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…
The Ala Kahakai Trail: A Walk through History into the Future
By Jan Wizinowich Hawaiʽi Island’s history can be found along its coastal and mauka (mountain side) to makai (ocean side) trails, a network imprinted by the hands and feet of those who came before. The coastal ala loa trail (Hawaiian…
The Legacy: Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park – Celebrating 57 Years
By Lara Hughes Since opening in 1961, Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau, a place of refuge, has been a cultural beacon for residents and visitors alike. Kawailehua Domingo, a descendant of South Kona and currently the park’s interpretive supervisor, is the third…
Dreams Do Come True: The Musical Journey of Kris Fuchigami
By Denise Laitinen Kris Fuchigami is a study in perseverance. After picking up the ‘ukulele at age 13, the Hawai‘i Island native readily admits he dropped out of band class in school because he struggled with reading music at the…
Local Foods: A Sandwich for the Season
By Brittany P. Anderson This time of year when it is still spring, yet starts to feel like summer, is one of my favorite seasons on Hawai‘i Island. The weather is a bit unpredictable–warm, sunny summer days are on the…
Manta Pacific Research Foundation: Conserving and Protecting the Ballerinas of the Ocean
By Karen Rose ”The world’s finest wilderness lies beneath the waves,” says marine life artist Wyland. Keller Laros, president of the Manta Pacific Research Foundation (MPRF), agrees. Keller and his wife Wendy founded MPRF in 2002 out of their passion…
Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Celebrating a Crop that Brought Hope and Success
By Fern Gavelek Ten years ago, a group of folks were sitting on the lānai (porch) gazing out at healthy rows of Ka‘ū coffee trees laden with cherries. Beaming with pride and optimistic for the future, the neighboring Ka‘ū coffee…
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…
Hawai’i Island’s Famous “Painted Church”
By Denise Laitinen An incredible example of American folk art, St. Benedict Catholic Church in Captain Cook is one of the most well-known and colorful churches on Hawai‘i Island. Tucked into the slopes of Mauna Loa among coffee farms above…
Hilo Kūpuna Share Hula with Aloha
By Karen Valentine Long before the program is set to begin, Clem and Leilani Malani, both in their 90s, are sitting in their car, waiting in anticipation. They are dressed in their finest Hawaiian aloha wear with color-coordinated red and…
William McKnight: Ambivalent Artist, Passionate Sculptor
By Paula Thomas William McKnight has cultivated a deep relationship with stone. From the lengths he may go to get a rock from the ocean, a quarry, or on a hillside, to the passion that engulfs him when his creative…
Managing with Aloha: Prosper with Ha‘aha‘a
“Humility. Be humble, be modest. Open your thoughts.” Thirteenth in Series Two on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say One of the things I’m proudest of with the Managing with Aloha philosophy is that it has evolved. It has shifted…
Ka Wehena: Miloli’i
Na Kumu Keala Ching Iho mai ka nani o Miloli‘i I ke alo, aloha o ke Akua Lei aloha o ke Akua Lei Kamaha‘o i ka poli Ho‘opūloa, Miloli‘i a i Honomālino I ka palena aloha kō Kona Hema Lei…
The Alonzo Spirit Band: Music for the Soul
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu It was in 2007 when Alan “Alonzo” Rosen began hearing voices in his head; not crazy voices, but rather, he was hearing notes, lyrics, melodies, and completed songs. After meditation or sometimes in dreams, Alan would hear…
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…
Hāmākua Harvest: Bridging Community and Agriculture
By Britni Schock Hāmākua Harvest’s mission is to promote and advance Hāmākua agriculture by supporting local farmers, enriching the region’s social fabric, and promoting healthy rural lifestyles for the benefit of Hāmākua’s communities, economy, and environment. Located just off Māmalahoa…
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…
100 Years of Worship: Ka Mauloa Church
By Denise Laitinen If you stop and listen on any given Sunday as you travel along Highway 11 in Kurtistown, you may hear the sounds of church parishioners singing in Hawaiian. Small in size and humble in nature with roots…
Wai Watchers: The Vital Role of Volunteers in Watershed Health
Mālama Mokupuni: Caring for Our Island Environment By Julia Meurice This is a story of how communities are uniting and strengthening to protect the quality of our water from the mountains to the coast, of people rebuilding relationships with life…
A Special Moment with Irene Midel
“He Lei Ho’oheno O Hilo”: A Cherished Adornment of Hilo By Ku‘ehu Mauga Irene Midel is the epitome of aloha. If her striking floral hairpieces don’t leave a lasting impression on you, her effervescent personality will. At the age of…
Three Iconic Women’s Organizations: Hilo Woman’s Club, Zonta International, Soroptimist International of Kona
By Paula Thomas For decades, Hawai‘i Island women have taken up causes in support of improving the lives of women and families. In the case of the Hilo Woman’s Club, the impact has extended to arts and culture—even the local…
Managing with Aloha: ‘Ike loa
“The value of learning in Hawai‘i is ‘to know well.’ Seek knowledge and wisdom.” Twelfth in Series Two on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say Learning to listen to one’s self-talk is powerful self-coaching. Sometimes, however, we must learn to…
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…
May Day is Lei Day in Hawai‘i
By Leilehua Yuen This year’s Hilo Lei Day Festival will be held on May 1, at Kalākaua Park, the original town square of Hilo, and the site of Hilo’s Lei Day celebrations in the 1920s. May 1, celebrated around the…
Invoking the Warrior: Hula Kane
By Karen Valentine The line of kane (male) hula dancers lies in the shadows, poised to walk onto the Merrie Monarch Festival stage. Their kumu (teacher) takes his place behind the pahu (drum) and raises his arms along with his…
Iris Viacrusis: Creating Fashion from Paris to Paradise
By Mālielani Larish Dressed in a velvet azure gown made by Hawai‘i Island fashion designer Iris Viacrusis, and adorned with a peacock feather collar that she had handcrafted herself, Aunty Doreen Henderson graced the 2013 Merrie Monarch stage with an…
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),…
Behind the Scenes at the Merrie Monarch Festival
By Leilehua Yuen A month before the opening kāhea (to call out) of the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, the Edith Kanaka‘ole Stadium is filled with sound. Saws shriek, hammers pound, drills buzz, sanders growl, and the pine resin smell of…
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…
