An Album for the Community: Martin Charlot’s Konawaena Mural
By Mālielani Larish As he approached the entrance to Konawaena High School’s Ellison Onizuka Gym, Martin Charlot gazed up at the mural that wraps around the gym’s façade—a mural painted by his own hands more than 40 years ago. On…
FreediveSafe! Hawai‘i: Lifesaving Training for the Next Generation of Spearfishers
By Sara Stover On a breezy Saturday morning at the beginning of the summer, 25 of Hawai‘i Island’s youth willingly gather in a classroom at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy (HPA). Dylan Currier and Sandy Hammel of Freediving Instructors International are demonstrating…
Petroglyph Press: 60 Years of Sharing Local Culture, History, and Storytelling
By Nancy S. Kahalewai For six decades, the Reed family has been busy printing and publishing in downtown Hilo. Petroglyph Press, Ltd. owners David and Christine Reed are now celebrating the 60th anniversary of the business that David’s parents, Steve…
Local Food: Keiki in the Kitchen, and a Recipe for Frozen Yogurt Banana Bites
By Brittany P. Anderson The high-pitched squeals of three enthusiastic little voices filled the kitchen. Three little boys had just come in from the garden, their pockets full of random ripe vegetables they picked—a few golden cherry tomatoes, a red…
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…
Medicinal Plants from the Garden: Unlock the Healing and Cleansing Power of Lemon
By Brittany P. Anderson A young boy reaches his hand into a branch of shiny green foliage, palming a bright yellow, slightly oblong fruit. The tree sways as he tugs to release the object of his desire. Bringing his hand…
Ipu Stories—From Seed to Stage
By Nancy S. Kahalewai There are few things as unique as the feel, shape, sound, texture, decoration, source, and even lineage of a Hawaiian ipu drum. Pahu (drums) are part of the bedrock of traditional Hawaiian hula traditions, dancing, and…
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…
Ka Wehena: Pua Kalaunu
Na Kumu Keala Ching lāua ‘o Kumu Pa‘akea Akiu ‘Ae, Pua Kalaunu Kaulana nā pua, pua kalaunu Kui ‘ia ia lei puni ke aloha Aloha palena‘ole e Lili‘uokalani He ali‘i nō ia, ‘Onipa‘a ē ‘Onipa‘a ē, ʻOnipa‘a la, ‘Onipa‘a e…
HAKA: The Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance
By Mālielani Larish Moving hastily, Syndi Texeira lifted her neighbor’s dog, an 80-pound pit bull mix named Bear, into a vehicle for transport out of Leilani Estates. It was May 3, 2018, and the police and civil defense had informed…
Journey from the Land of Hibiscus to Hawai‘i Island
By Jan Wizinowich Although not native to Korea, the hibiscus has long been its national symbol. Probably originating in India, the hibiscus is easily transplanted, and endowed with adaptability. It most likely made its way north through China into Korea,…
Local Food: The Ono Hua Moa (The Delicious Chicken Egg) and a Recipe for Dutch Baby
By Brittany P. Anderson A clamor of loud cackles and squawking erupts from the pasture. The flock of egg-laying hens continue their vocal display for the next 15 minutes letting everyone know that an egg has been laid. Just as…
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…
Battered by Life, the Rescued Livestock at FPG Have Found Sanctuary
By Stefan Verbano Eve the sheep lived an action-packed life before coming to the sanctuary. She spent her early years frolicking through green pastures of her lower Puna homestead, until her peaceful existence was shattered in 2018 by the massive…
Ka Wehena: Wai‘aha
Na Kumu Ka‘ea Lyons lāua ‘o Kumu Keala Ching Kū Wai‘aha uka o Honua‘ula Lālau ka ‘Ōpua, Poli Hualālai La‘i maila ka ua, Ua ola Kona ‘Ike malu Luawai, La‘a Kālua ua Ala Pua‘a, Wai‘aha i Kahului I ka lae…
Medicinal Plants from the Garden: The Comfort of Comfrey
By Brittany P. Anderson Green lance-shaped leaves fall over themselves in compact clusters, with a fuzz about them like a clump of rabbit ears waiting to be pet. The leaves are coarse to the touch, while purple bell flowers dangle…
Hank Fergerstrom’s Indomitable Spirit
By Ana Kahoopii and Tanya Yamanaka Unko Hank sits at an empty picnic table near the King Kamehameha statue on Hilo’s bayfront, the sun shining on this Valentine’s Day morn. The gold bodice of Kamehameha glitters behind him; the King’s…
Morinoue’s Hale: A Gathering Place
By Emily Gleason When you walk into Hiroki and Setsuko Morinoue’s home, the first thing you’ll notice is the art. Beautiful paintings, prints, and sculptures cover the walls and all available shelf space. Their own work comingles with that of…
Sonny’s Healing Journey Began with Music
By Carole Gariepy If you’ve stopped at Punalu‘u Bakery in Nā‘ālehu on a Thursday or Saturday, you’ve likely had the pleasure of enjoying the mellow music of Sonny Ramos. His Hawaiian and American melodies fill the air and provide an…
Local Food: The Secret Life of Pears, and a Recipe for Poached Pears
By Brittany P. Anderson “Just passed a pear tree in Pepe‘ekeo loaded with pears,” read the social media post one sunny morning with an image of a heavily fruiting pear tree. The thread that followed was disbelief, shock, and eager…
Suzanne Wang: Ceramicist Comes Full Circle
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu The idyllic rural-village feel of Wailea/Hakalau is what Suzanne Wang wanted when she moved to Hawai‘i Island 11 years ago. She set up her ceramic studio on the lush Hāmākua coast in 2016, both living and working in a…
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…
Hawaiian Hospitality with Hilo’s Songbird Christy Lassiter
By Nancy Kahalewai Since the 1800s, many different types of music have deeply and permanently influenced Hawaiian music. European folk songs and orchestras, Christian hymns, Portuguese ‘ukulele and Spanish steel guitars, Mexican ranchera and Puerto Rican rhythms, American musicals and…
Ka Wehena: Pili Keauhou
Na Kumu Ka‘ea Lyons lāua ‘o Kumu Keala Ching He aloha laha‘ole, pili i ka poli Ka poli pumehana i ka ‘iu‘iu He aloha laha‘ole pili kāua Noho i ke kai ma Keauhou la Ala hou ke ao, kū pilina…
Waipi‘o Valley: A Cultural Kipuka
By Jan Wizinowich It’s December 22, 2021 and Kūlia Kauhi Tolentino Potter greets volunteers from Sam Houston State University (SHSU) at the Waipi‘o Valley lookout. It’s pouring rain and a work day is looking doubtful, but they are full of…
Tsunamis: Hawai‘i’s Most Dangerous Natural Hazard
By Walter Dudley Just before 7am on the morning of April 1, 1946, Seaman Perry Minton was in the radio room aboard the USS Thompson headed toward Pearl Harbor when, he recalls, “Almost as soon as I put on the…
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…
Earth Day Meditation on Food: Recipe for Butterfly Pea Lemonade
By Brittany P. Anderson Hawai‘i Island is full of astounding wonders. Plants that grow to incredible heights and animals that are infinitesimally small. Some beasts blend seamlessly with their surroundings while flowers bloom in an array of shocking colors to…
