Brother Noland: Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Shares his ‘Less Talk, More Do’ Philosophy
By Karen Rose Ancient wisdom declares it is best for one to pass their days through song, therefore letting their whole life be a song. Hawaiian recording artist Brother Noland, also known as the “Father of Jawaiian Music,” follows this…
Ocean Education: Unlocking the Mystery of Underwater Marine Life for Hawai‘i’s Keiki
By Karen Rose The famous French underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau famously said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Junior Program instructors at Jack’s Diving Locker agree, and are striving to inspire…
The Compost King of Hilo UrbFarm
By Brittany P. Anderson As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and this couldn’t be more true for Michael Pierron, founder of Hilo UrbFarm, as he spins organic waste into garden gold. The Hilo UrbFarm, founded…
Mālama Moana: Take Care of the Ocean that Takes Care of You
By Rachel Laderman Sometimes through ignorance, we smother our beaches, reefs, and wildlife with so much affection and attention that they are left gasping to recover. At Kahalu‘u Bay in Kailua-Kona, the community saw this happening. Beautiful Kahalu‘u Bay was…
Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail
Hōkūle‘a and her crew arrived in Kailua-Kona on March 26, 2018 to begin their visit to Hawai‘i Island as part of the Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail. Next, Hōkūle‘a and crew traversed the island and arrived in Hilo on April 2 to…
Hale o Ho‘oponopono: Perpetuating the Cultural Legacy of Hōnaunau
By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco Driving down the single lane road towards the Hōnaunau boat ramp, there is a quietness that envelops you, a glimpse of the ocean, and a curiosity of what happened on this land in the early days…
LEED-Certified: Pālamanui Offers 21st-Century Learning
By Fern Gavelek Imagine going to college in a learning laboratory where sustainable building and design has earned the highest award in the green building industry. Residents of West Hawai‘i can do just that at Hawai‘i Community College, Pālamanui and…
Lessons from the Garden
By Jan Wizinowich The Hawaiʽi Island School Garden Network (HISGN) was created in 2007 through The Kohala Center as a way to promote garden education and food sustainability practices. As the network grew, educators began to realize the potential for…
Sea Love with Don Elwing
By Britni Schock Driving up mauka (mountain-side) of the Ocean View community, you see an endless sky, a terrain of ‘ōhi‘a lehua trees, and lava rock. After a few miles you arrive at the home of Don Elwing (Uncle D),…
Kahakai Elementary School Art Program Leaves No Child Behind
By Karen Rose Former Director of the National Endowment for the Arts Jane Alexander famously said, “When we teach a child to sing or play the flute, we teach her how to listen. When we teach her to draw, we…
huiMAU: Cultivating Healthy ‘Āina and Strong ‘Ohana
By Karen Rose “Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono” is typically translated as “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” However, according to No‘eau Peralto of huiMAU, a more appropriate translation is, “The sovereignty of…
Surf’s Up! The 23rd Annual Shane Dorian Banyan Keiki Classic Returns
By Karen Rose Kailua-Kona’s hometown hero and big wave surfer Shane Dorian has taken his success in surfing and utilized his fame to establish a surf competition for Hawai‘i Island’s youth. Now in its 23rd year, the Shane Dorian Banyan…
Hands On History: Relive the Life of Kona’s Coffee Pioneers
By Fern Gavelek Step back in time to the 1920s–40s and relive the simple, yet arduous, life of Kona’s Japanese immigrant farmers during Hands On History at the Kona Coffee Living History Farm. It was a time when Kona farmers…
Blue Zones: How Hawai‘i Can Live Longer
By Alan D. McNarie It’s a sunny, humid summer morning in North Hilo, and 30 or so people are gathered in the shade of a temporary tent shelter at the Kalalau Ranch, on the Hāmākua side of the Wailuku River,…
Lauhala Has Strong Roots in Puna: ‘Aha Pūhala O Puna Weaving Club celebrates its 25th anniversary
By Karen Valentine “Nānā i ke kumu” is a Hawaiian proverb—‘ōlelo no‘eau—commonly used throughout the culture to express the correct way of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next, from teacher to student, and even from the wisdom…
Historic Campus Gets New Life, New Vision
By Ma’ata Tukuafu The parking lot is brand new. The short walk is breathtaking as the sun shines through the lush trees and the road curves, opening up to beautifully renovated buildings. This is the Kohala Institute at ‘Iole (KI),…
Living, Breathing, Eating Music: Hawaii Performing Arts Festival’s Music Education Program
By Catherine Tarleton These kids have to spread their wings,” says Genette Freeman, Executive Director of Hawaii Performing Arts Festival (HPAF), an annual summer music immersion program that pairs professional teachers with potential stars. HPAF creates opportunities for Hawai‘i’s young…
Through the Years: Hawai‘i Museum of Contemporary Art
By Le‘a Gleason Lourdan Kimbrell is running late. It’s because he’s at the airport picking up photographs for an upcoming show of Kohala’s archeologically significant areas. Inside the Hawai‘i Museum of Contemporary Art (HMOCA), it’s not just the Director, Lourdan,…
Kāko‘o ‘o I Nā Keiki (Support the Keiki) to Advance the Common Good for All Hawai‘i Island Keiki
By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco A child’s big, innocent eyes gaze out into the distance. He waits street side, anticipating excitement, yet remaining ever-so-patient. He is surrounded by his ‘ohana who summon the minivan down the street. Reminiscent of waiting for…
World Wide Voyage–Threads That Tie: The Hōkūle‘a Crew Connecting Hawaiian Culture to the World
By Le‘a Gleason Hawai‘i is a place where we navigate community and culture, finding a delicate balance between reverence for the past and enthusiasm for the future. It’s with this same careful attention to culture that we watch from afar…
Toward a Firewise Community: Follow the Lead of Kohala by the Sea
By Denise Laitinen Kohala by the Sea is the little community that could. This group of Hawai‘i Island residents has achieved a status reached by few communities in the entire country: they’re part of the nationally recognized Firewise Communities program.…
All Creatures Great and Small: Centipedes
By Stig Lindholm Off-island and rooting around in an English garden, my heart skipped a beat when turning over a rock I happened upon a centipede. Then, with surprised relief, I realized that an encounter with the British Isles’ cousin…
World Wide Voyage: Wayfinding Around ‘Island’ Earth, Provisioning the Wa‘a
By Margaret Kearns E Lauhoe mai na wa‘a; i ke ka, i ka hoe, i ka hoe, i ke ka; pae aku i ka‘aina. Everybody paddle the canoes together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail, and the shore will be…
Where Art Found Its Place: Donkey Mill Art Center
By Le‘a Gleason Nineteen years ago—before a collaboration like this existed for South Kona—a group of artists gathered to share a vision. It was this decision to come together to “develop and expand opportunities in the community to enrich lives…
Messages to Mars: Artist Jon Lomberg Sends Relics from Today for Civilizations Tomorrow
By Jon Lomberg NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars last August to begin a two-year study on Mars at Gale Crater, near the Martian equator. The crater has features that were formed by water long ago, so it is a…
Hopper Sheldon: Eastside Artist Brings Art and Fun to Keiki of All Ages
By Barbara Fahs Keeping pace with eastside artist Cheryl “Hopper” Sheldon can keep you on your toes. Her free “Artday Saturday” enrichment program at the Hilo Farmers’ Market attracts keiki of all ages, from 10 months to 88 years young.…
Talk Story with an Advertiser: Lyman Museum and Mission House
The Lyman Museum led by Barbara Moir, Executive Director, and Richard Henderson, Board Chairman, is one of only four nationally accredited museums in the State of Hawai‘i and a Smithsonian Affiliate. This year marks the 180th anniversary of the arrival…
W. M. Keck Observatory: Seeking Answers to the Greatest Questions About Our Universe
By Jon Lomberg Ask any astronomer to short-list the world’s best telescopes and W. M. Keck Observatory’s twin instruments on Mauna Kea will be at the top of everyone’s list. The combination of a perfect site, generous funding, and cutting-edge…
Mālama Honua—Care for the Earth: The Worldwide Voyage of the Hōkūle‘a and the Hikianalia
By Keith Nealy It is no surprise to the majority of people in the world that our planet is suffering from climate change; the depletion of natural resources; the degradation of our land, sea and air—conflicts that result from overconsumption…
2012 Transit of Venus: Hawai‘i Island Best Place to See a Rare Astronomical Event
By Jon Lomberg June 5, 2012 On June 5, 2012, the Earth, Sun, and the planet Venus will briefly line up, and Venus will slowly move across the Sun’s face, like a tiny eclipse. This is in fact the rarest…
