Start Fishing! The Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament Celebrates 60 Years
By Karen Rose On August 21, 1959, statehood was granted to the territory of Hawai‘i, making it the 50th state in the union. Two days later, the first Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) was introduced to Kona. This year marked…
Animal Rescue Goes Hi-Tech Grassroots: Lava Flows and Dairy Farm Closures Help Create a Rescue Response
By Lara Hughes With the recent lava flow and dairy farm shut downs happening on Hawai‘i Island, a number of grassroots animal rescue organizations have sprung forth from the ashes. There was suddenly a movement to save animals from suffering…
Look For The Helpers: How Hawaii Tracker Became a Pivotal Community Resource
By Denise Laitinen Mr. Rogers, the beloved children’s TV show host, is known for saying, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You…
Fantuzzi: Global Troubadour at Home on Hawai‘i Island
By Mᾱlielani Larish Awakening to ocean breezes and bird song, Fantuzzi looks forward to a day of wrestling with rocks, planting trees, and honoring Pele on the land in lower Puna that he calls home. After months of performing in…
Castles in the Sand
By Catherine Tarleton On any given day, a sunset beachgoer might take the stroll along Kauna‘oa or Mau‘umae beaches and happen upon something remarkable. Spires and staircases of sand stand in wait for some tiny mermaid; tan-khaki-taupe hibiscus and plumeria…
Managing with Aloha: Ho‘omau Kākou
By Rosa Say This column for Ke Ola Magazine’s Business Feature section began with the January/February Hawai‘i Island issue of 2013. We have cycled twice through the 19 Values of Aloha presented in Managing with Aloha, Bringing Hawaii’s Universal Values…
Kawaihae I: Bringing an Ahupua‘a Back to Life
By Jan Wizinowich During Kamehameha’s time, the ahupua‘a (land parcel) of Kawaihae fed thousands of people with its rich ocean resources and highly developed field system, irrigated from the abundant Kohala watershed. Now there are only remnants of that time…
ʽĀhua A ‘Umi Heiau: King ‘Umi’s Legacy
By Sara Stover Across a high plateau between Maunaloa and Hualālai lie numerous ‘āhua (stone piles) that appear to be the remains of an ancient structure. The man who initiated the building of this heiau was more than the commoner…
Hawai‘i’s Endangered Birds
By Stefan Verbano Hawai‘i’s islands were once tropical paradises for birds. Ten million years ago, the winged founders of Hawai‘i’s endemic bird populations touched down on a partially formed, mid-Pacific island chain markedly different than any humans have since “discovered.”…
A Return to the ‘Āina: Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
By Brittany P. Anderson Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1985, making it the first national wildlife refuge to encompass rainforests since the program was established in 1908. The 33,000 acres running above Hakalau along Maunakea’s eastern side…
Aunty BJ Pa: Tahitian Dance Pioneer Paved the Way
By Tiffany DeMasters 82-year-old Betty Jane “BJ” Pa is the perfect role model for helping kūpuna (elders) live their lives to the fullest, as she continues to fulfill her passion as a hula dancer, despite her own health issues, and…
Seeds of a New Industry: A History of Cannabis on Hawai‘i Island
Editor’s Note: Our local agriculture feature story was originally planned to cover the production of Hawai‘i’s legal cannabis crop. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to pursue it. Instead, here is an overview and history of…
The Meaningful Construction of Daifukuji Soto Mission
By Fern Gavelek The burgundy-colored building with white trim on Highway 11 at the entrance to Honalo (South Kona) is the landmark Daifukuji Soto Mission. The temple sits a bit off the road on the mauka (mountain) side, adjacent to…
Mālama Mokupuni—Caring for Our Island Environment: Helping the Hawaiian Hawksbill Sea Turtle Using Photo-ID
By Cheryl King Have you ever seen a Hawaiian hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), known as honu‘ea or ‘ea? If so, you’re lucky, since they are a rare sight compared to the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), or honu. Hawaiian…
Local Food: Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Trail & Island Birder Trail Mix Recipe
By Brittany P. Anderson One of my favorite hikes on Hawai‘i Island is the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Trail, located off Saddle Road (Daniel Inouye Highway/Route 200) at the base of Maunaloa, between the 22 and 23 mile markers. The nearly 9-mile…
Ka Wehena: Eō Ka Wahine ‘Onipa‘a Mau
Na Kumu Keala Ching Eō ka wahine ‘onipa‘a mau I Pua kalaunu, Kui ‘ia lei hiwahiwa Kau mai i luna, He Ali‘i kupa mau E ‘onipa‘a ē, e ‘onipa‘a la Eō ka wahine ‘Onipa‘a Mau I ke kapa ke hau…
Tiana Malone Jennings
By Mālielani Larish ”You are supposed to do music,” Aunty Mahealani Kuamo‘o-Henry said as she gazed steadily into Tiana Malone Jenning’s eyes. “Hawai‘i is opening up your path and refining you for your purpose in the world.” Tiana left Aunty…
The Sweetest Mistake, with a Recipe for Pains de Macadamia
By Brittany P. Anderson Macadamia nut tree orchards are a common and welcoming sight on Hawai‘i Island. Many a summer afternoon I find a cool respite in the shade of their branches. Greedily, I’ve filled the pockets of my overalls…
To Seek Far: ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center Reaches Out to Students of All Ages
By Stefan Verbano “So, what’s one way we can tell the age of a volcano?” Punawai Rice asks the audience of fourth graders seated before him. No hands shoot up. “Well think about this: how can we tell one volcano…
Managing with Aloha: Ka lā hiki ola says, “Soar!”
“It is the dawning of a new day.” Optimism, Promise, and Our Sense of Hope. Last of Series Two on Managing with Aloha By Rosa Say My coaching copy of Managing with Aloha is annotated with quotes I’ve found which…
Preserving Natural Resources by Protecting Native Forests
By Sara Stover When Maunaloa erupted in 1926, it was impossible to stop the lava from destroying much of the forest found within what is the modern-day Kona Hema Preserve. Stopping bulldozers and building plans from taking their toll on…
Ka Wehena: Ahupua‘a o Kealakehe, Eia ku‘u ‘ike
Ahupua‘a o Kealakehe Na Kumu Keala Ching I uka (o) Hualālai, Ahu ā ‘Umi I Keala o ka hē, hele i Ālula Ālula Kai ‘Ōpua, malu ku‘u ‘āina ‘Āina kamaha‘o kō Kona i ka la‘i E aloha E aloha E…
Keeping up With Kapa: Jani K. Puakea Fisher
By Ma‘ata Tukuafu Pre-contact Hawaiian kapa was some of the most exquisitely made barkcloth in the entire world. After contact, cotton muslin and other fabrics were introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by settlers, and the intricate art of kapa making…
Hilo’s History Through the Banyan Trees
By Denise Laitinen During the 1930s, a virtual who’s who of celebrities, sports stars, and politicians including our nation’s 32nd president all made their way to Hilo. While here, many participated in planting a banyan tree on the Waiākea Peninsula.…
Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School Celebrates 130 Years
By Catherine Tarleton Honoka‘a High & Intermediate School sits on seven ocean-view acres of Hāmākua hillside, its 19 buildings and covered sidewalks painted Dragon (their mascot) green and gold. 611 students, grades 7–12, work and play here. In its 130-year…
Ha‘akoa: Perpetuating Tradition, Creating Cultural Practice
By Marcia Timboy A custom can be a protocol or belief that has been practiced by an individual or a group for a long time. When a custom is transferred from generation to generation, it takes the form of tradition. Tradition…
A Lifetime in the Trees: The Vision of Skye Peterson, Treehouse Aficionado
By Lara Hughes Skye Peterson moved to Honolulu on O‘ahu in 1980. He was a young pilot flying small planes, and he didn’t really like the work or life in the city, so he moved to the countryside of Lanikai…
Malama Mokupuni—Caring for Our Island Environment: Invasive or Essential? A Rare Moth Depends on a Roadside Weed
By Rachel Laderman A tiny shining orb on the underside of a leaf—is it the egg of an endangered, endemic moth? A team of volunteers systematically turns over every leaf on tree tobacco shrubs along a transect near Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Forest…
A Dream of the Heart: Island Artists Jane and Linus Chao
By Jan Wizinowich In the most positive sense, the Chinese saying “May your life be interesting” certainly applies to Jane and Linus Chao, island treasures who have been creating and teaching art for the last 50 years. Primarily watercolor artists…
Empowering Women and Girls to Reach Their Highest Potential: American Association of University Women
By Karen Rose In 1776, future first lady Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John, then a member of the Continental Congress, “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we will be determined to foment a…
