A Passion for Coral Reefs
By Courtney S. Couch
Photo: Courtney Couch kayaking in Kealakekua Bay to the study site. Photo by Petch Manopawitr.
I grew up in King Ferry, New York, about 20 miles north of Cornell University. So how did a person from one of the colder, landlocked regions of the United States become interested in coral reefs? As a teenager I took a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula. I was sixty feet below the ocean surface when my dive buddy frantically alerted me to a school of Caribbean reef sharks swimming directly above us. At that moment I realized that if I could remain oblivious to a school of sharks while captivated by the coral reef beneath me, I was destined to study coral reefs. Four years later, while exploring the same reef, I was horror-struck to observe that many of the massive colonies had been transformed into large fuzzy mounds, overgrown by algae, with only the occasional remnants of coral tissue. This pivotal moment cemented my passion for the study of coral reef health and the processes driving these incomprehensible changes.
My interest in marine biology and coral reef ecology was further piqued by my undergraduate coursework and the diverse research opportunities that were available to me at St. Lawrence University (SLU). One of the most influential aspects of my undergraduate career was my independent research project on the feeding biology of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. This introduction to scientific research, invertebrate physiology, and coral reef ecosystem processes motivated me to investigate the impact of herbivores on coral reef health and biodiversity in San Salvador, Bahamas. The scientific diving and species identification skills that I learned during these baseline ecosystem health surveys of coral cover and diversity are integral components of my current research. This independent research opportunity also gave me the chance to volunteer my time to educate children about the ecological importance of their local reefs. Our team collaborated with local Bahamian elementary school teachers to design and implement interactive activities to teach students about coral reef ecosystem processes. The overwhelming enthusiasm of the students to learn about their environment and the initial research experience on coral reef ecosystem processes inspired me to gain more field experience prior to pursuing a graduate degree.
Photo: Courtney getting geared up to start coral disease surveys at Ke‘ei. Photo by Petch Manopawitr.
Three days after graduating from SLU, I moved to the Florida Keys to become a marine science instructor at Seacamp on Big Pine Key. As an instructor, I developed lesson plans and taught marine science to children 7 to 18 years old via boat trips to various tropical ecosystems. By providing kids with hands-on activities and knowledge of the ecology and natural history, we encouraged them to respect the surrounding ecosystems. These students motivated me to develop dynamic teaching methods and encouraged me to constantly improve my knowledge about the natural history and ecology of the Florida Keys. Through this experience, I realized the importance of instilling an enthusiasm for marine conservation in young students—to improve the future prospects for our reefs.
The following year I conducted an environmental consulting internship in Miami, Florida, where I worked on a variety of projects that allowed me to improve my understanding of ecological and environmental factors that are shaping coral reefs. The most influential of these projects were the ecosystem health assessments of the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico and the reefs of Southeast Florida. At the Flower Garden Banks I collaborated with a team of scientists to characterize temporal changes in coral reef community structure and coral disease prevalence. These projects highlighted the negative impacts that disease and coastal pollution have on coral reefs. This work motivated me to return to academic research to study the effects of disease and environmental stressors on coral health.
Photo: Courtney preparing to lay down transect tape to measure coral disease at Ke‘ei. Photo by Petch Manopawitr.
After completing my internship in 2005, I began working in the laboratory of Dr. Drew Harvell at Cornell University, first as a research assistant and now as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. A wide array of exciting research on the ecology and evolution of coral resistance to disease is conducted in the Harvell laboratory. This research has profoundly shaped my academic interests. I have become fascinated with the role that environmental factors play in host-pathogen interactions and disease patterns. My previous research in Dr. Harvell’s lab has focused on measuring the immune responses (Yes, corals do have simplistic immune systems!) of the Caribbean sea fan corals, Gorgonia ventalina, to a fungal disease. I have also conducted extensive fieldwork, including an investigation of the distribution of coral disease in Mexico and research on the effects of coastal pollution on coral health in the Philippines.
Many people have asked me how I ended up conducting research in Hawai‘i. Upon starting my Ph.D., I wanted to develop a research project that integrated my previous experience with coral physiology, epidemiology, disease ecology, environmental stress, and conservation. After discussing several projects with Dr. Harvell, she informed me that The Kohala Center was interested in supporting a student to study the factors influencing coral health on the Island of Hawai‘i. They were also looking for someone to assist them with developing a water quality monitoring program that engages Citizen Scientists. This opportunity was exactly in line with my research interests, so in large part I am in Hawai‘i thanks to support from The Kohala Center and Dr. Harvell.
I am currently the coordinator for the Coral Disease Working Group, which is one of six working groups within 
the Coral Reef Target Research and Capacity Building Program funded by the Global Environmental Facility and the World Bank. Under the supervision Dr. Harvell, who is the working group's co-chair, my responsibilities have included technical report writing, program development, and editing a coral disease handbook for reef managers. This program has been an amazing opportunity for me to network and collaborate with knowledgeable coral disease researchers and with local communities around the world. This experience has also demonstrated to me that effective coral reef conservation and management relies on communication between scientists, the general public, and managers. The first phase of this project (2005–2009) will be wrapping up this December, after which I will step down as coordinator to focus on my research in Hawai‘i.
Based on extensive research that Dr. Greta Aeby from the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) has conducted, we know that the main Hawaiian Islands have a low coral disease prevalence compared with other regions in the Indo-Pacific. However, several patterns in the distribution of disease and host susceptibility are starting to emerge. The patterns of disease vary greatly depending on which region you are studying and the conditions at that region. For example, Dr. Misaki Takabayashi of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo has found that Montipora growth anomalies (GAs) are the most prevalent disease in southeastern Hawai‘i. In West Hawai‘i, Dr. Greta Aeby (HIMB) and Steve Cotton (Hawai‘i DAR) found that one of the more prevalent diseases is Porites (lobe and finger corals) growth anomalies.
What is causing these patterns of disease? To address this question, I will be focusing my research primarily on the potential causes of Porites lobata (lobe coral) growth anomalies. This conspicuous disease develops as lightly colored round lumps on the colony. While this disease generally does not spread quickly or result in major loss of coral cover, it does have a number of negative effects on coral health. Not much is known about seasonal or spatial patterns of GAs, and the factors causing disease in Hawai‘i are also unknown.
Photo: Large growth anomaly (lighter colored tissue) Porites lobata (lobe coral) along West Hawai‘i. Photo by Courtney Couch.
My research will address the following three objectives:
1) Collaborate with reef managers to expand assessments of the temporal and spatial patterns of coral health and disease along West Hawai‘i, and determine the relationship between disease and ecosystem health. I will assess the prevalence (proportion of total colonies with disease) of all coral diseases at 11 sites extending from Waikalio Bay to Pu‘uhonua o Honaunau. This project will be conducted in collaboration with the Hawai‘i Department of Aquatic Resources and several students from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo. We will measure the prevalence of all coral diseases twice a year. To estimate ecosystem health, we will measure coral cover, coral diversity, community structure, and fish diversity and abundance.
2) Assess the relationship between patterns of P. lobata growth anomalies and changes in water quality. I will measure growth anomalies patterns on selected P. lobata colonies over time across sites that have low and high levels of freshwater input on the western coast of Hawai‘i. These assessments will be conducted twice to three times a year. Then I will observe the relationship between water quality (nutrient concentration, turbidity, temperature, salinity, and pH) and growth anomaly patterns.
3) Determine whether growth anomalies may be caused by specific pathogens. This fall I will collaborate with Dr. Vega Thurber, a microbiologist from Florida International University, to apply several new molecular techniques to look for potential pathogens. Following initial investigations, we will also look for the presence of these pathogens in the marine environment to determine whether certain microbes are transported onto corals.
By monitoring coral disease and reef health, we will be able to assess the temporal and spatial patterns of coral disease and determine how disease may shape coral community structure. Then by focusing additional efforts on the correlation between patterns of P. lobata growth anomalies and several water quality parameters, we will be able to better identify and target local environmental stressors. Once we identify which combination of factors may be driving coral disease patterns, we will collaborate with Hawai‘i DAR and Greta Aeby at HIMB to develop management recommendations that are both feasible and effective for enhancing coral health.
Photo: Courtney preparing to lay down transect tape to measure coral disease at Ke‘ei. Photo by Petch Manopawitr.
During my visits to Hawai‘i, I will also continue to assist The Kohala Center with the Kahalu‘u Bay Project, specifically the Citizen Science program. Since the start of this project in April, I have assisted with instrumentation, sampling protocols, and development of a training manual. Through the Citizen Science program, concerned local citizens learn how to monitor West Hawai‘i’s reefs and inform local agencies of changes in reef conditions.
In October 2009, I will also be assisting TKC with the HI-MOES (Hawai'i Island Meaningful Outdoor Experiences for Students) program, visiting school groups and educating them about human impacts on the marine environment and about the importance of science and the scientific method in general. In January, I will assist students with development of their research projects and methodology.
During the course of my research project, I will spend many hours back at Cornell looking at Excel spreadsheets and analyzing photographs. After entering all of my field data into Excel, I verify that all data are entered correctly, and then I rearrange the data sets into a format that allows me to analyze them. This often takes a while, since I collect such a wide range of data and there are many ways that it can be analyzed. Ultimately, once I have the data to answer the questions I am interested in, then I perform statistical analyses to determine whether my predictions actually hold true.
I just collected my first set of data this summer and I am still performing data analyses, so it is difficult for me to make any formal conclusions yet. Corroborating a previous study conducted by Dr. Greta Aeby and Scott Cotton, I am finding that Porites growth anomalies are one of most prevalent diseases along West Hawai‘i. I have been pleased to find that many of the reefs are still in great condition, with high coral cover and low prevalence of disease.
Photo: Courtney taking photographs of a diseased coral colony at Honaunau. Photo by Joao Garriques.
So what is the greatest threat to the world’s coral reefs? This has been highly debated over the past few decades as researchers have presented data on coral reef decline, particularly in the Caribbean where several regions have experience 50-80% decline in coral cover in the past three decades. The answer is most likely a combination of a global increase in human-derived carbon dioxide emissions, which causes elevated sea surface temperature and ocean acidification, alongside local threats, such as coastal pollution, overfishing, and disease. While corals are equipped with mechanisms to cope with pulses in nutrients and sedimentation following seasonal storms, the synergistic effects of climate change combined with chronic local disturbances have lead to dramatic reef decline worldwide.
The good news is that there are many actions that people can take to help promote the health of reefs. Several organizations in Hawai‘i focus on engaging the public in monitoring and promoting reef health, including The Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Check, The Nature Conservancy, Reef Watch, and many others. Visit this NOAA Web site for a list of 25 things you can do to help save coral reefs: http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/25list.html.
The Importance of Hawaiian Literature
By Ku‘ualoha Ho‘omanawanui, Mellon-Hawai‘i Postdoctoral Fellow
Photo: Ku‘ualoha (on far right) poses with all of her female cousins.
The Mellon Fellowship is an acknowledgement of my tūtū ’s (grandmother’s) knowledge and influence on my life, my studies, and my career. Even though she has long passed into the next world, this honor is something I know belongs to her and my other kūpuna as well, since my accomplishments are not possible without them.
My first school was the Nazarene Preschool in Kailua, O‘ahu. I remember being impressed with learning colors, numbers, and shapes. I attended Windward Preparatory Academy from kindergarten through second grade, Enchanted Lake Elementary for part of grade 3, then Kapa‘a Elementary on Kaua‘i from grades 3-6, then Kapa‘a Intermediate and High School. My first memories of school were a place of fun, excitement, and learning. These positive feelings dissipated by middle school, resulting in me dropping out of high school in my senior year, which is not an uncommon occurrence for many Hawaiian students in public schools across Hawai‘i. This is one of the reasons I am so passionate about education for Hawaiian students.
I dropped out because I was completely bored and found the whole concept of “school” irrelevant to my life. I had my first clue that education was important when my dad sat me down and said, “You want to be treated like an adult and make adult decisions? Fine. Get a job and pay me rent or get out. Your other option is to go to school (community college).” I enrolled in community college and never looked back. It was a completely different environment, one where learning was fun and social standing and peer pressure were not based on what clothes you wore, but about how you excelled—in other words, what school should be about.
Photo: Ku‘ualoha (seated with blue cap) poses with her students at a Na Pua No‘eau workshop on on art, literacy, and environment. The class was held at Waipa, Kaua‘i, a Kamehameha Schools kalo (taro) farm/garden project.
It makes me sad to think that students and schools are still struggling with the idea of relevant learning and that students don’t have the same kinds of opportunities in high school that they have in college, at least in Hawai‘i, where there is an unspoken pressure to not succeed in school or demonstrate intellect. This needs to change. We need to remind Hawaiian kids that our ancestors prized intelligence as a respectable skill. In traditional Hawaiian culture, demonstrating intelligence was important to the success of the individual, family, and greater community.
I credit all my English teachers, from elementary school through college, for sparking my interest in literature. My most memorable teachers from Kapa‘a High School are Mrs. Muriel Nishi and Mrs. “Joey” Sokei, but there were others, too. At UH Mānoa, Dr. Cristina Bacchilega’s “Oral Traditions” class influenced me to focus on Hawaiian literature. This class included a project to collect stories from a specific culture and place. Of course, I picked Hawaiian culture and Kaua‘i, drawing stories from my family and from my own experience more than from stories in books.
Photo: Ku‘ualoha hiking Nounou Trail, located just behind the house where she grew up in Wailua, Kaua‘i.
My tūtū Sarah Poni‘ala Kakelaka Meyer had the greatest influence on my decision to pursue the study of Hawaiian literature, because of the many stories she passed on to us when we were young. She was a special education teacher in the 1950s and one of the first teachers in the DOE’s Kupuna program when it started in the 1970s. She was a natural storyteller and educator, and she has had a profound influence on my life, my career, and my interests.
My tūtū Sarah was a manaleo (native speaker), as were many ‘ohana (family) and friends of her generation and older. I grew up hearing Hawaiian spoken around me, usually when the kūpuna didn’t want us little ones to know what they were talking about or because they were so relaxed around each other, they just naturally slipped into their first language. When I went to UH Mānoa and had to choose a language as part of my studies, I naturally chose Hawaiian. I relished my time with my tūtū during those years, learning and speaking outside of the classroom in a natural environment at home. I still struggle with Hawaiian, but I keep persevering because the language was important to them, and by continuing it, I keep their legacy and mana (spirit) alive.
I decided to pursue a Ph.D. because I knew early on I wanted to teach at the university level. There are few opportunities to teach Hawaiian literature at other levels in the educational system here. Hawaiian literature is still devalued as a “legitimate” literature by many, even by Hawaiians. The university seemed the appropriate level at which to try to systematically change this misperception.
Photo: Ku‘ualoha signs her book after reading from her work at a 2007 event celebrating Women's History Month.
The best part about finishing my Ph.D. is to be able to walk around without all that research in my head, feeling like a geek and disconnected from reality. People would ask me, “How are you?” And I’d respond with some random fact about my dissertation topic…definitely geeky! The biggest challenge about finishing my degree was meeting the deadline with all my t’s crossed and i’s dotted and forms filled out.
I love to do research. My current book project asks the basic question, “What does an indigenous literary analysis of native literature look like?” My book will elucidate cultural lessons and values contained within traditional literature which are still valuable and applicable to Native Hawaiian culture today. By extension, these lessons and values are of broader significance in Hawai‘i and throughout the world.
Because there are so few people working on Hawaiian literature in a serious research capacity, my work is definitely contributing to how Hawaiian literature is understood and to why it is important to understand. Here is one example of what I mean: I’ve talked to Hawaiian women in domestic violence programs, teen drug rehabilitation programs, foster care programs, and those who have attempted suicide and been locked up in the mental hospital about the lessons we can learn about mana wahine (“female power”) and Hawaiian literature. The character Hi‘iaka overcame all obstacles with her ‘ike (intelligence) and leo (voice)—not with guns nor any other means of protection. Our stories demonstrate that we are beautiful, intelligent, life-loving people who have been led astray by Western colonization, and we need only be reminded of that to begin to set ourselves on a better path. I know these talks I have given have changed lives.
Photo: Ku‘ualoha prepares fish for her birthday celebration.
Here is another example: I just gave a presentation at the Halauaola Hula Conference about the Pele and Hi‘iaka Literature Archive. I spoke about why it is important for cultural practitioners to delve into the cultural knowledge contained in the literature, in order to have a more well-rounded perspective on where specific hula come from and what they mean. People who attend my talks come back to me again and again because they have taken what I said to heart and find value in it. Some of them sign up for my classes. And they look beyond what they thought they knew and uncover more, which is the point.
My heart belongs to Kaua‘i and to education of Hawaiians. I do what I can to help out the Kawaikini Hawaiian Immersion Charter School on Kaua‘i. I am also working to develop curriculum for PALS, a place-based afterschool literacy program serving public elementary schools on the leeward coast of O‘ahu. This curriculum is focused on place-based learning and involves other community entities, such as Hoa ‘Āina o Makaha Farm, Ka‘ala (taro) Farms, the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and other community groups. The idea is to get the students to connect literacy and school to their place—literally—to the place they come from. I lead a session once a month at Ma‘ili Elementary, as part of this program.
I also work with ‘Ōiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal. I first became involved when the founding editor, Mahealani Dudoit, asked me for help. We two were the only Hawaiians we knew who were interested in literature and writing. Mahealani had the idea to start a journal after sitting on a panel of writers at the 1996 MELUS (Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the US) conference in Honolulu. She worried that if Hawaiians didn’t promote our literature, then who would? I was and remain a staunch and enthusiastic supporter of this concept and of ‘Ōiwi.
Photo: Ku‘ualoha communicates wirelessly in Casablanca in July 2009. She stopped in Casablanca on her way home from Spain, where she was enrolled in a summer institute for Decolonial Knowledges sponsored by Duke University and UC Berkeley.
We began soliciting materials for the journal by posting announcements, flyers, and e-mails, but we didn’t get a big response. We realized then that promoting literature in the Hawaiian community requires face to face contact and establishing relationships in order to be successful. Thereafter, we focused on asking people we knew in person for their work or to recommend others we could talk to. This approach worked much better. Now that we have been established for a time, it has been easier to elicit positive responses to general calls through announcements and flyers, and more people send us their work directly.
When Mahealani unexpectedly passed away in 2002, I was nominated by the Board of Directors to take over as chief editor, a position I’ve held ever since. This is very important work, because ‘Ōiwi is one of the only organized entities working to promote Hawaiian literature and culturally-based literacy in the Hawaiian community. Aside from the journal, we now have the Wayne Kaumuali‘i Westlake poetry monograph series, and we will soon be launching an occasional series of scholarly articles.
The Mellon-Hawai‘i Fellowship is a significant honor for me for several reasons. First, it is a validation of my work within the Hawaiian and greater scholarly community. The fellowship also validates the importance of Hawaiian literature. It is a personal achievement. And it is something I know belongs to my tūtū and to my other kūpuna as well, for my accomplishments are not possible without them. Mahalo to The Kohala Center and to the other sponsors of this fellowship for the opportunity to “geek out” this year and delve back into my research!
Photo: IPCS third and fourth graders collecting kalo harvested earlier in the day from a mauka farm.
The kids love gardening. They are excited about sharing food they grow at home, and about eating it. —Ashley Hedemann, 3rd/4th grade lead teacher
Krista Donaldson settled in West Hawai‘i about nine years ago, where she and her family started an organic landscaping business. A few years later Innovations Public Charter School started up operations in Kailua-Kona. Krista heard good things about IPCS and, as a neighbor of the school and a future school parent, she volunteered to serve on the IPCS local school board as a community volunteer. Krista was inspired by the success of Mala‘ai: The Culinary Gardens of Waimea Middle School, and she and another local school board member determined to start a similar garden program at IPCS. The school management was receptive to this idea, particularly in light of the matching funding made available by The Kohala Center to help fund a part-time garden teacher and help get the program off the ground. Wonder Gardens at IPCS was born in 2007, and Krista Donaldson assumed the role of garden leader and sustainability coordinator.
Krista reports that there is no off-the-shelf garden curriculum in Hawai‘i, and that developing a school garden education program at IPCS has been an evolutionary process for her and for the school. The support of the school leadership has been key to the success of Wonder Gardens: “the local school board, the administration, and the teachers at IPCS all saw the tremendous potential of the school garden program,” says Krista.
Photo: Third and fourth graders spread a layer of manure on their new garden plot.
The support of the Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network (HISGN), funded by The Kohala Center, has also been invaluable to Krista over the past three years:
I first heard of The Kohala Center from Cindi Punihaole, who was gracious enough to attend a Pancake Breakfast Social at IPCS. The connection has been amazing. Nancy Redfeather, the HISGN Coordinator, is like having a personal cheerleader. Nancy has inspired me and given me practical, hands-on help to garden more sustainably. At the summer conference she showed the Garden Teachers how to incorporate weeds into building soil health and how to make bone meal and other soil amendments from things we have here on the island. Nancy has opened me up to knowledge, community and school connections, and funding opportunities that would not otherwise have been available to IPCS.
Photo: Next a layer of shredded office paper is added.
Wonder Gardens has now become an integral part of the IPCS school day. Middle school students in grades 7 and 8 can enroll in gardening as an elective option. These students spent the past few classes planting lilikoi and harvesting beans. Krista then boiled the beans and served them with onions, cumin, cinnamon, and chips. “I can’t believe these are beans!” was the response from the middle school gardeners, who devoured their healthy snack.
All students in grades 1-6 rotate through garden class for at least one period each week. Students in grades 5 and 6 spent their past week learning about tool safety and making journals from recycled paper. Students at this grade level have formal plant, insect, and ahupua‘a (watershed) lessons. They are also invited to spend time drawing, writing, and reflecting in their garden journals, as time permits. Students in grades 3 and 4 spent their last garden class on a field trip to an upcountry ranch, where they gathered six trash cans full of cow manure, parchment, grass clippings, and mulch to help build soil health in a brand new garden plot they are cultivating next to their new classroom building. After preparing the soil, these students planted kalo and ‘uala (sweet potatoes) in their Hawaiian Studies class. Students in grades 1 and 2 have been serving as the school’s official bean hunters, harvesting the pods to eat and helping to chop back runaway bean plants in the school’s main garden. All students share in the bean harvest, as they press the cooked beans into corn tortillas for a tasty snack. Wonder Gardens has also been able to provide students in the school’s A+ program with star fruit and papayas to supplement their afterschool snacks.
Photo: The shredded paper is topped with a layer of mulch.
What do kids learn from their experience in Wonder Gardens? Here’s how Krista Donaldson answered that question:
One birthday card I got from a student said, ‘Thanks for helping me not hate bugs,’ and another said, ‘You helped me get dirty.’ Another student wrote, ‘I learned that you can't always move the rock. Sometimes you have to move the hole.’ Not only are students learning practical knowledge about how to grow things to eat, but they are making connections with nature that spill over into home lives. Students are seeing their actions impact nature and are realizing that their choices in the garden impact what they eat. They learn culturally based gardening practices; how to grow, harvest, and plant food; how to relate with critters in nature; and how to be good humans in a garden. Parents question why Juliana is suddenly willing to try salad, or how to build a compost pile, or how to make the pesto recipe Ian has been requesting at home. Parents love to witness the connections their children are making between nature, food, and culture via the journals our young gardeners take home at the end of every year.
Photo: Gunny sacks are draped over the new kalo and ‘uala garden plot to conserve moisture.
Wonder Gardens is helping to cultivate a new spirit of sustainability across the school campus. IPCS now recycles plastic and aluminum, mixed plastic, mixed aluminum, cardboard, mixed paper, Capri-Sun and Honest Kids beverage containers, and batteries. Green waste is actively composted. “We estimate 75% of our school's waste is recyclable,” reports Krista. Recyclables are temporarily stored in the school's recycling center till they can be hauled to the Kealakehe Recycling Center by volunteer parent drivers. At a recent school-wide assembly, seventh and eighth grade gardeners shared a game they had created with the elementary students to teach them about recycling. “Recycling is very popular among students, and our bins are always full. I was surprised by the number of staff who commented that they did not know certain things were recyclable,” says Krista. Krista supports these recycling efforts as the paid staff person who organizes parent pick-ups, by cleaning and emptying recycling receptacles, and by facilitating student outreach efforts.
Krista’s part-time position is funded by combining funds from The Kohala Center and two local grants with matching funds from IPCS. Krista looks forward to the day when she can assume a full-time position as the school’s garden leader. Krista has plans to extend the greening of the IPCS campus to as many school systems as possible. “We would love to install solar panels for students to monitor and explore alternative power sources and we would also like to incorporate water resource education into the school curriculum. 
We hope to plant edible ecosystems all over campus, and we also hope to create self-sustaining garden income,” she explains.
Photo: IPCS Garden Leader Krista Donaldson.
Wonder Gardens welcomes community volunteers who want to help out in the garden during classes. “Students love visitors; especially those bearing fruit, recipes, flowers, honey, stories, or songs to share. Come spend time with IPCS mahi‘ai (farmers)!” says Krista.
We garden teachers are in the trenches doing the important work of arming students with the revolutionary knowledge of self-sustainability by leading them to connect with nature. Visit a garden program in your community to see firsthand the wonderful relationships school children are learning in gardens all over Hawai‘i Island. —Krista Donaldson, Wonder Gardens Leader
To donate funds or resources, or to schedule a visit to Wonder Gardens, contact Krista Donaldson at 808-557-9085.
