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Creating Island Models

Photo: The local electric utility in Bermuda (BELCO).

The work that The Kohala Center is doing is making a difference, here and elsewhere. The Kohala Center’s commitment to finding solutions that benefit island people and environments is attracting the attention of island communities around the globe. For example, the Energy Department on the island nation of Bermuda recently asked to learn more about our Hawai‘i Island Energy Sustainability Plan Recommendations. The Plan was developed in collaboration with the County of Hawai‘i and the Industrial Ecology Program of Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. A team from Yale may soon be traveling to Bermuda to discuss the Hawai‘i Plan in more detail and to assess Bermuda’s needs. We contacted Mr. W. Allan Bean of the Bermuda Department of Energy to learn which aspects of the Hawai‘i Plan were most relevant to the situation in Bermuda. Mr. Bean provided the following response:

“The aspects of the Hawai'i Plan most valuable to us are listed in the Executive Summary of the Plan. The following is a short list:

Read the Executive Summary of the Hawai‘i Island Energy Sustainability Plan Recommendations.



A Novel Approach to Invasive Species

Photo: Invasive fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) in the understory of the Ka`üpülehu native dryland forest.

The Kohala Center recently named Jed Sparks, an Associate Professor in Cornell University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, as a Senior Scientist with the Center. Sparks is spending the entire fall semester on Hawai‘i Island, where he is working on a project to stem the monumental invasion of fountain grass into native dry forests. Over 90% of Hawaiian dry forests have been decimated by grazing, invasive species, wildfires, and land development – yet more than 20% of Hawai‘i’s biodiversity derives from species that inhabit these rare ecosystems. With the support of The Kohala Center, Sparks is taking a novel approach to preserving these endangered ecosystems. Sparks’ plan is to work with local schools to adopt dry forest “living laboratories” on the west side of the island.  By engaging directly with the issue of invasive species, students will learn about restoration ecology and ecosystem ecology.

These educational sites will consist of a few acres of forest, from which the students will help to eradicate fountain grass and then return on a regular basis to remove any new grass seedlings. With the appropriate partnerships in place, students and scientists will also develop their knowledge of effective Hawaiian resource management practices.  

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Concert to Save the Bay

Photo: Natalie Ai Kamau`u and group performing with hula dancers from the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort at the 2007 Bay Concert.

The Kohala Center is pleased to invite our friends and neighbors to celebrate a wonderful evening of music and goodwill at the second annual Bay Concert.
Join us from 5 to 8 pm on Saturday, November 22, at Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa’s Hawai‘i Lawn. Relax under the stars and enjoy Na Hoku award winners HAPA and Robi Kahakalau (Sista Robi), comedian Frank De Lima, and the powerful Daifukuji Taiko Drummers. Doors open at 4 pm, and tickets are $25 at the door or $20 presale. Tickets for children 12 years old and under are half price.

Last year’s Bay Concert raised $40,000 to support restoration and preservation efforts at Kahalu‘u Bay. Since then the community has joined hands to repaint the pavilion at the park and to teach hundreds of residents and visitors how to respectfully engage with the reef environment without trampling the fragile corals. Hawaiian küpuna (elders) are sharing their stories about and visions for this ancient gathering place, and a grassroots planning process has produced a model master plan to integrate Western science with traditional Hawaiian practices in the effort to restore the natural and cultural environment of the Bay. Kahalu‘u is becoming a place that truly honors the vision of the küpuna - a center for cultural education, scientific research, and community recreation. “This is what happens when people share their very best with one another and our ‘äina (land),” says Cindi Punihaole, Kohala Center Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator.

Photo: “Mahalo to all of you who helped us spruce up our pavilion. It looks really great! And people have commented on what a great job we all did!” - Cindi Punihaole

Bay Concert ticket sales support the work at Kahalu‘u Bay.
To become a sponsor of the Bay Concert, please email Cindi Punihaole at cpunihaole@kohalacenter.org or call her at 808-895-1010.

Visit www.kohalacenter.org/bayconcert08 for more information about the concert or to purchase tickets.


 

 

Two Talks on the Theme of Environmental Kinship
        
Photo: Lobe coral and mound coral are common hard corals found in Hawai‘i. Only the outer few millimeters of these corals make up the live coral tissue; the rest of the coral is skeleton made of calcium carbonate. Kahalu‘u Bay, where this picture was taken, has a number of these corals, some of which are 300-400 years old. Photo by Samantha Birch.

This month the Puana Ka ‘Ike (literally “imparting knowledge”) lecture series features two talks on the theme of environmental kinship through the discipline of marine science. Both talks are free and open to the public.

Intersections of Knowledge Systems: Coral as an Example
Friday, October 24 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm, Outrigger Keauhou Beach Hotel, Ballroom II

In the Hawaiian genealogy chant, the Kumulipo, corals are the first ancestor that appears. Learn more about the intersections between Hawaiian knowledge of corals and the knowledge of geneticists, and how these intersections emphasize the kinship between corals and humans. Presenters are Makani Gregg, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo (UHH) Marine Science major; Lucas Mead, UHH Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Sciences Master’s student; and Dr. Misaki Takabayashi, UHH Marine Science Assistant Professor.

Dr. Takabayashi is a marine molecular ecologist and has worked extensively on coral reefs in the Hawai‘i and the Pacific. She has published numerous papers from her work on ecology, physiology, and genetic diversity of corals and symbiotic algae. She currently serves as the undergraduate mentor for three Native Hawaiian students majoring in Marine Science and is teaching a new course she developed this fall with assistance from Kipuka-Uluakea entitled, “Ku‘ula Hawaiian Resource Management.” In the course, students are experiencing the traditional practices of marine resource management, reconnecting with the ocean through a Hawaiian worldview, and considering roles of traditional management concepts in the future. The class will be traveling to Midway Island this November to exchange research outcomes and documentations of the natural, spiritual, and cultural environment of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from the Native Hawaiian perspective with researchers of Midway. 

Limu: Gathering Practices and the Kapu System
Monday, October 27 from 12 - 1:30 pm, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, UCB 127

Until the introduction of Christianity (circa 1819) and the fall of the kapu(taboo) system, Hawaiian women were forbidden to eat many nutritious food items, including pork, coconuts, turtles, most varieties of bananas, and several species of big or red fish. Seaweeds, through their collection and preparation, provided a special niche for these women, and prior to Western contact, limu (seaweed) was a regular part of the Hawaiian diet and accompanied most meals. Seaweeds were also important to Hawaiian culture in legends and rituals, as medicine, and as a valuable item of exchange between coastal and upland families. Today, over 500 species of limu have been identified in the Hawaiian Islands, some of which are still gathered and cherished. Presenters are Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott and Dr. Karla McDermid.

Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott, born in Hana, Maui and raised in Honolulu, is a graduate of the Universities of Hawai‘i, Michigan and California.  She taught at Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University for 30 years before "retiring" in Hawai‘i, where she began teaching at UH Mänoa. She is a psychologist and an ethnobotanist. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to the study of marine algae and as a teacher. Dr. Karla McDermid is a Professor in the Marine Science Department at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo where she teaches courses on Marine Plants, Atoll Ecosystems, Marine Debris, and Marine Biology. Dr. McDermid has been on research expeditions to study the marine plants of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Palmyra, Palau, Pohnpei, and most recently, 600 feet deep off the coast of Moloka‘i in a submersible. Dr. McDermid has presented invited papers at international seaweed conferences and workshops and published articles on ecology, taxonomy, biogeography, and nutritional composition of limu.

Learn more about upcoming presentations, or view webcasts of previous Puana Ka ‘Ike talks.

Updating Our Virtual Presence

If you haven’t visited us online lately, take a moment to check out our Web site. In addition to gorgeous images from island photographers, including Jack Jeffrey, Brad Lewis, Seapics, and Jordan Hill, we hope you’ll enjoy our crisp and elegant new design. Here’s an overview of what you’ll find at www.kohalacenter.org:

The new site was designed by Honolulu-based firm Team Vision, which also designs many of our print publications. The site was programmed by Aurora Imaging Company in Philadelphia, an upcoming design and multimedia company. As their contribution to the Kahalu‘u Bay Project, Aurora Imaging Company also designed this year’s Bay Concert site. Let us know what you think.  Contact Samantha Birch, Kohala Center Field Educator and Program Leader, at sbirch@kohalacenter.org with your comments about our new look.

Makapo Canoe Club Visit

Photo:  Makapo Canoe Club members (in blue t-shirts) volunteer as ReefTeachers at Kahalu‘u Bay.

The Hawaiian word "makapo" is derived from the 2 Hawaiian words "maka" meaning "eye" and "po" meaning "dark." Makapo Canoe Club is a competitive paddling team for blind and visually impaired athletes based in Orange County, California. Twelve Makapo paddlers traveled to Kona for the Queen Lili‘uokalani Canoe Races on August 30. The day before the race the Makapo team joined Caroline Neary, Assistant Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator for The Kohala Center, and volunteer Judy Tarbet to work as ReefTeachers at Kahalu‘u Bay. After learning about the cultural significance of Kahalu‘u Bay and its incredible marine ecosystem from their trainers, the Makapo team donned ReefTeach t-shirts and hit the beach to talk with visitors about turtles, corals, and the ecology of the Bay. 

“Their impact was amazing - for the hour that the Makapo Canoe Club was in the water, everyone swimming and snorkeling at Kahalu‘u stopped to hear more about ReefTeach. Having these visitors was truly an honor. They made a tremendous impression at Kahalu‘u and shared their aloha with everyone they encountered. We look forward to next year when our Makapo friends return!” - Caroline Neary

View a YouTube interview with Makapo Canoe Club members, and read the full story with pictures at our new ReefTeach blog.

Connecting with Our Forests

Photo: Hannah Springer introduces the group to the Ka`üpülehu Dry Forest Restoration site.

Thirteen adventurers attended the Ka`üpülehu learning event on Tuesday, August 26, with guides Yvonne and Keoki Carter, Wilds Brawner (onsite manager), Hannah Springer, and Leinaala Keakealani Lightner. The group visited rare dryland forest, precious land sites or wahi pana, and enjoyed the mo`olelo or stories, memories, and knowledge of those who care for these places. They traversed the ahupua`a (Hawaiian land division) of Ka`üpülehu from mauka (upland) to makai (coast).

Photo: A monk seal was spotted sleeping on the rocks at Ka Lae Mano on the coast.




“The Ka`üpülehu dry forest was beautiful. Although I've seen other projects of this nature on the island, I was not prepared for the huge old trees and the variety of native plants. The interpretive trail and signage were extremely well done. I was very impressed by the fact that those who have worked here were able to remove invasives, build trails, post signs, create places to sit, and yet not interfere with the ancient and peaceful feel of the forest… I came away from this tour with a deeper understanding of the history, cultural significance, and geology of these places. Mahalo nui loa for sharing them with us! I plan to share some of this with the members of the Kona Hiking Club when we next visit Ka`üpülehu.” - Ruby Tzimeas



Photo: Melora Purell of the KWP introduces the group to native trees in the Koaia Sanctuary, a protected preserve for native dry forest, which in days past covered the leeward slopes of Kohala Mountain.  

A group of six ventured into the Kohala Forest on a learning adventure with guide Melora Purell on Saturday, September 13. Melora reports that she loved spending the day with people who have never been to the Kohala Mountain before. In addition to seeing the forest through fresh eyes, the group lent their helping hands to remove some of the invasive weeds. Melora serves as the coordinator of the Kohala Watershed Partnership (KWP), which organizes monthly work days. Volunteers explore parts of the Kohala Mountain, see some of the rare species that inhabit these last vestiges of pristine forest, and help to eradicate invasive species so that the native plants can thrive. Contact Melora at coordinator@kohalawatershed.org for details on upcoming work days.

“It was an eye-opening experience to trek with Melora Purell into a section of dry lowland forest and the wetter upper forests of Pu`u O Umi. These pristine forests have the unique diversity that is precious to the future of our islands. This public/private partnership work to restore and preserve sections of the Kohala Watershed is a perfect example of what can be done to ensure that our forest cover will continue to provide the needed ecosystem protection for our lower communities. I saw firsthand that it is certainly better for the environment and more economically viable to take care of our natural resources than to try and bring them back once they have been destroyed.” - Nancy Redfeather

Small Tokens of Our Appreciation

Members of The Kohala Center’s Circle of Friends and Kahalu‘u Bay volunteers recently received a small gift in the mail, in appreciation for their support of the Center’s work. A dozen island businesses are honoring our special friends with discounts of 10-20% off their products or services. To take advantage of these discounts, simply present your mahalo card. If you haven’t received your mahalo card yet, join us today. The benefits are compound and empowering.

"Mahalo for your nice card. I had such a good time volunteering down at Kahalu‘u and the fact that it was appreciated made it even better. All the people that got involved were just wonderful and I think that I speak for all when I say that we enjoyed ourselves. It is always nice to receive things, but even greater to be able to give and repay. Until moving to Kona 5 years ago, I worked full time (40-55 hours a week), never had time for volunteering, and never really gave it any thought. Now I am retired and have lots of time. I love this island, its culture, beauty, mana (spiritual power) and the ‘aina (land). I realize that there never seems to be enough money to do everything and I love to get involved and try to make a difference." - Margareta Prince, Kahalu‘u Bay volunteer

Click here for a list of the business locations and the discounts offered through the mahalo card.

Subscribe to Kalei Tsuha's Hawaiian Moon Calendar. Please click here and then send from your email. Mahalo!



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