By dennis
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 Learn More
Source: Learning Journey – Moku O Lo‘e
Category: Education, Learning Journeys, Voyaging
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!
By Dennis
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, Learn More
Source: Learning Journey: Ahupuaʻa O Kahana, with Uncle Nana Gorai / October 11
By Dennis
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 Learn More
Source: Learning Journey: Kamaile Academy, Wai‘anae / Sept. 23
By Dennis
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 Learn More
Source: Learning Journey: Kauai Jr. Lifeguards with Hōkūle’a crew John Kruse and Billy Richards / Sept. 15
By dennis
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 Learn More
Source: Learning Journey: Kauai Jr. Lifeguards with Hōkūle’a crew John Kruse and Billy Richards / Sept. 15
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 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.