip.
Visit the We Can Change the World Challenge Web site for program resources and competition guidelines.
HP Scholarships 
Photo: Akela Kurahara, 2007 CURIE Academy scholarship recipient and currently a senior at Hilo High School, took this photo of some of her fellow CURIE Academy scholars posing in front of one of Ithaca’s famous gorges.
Technology firm Hewlett-Packard (HP) provided full scholarships for Hawai‘i Island teens Lynsey Montell and Amy Lynn Eriksson to attend the prestigious Curie Academy in Ithaca, New York this past summer. HP funding allowed these two young scholars to pursue their interest in math and science, by participating in this residential program hosted by Cornell University’s Diversity Programs in Engineering Office. The Curie Academy hosts 30 young women from across the country and around the globe for one week each summer, introducing them to life on a college campus and career possibilities in math or engineering. Read more about Montell’s and Eriksson’s experiences at Cornell.
Look for details about next summer’s CURIE Academy and scholarship guidelines at The Kohala Center Web site in early 2009.
Manta Ballet
Photo: Vicky swims up close to snorkelers, attracted to the plankton generated by their flashlights. Vicky is a female ray that was first identified in 2002. She is named after Victoria Newman, Ph.D., manta enthusiast and one of the directors of Manta Pacific Research Foundation. Photo by Keller Laros.
Each night in a small cove off the Kona Coast of Hawai‘i Island, divers and snorkelers gather in the dark waters for an evening spectacle like none other. The boats anchor to their mooring buoys and the passengers disembark equipped with underwater flashlights, swimming toward a small ring of lights on the sandy ocean bottom. The lights have been set up by local dive tour companies to attract manta rays to this spot, so viewers can get a closer look at these massive creatures. The rays congregate in the light column to feed on zooplankton which are attracted by light. Most nights at least a few of Hawai‘i’s population of about 150 rays show up just after sundown to enjoy an easy meal.
Divers park themselves in the sandy bottom and watch the rays somersault above their heads, while snorkelers float on the surface of the water pointing their lights downward to illuminate the rays’ ballet. The rays somersault through the water in order to drive large volumes of plankton through their gills and into their mouths. After enough plankton has accumulated, the ray swallows, and the dance begins again. The divers and snorkelers are careful not to interfere with the rays, who often come in close proximity with the humans as they perform their underwater acrobatics. Watching a 1,500-pound ray glide within inches of your nose is an unforgettable sight. The fact that these are wild animals and that they seem to enjoy their symbiotic relationship with the divers makes the experience even more thrilling.
About 20 members of TKC’s Circle of Friends joined guide Keller Laros from Jack’s Diving Locker and the Manta Pacific Research Foundation (MPRF) on a Manta Ray Night Dive learning event on Sunday, October 5. The group learned more about the behavior of these remarkable creatures and about MPRF efforts to study and protect the Hawai‘i population of manta rays. Read more, or view a video clip of the underwater ballet by Samantha Birch, TKC Program Services Coordinator.
Available Soon: Two Kahalu‘u DVDs
Photo: ReefTeacher Ken Pool (in blue shirt and hat) at work at Kahalu‘u Bay. Ken is holding the ReefTeach Reference Book.
The Kohala Center (TKC) and Sara Peck of the UH Sea Grant Program have teamed up to create a new ReefTeach Training DVD. “Given the increasing interest in ReefTeach, we decided to create a training video so that we could reach and train more people. There has been island-wide interest in the program. We have shared our program with the Hilo Bay Watershed Advisory Group and the community for possible implementation at Richardson Beach Park in Keaukaha. They are now working on a program unique to their area,” explains Samantha Birch, Field Educator at TKC. Birch and Peck collaborated to write the script for the DVD, and Lynn Beittel of Visionary Video edited the video sequences. The DVD captures the essence of the volunteer training experience that Kahalu‘u Bay ReefTeachers engage in.
The DVD includes information on Hawaiian coral reef ecology, reef development, and threats to coral reefs in Hawai‘i. Viewers learn what corals are, the anatomy of a coral polyp, how corals use algae and stinging tentacles to get their energy, the many different ways they reproduce, different coral species on the island, and suggested coral reef etiquette to ensure swimmers do not damage the reef. The basics of proper reef etiquette are: (1) avoid touching or standing on the coral, (2) refrain from feeding the fish, (3) give turtles at least ten feet of space, (4) clean up after yourself on the beach, and (5) apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before entering the water. The ReefTeach Reference Book is another helpful tool which uses pictures to educate people about how to be responsible users of the bay. This book can be downloaded for free from the ReefTeach Web site. Many ReefTeachers also supplement the reference book with a fish ID card that they carry with them while talking to guests. 
Photo: “Standing on live coral destroys it!” page from the ReefTeach Reference Book.
“The Reference Book and fish ID cards are a great way to grab people’s attention. People love to see all the colorful varieties of fish common to the area. They enjoy looking at the fish ID cards and finding the species they encountered while snorkeling. They also ask tons of questions about turtles. Most are very receptive to the information ReefTeachers provide - people just seem to soak it up. Once one person starts to look over the pictures, others almost always join in.” – Caroline Neary, TKC Assistant Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
The second DVD features kūpuna (Hawaiian elders) Mitchell Fujisaka and Allen Wall sharing their stories about the history and culture of Kahalu‘u Bay and the surrounding area. This DVD also features renowned ethnographer Kepa Maly, who provides additional background on the ahupua‘a (Hawaiian land divisions) of Kahalu‘u and Keauhou gleaned from old Hawaiian language newspapers. The kūpuna DVD is available now from the The Kahalu‘u Bay Project Website, and shown via web cast at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.
For more information or to request a ReefTeach Training or kūpuna DVD, contact Cindi Punihaole at 808-895-1010 or via e-mail at cpunihaole@kohalacenter.org.
People Protecting Hawai‘i
Photo: Connie Monell, a dedicated ReefTeacher, collecting information on the number of people swimming in Kahalu‘u Bay.
Preserving Paradise, a guide to volunteer opportunities in Hawai‘i, features the ReefTeach Program at Kahalu‘u Bay as one of over a dozen meaningful ways to give back to our island home. Author Kirsten Whatley praises the ReefTeach Program for its efforts to protect the coral reef resources at Kahalu‘u Bay. Over 280 community members currently volunteer at Kahalu‘u Bay and at local businesses as ReefTeachers. These volunteers teach visitors how to enjoy the beauty of the bay while observing proper “reef etiquette.”
ReefTeach is one initiative of the Kahulu‘u Bay Project, a long-term effort to restore Kahalu‘u Bay, care for its natural resources, and promote respect for its cultural significance through the development of a center for cultural education, scientific research, and community recreation. The program is a public-private partnership of many island entities, overseen by a citizen advisory committee and managed by The Kohala Center. Learn more about the Kahalu‘u Bay Project or about volunteering with ReefTeach. 
Photo: Satisfied volunteers returning from a successful day's work in the vast Kohala Forest.
Island residents are also invited to join Melora Purell and the Kohala Watershed Partnership (KWP) at their monthly work days. KWP volunteers explore the Kohala Mountain and see firsthand some of the rare species that inhabit our pristine native forests, and they help to eradicate invasive species so that the native plants can thrive. Upcoming work days are on Saturdays, November 15 and December 13. Contact Melora at coordinator@kohalawatershed.org for details.
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