Author: dennis

By Diane Tom-Ogata, Kimberlee Stuart, and Shari Jumalon, Ho’ala School, Wahiawa, O’ahu

Kahanahaiki is an ahupua’a (chiefdom) in the moku (district) of Waianae on the mokupuni (island) of O’ahu.   Currently, Kahanahaiki is managed by both the state and federal programs that rely heavily on both paid employees and volunteer groups.

On Friday January 17, 2014, Maggie Pulver, Teacher at Hoala School & A’o Hawaii Educator, gathered thirteen Ho’ala middle school students on the lanai, along with representatives from O’ahu Army Natural Resources Program (OANRP) and A’o Hawaii Educators for a field trip to Kahanahaiki in the Wai’anae Mountains.

Kim Welch, OANRP team leader and Ho’ala School parent, conducted a safety briefing, reminding students to stay hydrated, pay attention, and keep on the trail.  She also went over certain protocols in place, like using the bathroom and what to do if you get lost.

Excited students prepared to document their trip as part of a writing assignment to investigate endemic and introduced Hawaii plants with backpacks packed with their camera, phone, notebooks & food.

3 vans drove up to their destination where students clamored out of the vans to admire & take pictures of the breathtaking views of the west & north shore, large surf, hear a brief summary of the area and brush off their shoes to prevent the transfer of alien seeds, bacteria, etc into the preserve.

At the entry of the red path,  an ‘oli, “E Ho Mai”, was presented asking for wisdom to be bestowed upon the participants where a special kind of learning would take place in this forest.

While trekking up the slippery, and at times steep, path students assisted each other and provided words of encouragement.  The group periodically stopped along the trail to learn about particular plants referring to vocabulary which were introduced to earlier in the week (indigenous, endemic, parasitic, etc).  They observed markers where planted propagated endangered plants are monitored, identified & learned about the importance and how the native plants were used in Hawaiian culture.

At one point a 3 foot high corrugated metal exclosure suddenly appeared: one of the first built for the protection of Kahuli, the endemic Hawaiian Tree Snail, from unwanted predators like rats, Jackson Chameleons, and carnivorous snails.

Here excitement filled the air with the spotting of a Kahuli.

The Kahuli are hermaphrodites that reside on the same plant for its entire lifespan & have approximately 4 live births per year.

Arriving at the beautiful vista with a stunning view of makua valley and beach, all sat to eat lunch while enjoying the view, the incoming shrouding clouds and each other through reflection conversation.

After recharging at the summit, the group headed back to the vans but stopped to take back a planting stand that was no longer needed.

Throughout the hike, it was evident through student actions they shared a mutual admiration for each other and respect for the environment.

This truly was a huaka’i ‘imi’ike (a journey to see & learn) with laulima (working together) interlaced, where students learned the importance to malama honua as well as malama i kekahi i kekahi,  where the message of the World Wide Voyage to “Malama Island Earth – our natural environment, children and humankind” was evident.

Note: An ahupua’a is a traditional Hawaiian type land division, similar to a town.  However, unlike “modern” land divisions, ahupua’a stretched from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean), and usually included a source of wai (water).  This helped to ensure that anyone living in the ahupua’a would have access to all of the resources they needed to survive.

Kawaikui, Wailupe, Kona, Oʻahu —

By Diane Tom-Ogata.

A symphony of excitement, curiosity, and smiles invaded Kawaikui Park as Kumu Michelle Kapana-Baird & her students from Kaiser High School led groups of Ms. Dori Kim’s Aina Haina Elementary students through rounds of hands-on learning and wonderment.

Amongst the soft lapping of the ocean & warm slow breeze, you could see the glee as students ran with their kites, the expressions of surprise at the taste of limu, the tilt of a head & slightly furrowed brow as students listened intently about the importance of limu, the looks of anticipation waiting to see how much limu was collected along the beach, the determined intense faces & chatter while making limu lei and the amazement of using an anemometer to measure wind speed.

Littered along the shore was debris which transects were placed over.  Using gloves as a safety measure, dried debris was collected within the transect & deposited in an assigned a mesh bag.

At the limu tent, were two Citizen Science Kupuna to share their mana’o. Both Uncles were steadfast in their belief that passing down knowledge to kids is important.

Uncle Henry described limu as a “vegetable” as students munched on a couple of varieties.  “I think it’s important that we teach the kids about limu,” says Uncle Wally, “And I think it’s because it’s a big part of the environment. What people don’t realize is that limu is the base of the food web of the ocean.”

Uncle Wally shared the cultural traditional & importance of limu. Probing questions and challenging pronunciation of Palahalaha added to the enjoyment of learning.

The limu lesson was not over:  PVS crew member Max Mukai shared with the kids that “the amazing thing about limu is that, when the invasive are taken away, the native will return and find a way to flourish.”  Students made limu lei and watched as PVS Crew Members took out the limu “lei” to plant.

This was a day of fun learning that no rubric or standard can measure. And memories which will be imbedded in the minds of these children forever.

Maunalua, Kona, ʻOahu–

By Ben Dumaran Jr. (October 26, 2013).

Today the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Hokule`a Crew members gave back to the Maunalua Community just a portion of the support they have shown us. We provided physical labor, a students ear or a young heart to various organizations within the community and it was with great respect, aloha and mahalo we did so.

 To start off the day we met with Chris Cramer and the Maunalua fishpond Heritage Crew at Kalauha`iha`i Fishpond. The crews goal was to provide Chris and his team with labor in clearing the invasive Koa Haole bush so Chris briefly gave us the sad background of this small but amazing pond, the plans for the work and then we attacked. It’s amazing what a group of people working together for a common purpose can achieve. 

 At our second stop of the day, Laura Kaakua working with Liveable Hawaii Kai Hui gave us a tour and history lesson of Hawea Heiau and Keawawa Wetlands. Rich in cultural history, Hawea has one of the last ancient coconut groves in the islands and boasts the tallest recorded coconut tree in the nation. Laura and the Hui saved the last 5 acres of Keawawa Wetlands from destruction by careless developers and commercial housing.

The last stop took us to see the source of our spirit, our knowledge and our culture; to see our Kupuna at Lunalilo Retirement Home. The Kupuna studied the history of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Hokule`a prior to the canoes arrival in Maunalua and it showed in their excitement upon meeting us. Songs and stories were shared from both sides which made for a lively time. Talking with the Kupuna is always a great way to brighten and enrich your life.

Information on these organizations can be found at: www.maunaluafishpondheritage.org , maunalua.net , Liveable Hawaii Kai Hui and Lunalilo.org .

Wailupe, O‘ahu — 

By Max Mukai.  A big mahalo to all of those who came to see the wa‘a thus far. I want to mahalo the rest of the crew for welcoming back to the fold of Hōkūle‘a. I have been away for a long time and it is great to be back participating in the ways of our ancestors. It was a real blessing to sail from Waimanalo to the bay of Maunalua.

Today we had a blast with some of the Kaiser student leaders helping us with the many keiki that came to see the wa‘a. Such joy the waa has brought to our community. Later today, we were able to hike a trail in the back of ‘Aina Haina that led to the beautiful ʻElepaio sanctuary. The leaders of that project were kind enough to guide us and a few local residents up mauka.

Oli were given to protect our steps and to bring life to the native foliage that is making a comeback due to the efforts of protecting and rehabilitating the ʻElepaio sanctuary. It is these kinds of connections that we make as a community crucial as the wa‘a herself is literally kui i ka lei o Hawai‘i, or sewing us and our various communities together like a lei. I know that aloha still resides here in this great wahi. E mau ana ke aloha o kēia wahi nei.

Enjoy these pictures from our adventures mauka. Ke aloha no.

Moku O Lo‘e, Kāne‘ohe —

By Jenna Ishii, Haunani Kane and Mark Heckman.

Last week, Hōkūleʻa was invited to sail to Moku O Loʻe and the crew learned about the history of the island, which is now the home base for the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB).

Mark Heckman who is the Education Specialist for HIMB sailed to Moku O Loʻe with the crew and took us on a tour of some of the research labs on the island to learn how HIMB is contributing to learning about and caring for our oceans. Mark shared that HIMB’s main educational goal is to create access to the island for the local community and school groups. HIMB hosts about 6,000 + people per year starting with students as young as the 5th grade.

We then visited the Karl Lab and met with his research students Annick and Jonathan. Annick is working with Palau’s marine protected area network looking at DNA tissue samples of coral to tell how closely related coral are throughout Palau. She asks the questions, “Where do coral larvae go?” and “How related are coral to one another?” Answering questions like this will help to understand how best to protect reef ecosystems throughout the world.

Crew members also visited a lab where students are measuring coral reef erosion, the natural breakdown of the reef, with high tech photographic imaging technology. Nyssa who is a graduate student is hoping that by taking 3D images of coral reefs, she can learn about how coral reef growth and erosion may change over time. Another research student, Chelsie Councell, is studying reef fish ecology to see how reef fish settle and how well connected they are. And finally, we learned how water quality affects the reproduction of native Hawaiian sea urchins from graduate student, Jenny Fung. These urchins are being out planted in Kāne‘ohe Bay because they can maintain a low algae cover in the bay once a team of scientists clean the algae with a super sucker.

One of the key ways that the University of Hawai‘i has supported the Worldwide Voyage is through the time and commitment of their graduate students. Alexis Rudd and Eric Tong are just a few of the graduate researchers that are designing projects aimed to help us learn more about that world’s oceans. In the upcoming months crew members will be trained to collect and preserve fish caught on the canoe, and to maintain Hikianalia’s ecological acoustic recorder which allows us to observe the ocean through sound. It is our hope that youth around the world will be inspired by the cultural connections between modern science and traditional exploration.

Mahalo nui to the HIMB ‘ohana for allowing Hōkūleʻa and our crew to learn about the incredible and very important work your researchers and students are doing to share how we can protect our oceans through marine research. For more information about HIMB, go to: http://www.hawaii.edu/himb/.

Kahana Valley, Oʻahu —

By Miki Tomita. PVS Crew were invited to participate in a Learning Journey hosted by Kahana community and students from University Laboratory School.  Students and crew spent the day with Uncle Nana Gorai, kupuna to Kahana Valley, learning about the history of the Valley, its residents, and its mission as a living park dedicated to cultural education.Students and crew spent the morning with Uncle Nana in his loʻi, learning about his family history tied to that ʻāina, and the varieties of kalo he is growing.

Students and crew spent the morning with Uncle Nana in his loʻi, learning about his family history tied to that ʻāina, and the varieties of kalo he is growing.

We gathered kalo, hoio, and ti for hoʻokupu and makana to welcome crew and community to Kahana.

The afternoon was spent preparing for Hōkūleʻa’s arrival, cooking and making lei.

We learned so much from Uncle Nana and the Kahana community.  Thank you so much for hosting us and sharing the wealth of your land and people with students and crew!

Wai‘anae, Hawai‘i —

By Lehua Kamalu. On Monday afternoon, the crew were hosted by the Kamaile Academy Navigators at their school in Wai‘anae, Hawai‘i.  The Polynesian Voyaging Society has a special connection to this school as a number of these students have actively participated in training and preparation activities for the Worldwide Voyage.  The students presented a beautiful welcome of ‘oli (chant) and hula (dance) to begin our journey through their school.

The fourth grade students were eager and excited to share the various ways they used their values of kuleana (responsibility) and laulima (cooperation) to build a lovely garden that included kalo (taro), pineapples, aloe, and the “Dr. Seuss” tree, which inspires images from the famous Dr. Seuss tale of the Lorax.  Their ha‘aheo (pride) in their work was clearly evident in the careful detail they used to describe the process of preparing the garden and the various uses of each plant of the garden.

The secondary students exhibited their dedication to the arts through some heartfelt poetry about who they are and where they come from.   Following this was a presentation of Portfolio Defenses, where students defend the reasons why they think they should be allowed to advance to the next grade-level, based on what they have learned about academic subjects, but more interestingly about themselves and their approach to taking charge of their own educational goals and success.  As Kaina Holomalia put it, “The students became the teachers, and the teachers became the students,” as we sat in a row of desks looking up at these incredible presentations.

We ended the day talking with the after-school program, and spending time in The Navigators’ Center.  This is the campus hub for students, parents, and community supporters to conduct meetings and activities that strengthen the connection of the school to the strong Wai‘anae community that surrounds it.

The crew were inspired by the leadership and motivation of each of the students we met and are excited to see these future Navigators as they graduate their first class this year.

Nawiliwili, Kauaʻi —

By Steve Soltysik. For a moment, step back in time to the first voyage of the Hōkūle’a to Tahiti in 1976.  Two of the original crew, John Kruse and Billy Richards,  were once again aboard the Hōkūle’a in Nawiliwili Harbor on Sept. 15, 2013.

The young crew and visitors, Jr. Life Guards from Kaua’i, had the honor of a very special and rare day — the sharing of thoughts, memories, and feelings from voyaging 36 years ago.

The future life guards of Kauai found themselves spell bound with true, first hand stories about the early voyaging days, the challenges, stress, joy, jubilation and overwhelming experience of taking part in the rebirth of Hawaiian identity and pride.

John Kruse was also aboard the 1978 voyage that ended in the Hōkūle’a  swamping one hull, and turning up side down, adrift and  the tragic loss of Eddie Aikau.  Emotions and connect ran deep on the deck of Hōkūle’a , in Nawiliwili Harbor — with the older generation passing on their experience to like minded, young skilled water rescue life guards.

After an extraordinary hour aboard Hōkūle’a , Jr. Life Guards were introduced to the Hawaiian canvas star compass, dock side next to the Hōkūle’a. Kalei Velasco taught the basic lesson, having voyaged many thousands of miles through the Pacific, his skill of communication and off shore experience was much appreciated by the life guards.

The second half of the day was in Kalapaki Bay, aboard the escort canoe, Hikianalia.  Anchored out 200 yards, all the life guards swam out, “in training”  no faster than the slowest swimmer, no one left behind.  Demonstration of man overboard procedures, and life saving techniques were shared in the calm waters of Kalapaki Bay.  The Jr. Life Guards were shown the Hikianalia stem to stern, by crew members Kalei, Zane and Steve  Soltysik.

The Jr. Lifeguards swam the distance to shore, with a rare and special experience that is certain to influence their compass course in life.

Kapa‘a, Kaua‘i —

By Kimberlee Stuart.

On September 6, the Hōkūle’a and Hikianalia crew visited Kapa’a High where upper classmen were anxious to ‘get in on the action’ after hearing great reports from the freshmen about their visits to the wa’a in Hanalei.  Crew introduced themselves and shared a bit about voyaging to the enrapt crowd who listened intently and then responded with lots of questions about the voyaging canoes and the World Wide Voyage. After watching the video “Hōkūle’a: Her Farthest Journey”, students were even more stimulated, made obvious by the pointed questions.  More than one student wanted to know, “How can I become a voyager?”

Over a ‘talk story’ session at lunch, Kapa’a teachers and crew discussed a bit about planning curriculum around the World Wide Voyage. Miki Tomita gave the group a glimpse into an online meeting between her UH Lab School students and crew members on the Hikianalia- a technology being tested for the World Wide Voyage.

Following lunch an Environmental Science and Physics class walked down with the crew to a planned “Malama Honua” garden area. On campus Officer Deblake met the crowd and using a novel radar gun technology rigged to measure and map the nearly one acre plot.  After a blessing the first plant, an ohia seedling, was lovingly planted by the class and crew under special guidance from crew member and agriculture guru Matt Kunimoto.

Kapa’a High Students plant their first seedling for the Malama Honua Garden

Kapa’a High students and staff plan to work on this garden with interdisciplinary lessons over the four year journey of the World Wide Voyage.  Their goal is for the school to do their part to malama honua and increase sustainability for both the school and the community.

Hā‘ena, Kauaʻi —

By Kimberlee Stuart. Walking up the dirt road to greet the hard working team Limahuli, the trickle of pristine Limahuli stream could be heard through the foliage.  Crew members sat down under a big ulu tree with Kawika Winters, the director and ‘head steward’ of the gardens and he talked to us a bit about what we had in store on this beautiful day.  The term ‘Learning journey’ was already befitting as we heard about the cultural, ecological, and educational goals of Limahuli.

One of these goals, to perpetuate traditional practices and ways of knowing was beautifully evident as we walked up through carefully restored lo’i.  Kawika shared that the Kalo cultivars here share the same genealogy of those from 100s of years ago.  Above the lo’i sits the newly built traditional hale with it’s beautiful thick roof of endemic loulu fronds, and solid pohaku, or stone foundation.

Visiting beautiful Limahuli, it is easy to understand why the people here so clearly love this place. Yet with this love comes a certain level of concern.  Kawika asked us to consider; “When the land is unhealthy what happens to the ocean? And when the ocean is not well what happens to the land?”  Two endangered ground nesting sea birds, the `ua`a and a`o (endangered ground-nesting sea birds), are not coming back from their trips to the sea in large numbers; a sign that things are not well in the ocean. Those that are left are many times disoriented and crash due to our night time lights. These are the same birds that nourish the land with phosphorous and are used in navigation and fishing.

Up in the preserve the Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia crews helped to plant papala and Uncle Moku told us the story of his epic hike up the Makana cliffs where he and his son threw the burning plants down to the sea for the first ‘ōahi ceremony in many decades.  The bright flashes, seen all the way to Kilauea, remind us that when we malama honua, and care for nature’s gifts, we also preserve a culture and a way of knowing that can be passed to the next generation.

Kawika Winters  Program Director Limahuli Garden and Preserve
P. O. Box 808
Hanalei, HI 96714 USA  (808) 826-1668

http://ntbg.org/gardens/limahuli.php