E Palekana Me Ka Manō: Be Safe With Sharks
By Wendy Noritake I have a daily ritual of swimming in the ocean, enjoying nature, and anticipating what magic I might see. One morning in October, I swam with a friend in the warm turquoise waters at Nishimura Bay, in…
Kōnea o Kukui: To Restore the Light
By Jan Wizinowich With the passage of time, a place becomes layered with the spirits of beings and events that hold the stories and wisdom of those who have gone before. Many may not notice or recognize the spirit of…
Mālama Mokupuni: Caring for Our Island Environment — A Rare Night Visitor: ‘A‘o, the Newell’s Shearwater
By Rachel Laderman The strange, croaking-squawking calls started in August. Was it a sick chicken? A keiki’s squeaky toy? A lost donkey? I asked neighbors, I did a web search. I stayed up to listen closely: it had to be…
Uncle Tilo Teaches Water is Life
By Stefan Verbano “The quality of your water is a direct link to the quality of your health.” This is scribbled on a chalkboard hanging in the window of Todd and Archer’s shop in Pāhoa. It’s their business motto, and…
Planting the Forest Back Together
By Rachel Laderman The Kealakekua Forest Nursery (KFN) is the biggest native plant nursery in the state, and it is run with a big heart, driven by love for the land and Hawaiian heritage. It provides seedlings for many reforestation projects,…
Backyard Chickens for Food Self-Sufficiency
By Rachel Laderman When times get tough, people get chickens. It’s a practical way to gain more food security. A chicken coop in the yard also reduces the environmental footprint created by shipping eggs from the mainland’s large-scale, high-production poultry…
Sharing the Art of Palm Craft with Sylph Nightbloom
By Mālielani Larish With a luxurious green palm frond perched on her lap, Sylph Nightbloom gives the opening instructions to the workshop participants gathered around her. “Lift the first two palm leaflets up,” she says as she demonstrates, “so they…
Casa de Las Palmas: Hilo’s Sanctuary for Rare and Endangered Palms
By Sara Stover On an unassuming country road outside of Hilo, perched above the ancient waters of Waiākea Stream, grows a menagerie of rare and endangered palms. Before you even step foot onto the grounds of Casa de Las Palmas…
The Many Hands, Feet, Wings, Paws, and Hoofs of Lili House Farm
By Nancy S. Kahalewai What do Arthur the mini-donkey, Wilma and Fred the African desert tortoises, and Tommy the American heritage turkey have in common? They all get to roam and graze on a carpet of sweet grass on the…
For the Love of Hawai‘i Island Beekeepers
By Stefan Verbano Since the dawn of agriculture, honeybee keepers have braved the swarm in search of that coveted golden nectar. The sound of an open hive is intimidating—a buzzing roar which connects with some ancient, instinctual human sense that…
Hope for Honu: Green Sea Turtles on the Road to Recovery
By Rachel Laderman with Irene Kelly Four decades ago, the sight of honu (green sea turtles) in near-shore Hawaiian waters was rare. Since then, the honu population—once devastated by harvesting practices—has rebounded thanks to state and federal protections. Today, it…
Students Learn, Grow Food, Eat at School Culinary Gardens
By Fern Gavelek Itʻs all about “connecting the dots to textbooks while making learning delicious.” That’s how Patti Cook, community development director of Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School, describes the Māla‘ai Culinary Garden. Started in 2003 through a community…
Hawai‘i County’s Innovative Native Forest Dedication Program Provides Tax Incentives for Preservation and Restoration
By Mālielani Larish Did you know that special tax incentives exist for Hawai‘i County landowners who want to restore or preserve native forest on their land? The County of Hawai‘i Real Property Tax Division initiated the Native Forest Dedication Program…
Secrets of the Sand
By Walter Dudley A beach is a magical place for most of us, whether to swim, surf, snorkel, sip a Mai Tai, or simply watch the sunset. When people dream about going to the beach, they envision soft, warm, golden…
What Lies Beneath: Coral Reef Education Institute
By Brittany P. Anderson On a clear day in Kamuela you can see everything—from the top of Mauna Kea, across the pasture lands, and down to the blue Pacific. Birds glide overhead, as trees bend in the winds of the…
Big Impact, Small Footprint: Urban Farming on Hawai‘i Island
By Brittany P. Anderson Most people envision Hawai‘i as a place to get away from city life, slow down, and reconnect with the land. But, according to US Census data, almost 92% of Hawai‘i State’s population lives in urban areas.…
A Kipuka for All: Kaulana Manu Trail
By Rachel Laderman Near an ancient trail in the saddle between Hawai‘i Islandʻs two largest volcanoes, at 5,600-feet elevation and often wrapped in a misty cloud, is an oasis. It is a rejuvenating place for human travelers, and for birds, too.…
Mālama Mokupuni—Caring for Our Island Environment: Cats vs. Pups—A Feline Parasite Threatens Monk Seals
By Rachel Laderman When you’re at a Hawai‘i beach park, you’ll often spot free-roaming cats dashing between the shadows. Well-meaning cat-lovers can be seen restocking kibble in dishes left for cats. This animal-loving activity sadly contributes to a disease that is the…
It’s a Family Affair at Āhualoa Farms
By Barbara Garcia Born and raised on a citrus ranch in Southern California, farming runs in Chad Cleveland’s blood. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were farmers and Chad has always loved having his hands in the dirt. He went to…
Mālama Mokupuni—Caring for Our Island Environment: Cultivating Resilience
By Rachel Laderman Can there be such a thing as “regenerative tourism,” where visitors can balance the consuming nature of tourism by contributing to island sustainability? It’s a tall order, but sisters Kalisi Mausio and Angela Fa‘anunu, the co-founders of Hawaii…
Photos, Recycling, and the Blues: Paul Buklarewicz’s Sustainable Combination
By Catherine Tarleton What do a professional photographer, blues harmonica player, and recycling educator have in common? In the case of Paul J. Buklarewicz of Volcano, they’re all the same guy. A modern-day Renaissance man, Paul is a career educator,…
Alison Teal: Surfing Waves for Environmental Justice
By Taylon Faltas Alison Teal is a survivalist, world traveler, hula dancer, surfer, filmmaker, free-diver, environmentalist, and was named by Time magazine as the female Indiana Jones—what can’t she do? Alison’s passion for environmental advocacy allowed her to break into…
Two Artists Transform Trash into Treasure
By Karen Valentine When two artists each blend their creative talents with their passion for the environment, magic can happen. For both Kat Crabill and Mattie Mae Larson, growing up in Hawai‘i meant falling in love with the ocean—only to…
Seeger Institute at Eden Farms: Ecological Solutions to Make a Better World
By Stefan Verbano There is a fierce urgency in Gary Rosenbergʻs eyes. Itʻs the look of a time traveler who, after witnessing some future calamity, is sent back to warn an incredulous public to change their ways, often with great…
Mālama Mokupuni/Caring for Our Island Environment: Life and Death in the Stream—‘O‘opu, ‘Opae, and Tahitian Prawns
By Rachel Laderman On the east side of Hawai‘i Island, north of Hilo and along the Hāmākua coast, streams cascade down steep slopes, flow quickly over boulders, leap into wailele (waterfalls), rest briefly in calm ki‘o wai (pools), and riffle…
Fukushima Store: Repurposing a Historical Building
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu When you walk into Union Pasifika Tattoo shop in Waimea, you are greeted with a multitude of things to look at: a dragon and tiger intertwining in a mural on the walls and ceiling, colorful artwork, vintage…
Back to the ‘Āina: Strengthening Hawai‘i Island’s Food System
By Brittany P. Anderson The afternoon heat hangs heavy over the field. Two farmers continue their work seemingly unaffected by the weather. Arms and legs bundled up to avoid being burned by the sun, they pluck beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes…
Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary: A Living, Teaching Tool
By Fern Gavelek The sun goes in and out of rain-filled clouds while driving up Koloko Mauka to the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary (KCFS). Upon arrival, the air is cool and damp, smelling of dew and moist earth. The sun…
Farm to Table at Kona Community Hospital
By Brittany P. Anderson The sounds of griddles sizzling, knives chopping, and jovial laughter fill Kona Community Hospitalʻs Ginger Café. It isn’t a typical scene at a hospital cafeteria, but here local food has brought the community together at the…
Bo Williams: Island Teen Proves “It Takes a Village”
By Fern Gavelek Restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic presented island youth with a variety of challenges: online school instruction, cancelled sporting events, and minimal, in-person interaction with friends. With the help of his community, a Hawai‘i Island teen…
