Grace Under Stress: Kona Orchid Society
By Catherine Tarleton Older than the volcano, with roots in dinosaur days, orchids were alive and well as far back as 80 million years ago, according to the Harvard biologist who managed to date fossilized pollen from a now-extinct bee…
“He Mo‘olelo kō ka Lei”: A Story of the Lei
By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco The very symbol of aloha is the lei. And the most cherished expression is that of a child, “He lei poina ‘ole ke keiki,” meaning, “A beloved child is a lei never forgotten.” A celebration and…
Adorning the Dancers: Understanding the Plants of Hula
By Denise Laitinen Standing next to the kahua hula (dance platform) that overlooks Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, you can see a plume of steam and gasses rising from the crater, home of the volcano goddess Pele.…
Natural Plant Medicine is Everywhere You Look
By Barbara Fahs You already know about them. Those dandelions you struggle to keep out of your lawn? Medicinal. The persistent weeds in your vegetable garden? Many of them have uses as medicine. Even some “weeds” that grow on bare…
A Home Built Around Orchids: Love of a Flower Inspired a House Project
By Denise Laitinen When Julie Goettsch saw the orchid wall at the Kahala Resort on O‘ahu back in 1969 she vowed to herself that someday she would have a similar wall in her home. It took 40 years and a…
There’s Help for Orchid Brown Thumbs: Hilo Orchid Societyʻs Mission to Help Everyone Grow Orchids
By Denise Laitinen Julie Goettsch wants to set the record straight. The president of the Hilo Orchid Society (HOS) wants people to know that growing orchids isn’t complicated or difficult to do, especially here on an island known as the…
A Vegan Evolution: 40 Years without Meat
By Cynthia Sweeney It’s easy to dismiss peace of mind and peace on planet Earth as utopian ideals. However, a visit with our vegan friends, with 40 years of a truly peaceful lifestyle under their belts, gives us tangible proof…
Teas, Tinctures, and Tonics: Mamaki
By Barbara Fahs The traditional Hawaiian healing herb mamaki seems to have taken the world by storm. When you Google “mamaki” you’ll find 39,500 websites that talk about the Hawaiian version of the stinging nettle, including general information on sites…
Flower Power: Outdoor Circles Make a Beautiful Difference
By Ann C. Peterson If you’ve noted that Hawaii’s beautiful scenery isn’t marred by a cacophony of huge billboards, you can thank The Outdoor Circle. “Clean, Green, and Beautiful” —that simple mission forged almost 100 years ago—has helped preserve and…
Kukui Nut Oil for Beautiful, Healthy Skin
By Barbara Fahs Polynesians of yesterday and today have beautiful skin. This could be due to their use of the oil from our state tree, the kukui, which their ancestors introduced to Hawai‘i around 1600 A.D. Kukui trees and the…
What’s in a Seed? Seed Is the Living Source of Life on Earth
By Nancy Redfeather How many times have you bought seed in a store, planted it, and were disappointed at its failure to germinate, or worse, thought of yourself as a “black thumb?” The answer to this common complaint is in…
Love of Orchids Forges Perennial Friendships
By Fern Gavelek Mention the word “orchids” and smiles light up their faces like girls gazing at a dollhouse. These eight Kona women, who eagerly banter over growing media and ant control, are enthusiastic charter members of the Kona Daifukuji…
