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| Flowering Hō‘awa on the 222 acres turned over by The Nature Conservancy to Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Photo from The Nature Conservancy |
"ALOHA! YOUR PARK JUST GOT BIGGER!" begins today's announcement from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, reporting that The Nature Conservancy has transferred 222 acres to the Kahuku Unit. The land, once part of Kahuku Ranch, runs along 1.6-miles of Hwy. 11 between Ocean View and Nāʻālehu, a stretch of highway that sees an estimated two million visitors a year, according to the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism.
"Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is thrilled to add this priority conservation habitat to our Kahuku Unit. The parcel contains rare dryland forest plants, native birds and insects, and a lava tube system," said Superintendent Cindy Orlando. "This action supports our mission to protect the natural and cultural resources, and biodiversity of Hawai‘i Island. We are exploring ways to make it accessible for park visitors," she said.
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| Figure from TNC |
The Nature Conservancy conducted biological surveys and found that, despite impacts by invasive weeds and mouflon (big-horned) sheep, the site is home to many native plants. They include lama and ‘ōhiʻa trees, ʻūlei (a flexible hardwood with fragrant blossoms), pūkiawe (a shrub with colorful berries), hō‘awa (a common food for ʻalalā, the Hawaiian crow) and aʻaliʻi (a flexible shrub with colorful seed pods). Native animals found in the parcel include the endangered ʻio (Hawaiian hawk), ʻōpeʻapeʻa (Hawaiian hoary bat), several species of rare insects, and two honeycreepers, the ʻapapane and ʻamakihi.
In addition to natural resources, the Kahuku parcel contains cultural and historical assets, such as the old Mamālahoa Highway, a historic road bordered by a four-foot high rock wall that is an artifact of former cattle ranching in the area. It also includes a trailhead for the historic Kahuku-ʻAinapō trail network.
"This property is a gem that links two types of forest habitat that are increasingly rare in Hawaiʻi: lowland mesic (or temperate) forest and lowland dry forest. These forest areas tend to coincide with where people like to live, so they are threatened globally and here in Hawaiʻi," said Shalan Crysdale, The Nature Conservancy's Hawaiʻi Island Program Director. "We have been working to control invasive weeds such as Christmas berry, and have cleared more than 40 acres through volunteer and staff efforts," he said.
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| Hawaiian rock walls conserved at property transferred from The Nature Conservancy to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at Kahuku. Photo from TNC |
The Nature Conservancy has a long history of cooperation with private, state and federal partners to link lands together for conservation management. In 2003, TNC and National Park Service jointly purchased the 116,000-acre Kahuku Ranch. It was the largest conservation land transaction in the history of the State of Hawaiʻi , and doubled the size of the park to over 333,000 acres. A statement from TNC says, "The Conservancy also works with landowners, communities, cooperatives, and businesses, to establish local groups that can protect land. Examples include watershed partnerships, land trusts, conservation easements, community-based management agreements, and private reserves. These combined efforts help preserve natural areas and important landscapes in Hawai‘i and around the globe. To date, the Conservancy has protected 21 million acres in the U.S. , and 103 million acres globally."
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park was established in 1916, and its 333,308 acres stretch from sea level to the summit of Mauna Loa. The park's mission is to protect, conserve, and study the volcanic landscapes, associated natural and cultural resources and processes, and to facilitate safe public access to active volcanism, diverse geographic settings, and wilderness, for public education and enjoyment. More than two million people visited the Park in 2017.
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Register by March 9, by calling Kaʻū Resource & Distance Learning Center at 928-0101.
Organizers promise Real Life Experiences. Speakers include Gary Shimabukuro, a Laulima Hawai‘i Certified Prevention Specialist, and Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth.
The 2017 Hawaii State Epidemiological Profile study for 2011-2015, shows a stable number of people using drugs in the state. In both youths and adults, use of various illicit drugs - marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, ecstasy, methamphetamine, injection drugs, and use of prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription - is highest among Native Hawaiians, Caucasians, and 'other' Pacific Islanders, and the number of drug users in the LBGTQ+ youth demographic has been rising. Though the total numbers are not going up, they aren't going down. Drug use in the state of Hawaiʻi remains high in comparison to the rest of the country.
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Chinese New Year Guided Hikes, in Chinese, through the Sulphur Banks and the Steaming Bluff, start Tuesday. Photo by Janice Wei, NPS |
The park is a popular destination for Chinese who travel for the annual Chinese New Year holiday. Janice was born in China and speaks Mandarin fluently. The press release reminds the public that "people with respiratory or heart issues, infants, young children, and pregnant women should avoid Sulphur Banks due to high levels of naturally occurring volcanic gas."
The free hike is offered Tuesday, Feb. 13, Friday, Feb. 16, and Sunday, Feb. 18, from 11 a.m. to noon. Those interested should meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.
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See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at kaucalendar.com /janfebmar/februaryevents.html. See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, weekly events at kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/februarycommunity.html. February print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano. Also available free on stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com. |
MAKE A VALENTINE FOR YOUR VALENTINE! at Nā‘ālehu Public Library on Friday, Feb. 9, starting at 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Free. For more details, call 939-2442.
JOIN PAUL AND JANE FIELD IN VOLUNTEERING FOR STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT on Friday, Feb. 9, and remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing. Meet at 8:45 a.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO. This event will also be held Feb. 17 and 19.
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY HOSTS A VOLUNTEER WORKDAY on Friday, Feb. 9, at its Ka‘ū Preserve (located between Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu), from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Space is limited. For more details or to reserve a spot, contact Linda Schubert at 443-5401 or lschubert@tnc.org. The following Volunteer Day will take place on Friday, Mar. 23, at TNC's Kona Hema Preserve.
Music, workshops, and other activities. Tickets $30 per day; camping passes $10, includes hot showers. Vendor spaces still open. Sponsors welcome. Kids under 12, free. Purchase tickets, see the schedule, and get more info at mauliolafestival.com.
PUBLIC IS INVITED TO MILOLI‘I-KA‘Ū VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT, set for this Saturday, Feb. 10, and Sunday, Feb. 11, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. , at the Ka‘ū District Gym. Miloli‘i Volleyball Team, in this second annual Miloli‘i-Ka‘ū Volleyball tournament, will host Keaukaha Cuzins, KS Southside, Mauloa, Nawahi Na‘auao, Yosh, Big Island Boys, Nawahi Hanohano, and Hi-Intensity. Organizers and coaches are Yolanda Kuahuia and Kaimi Kaupiko. Food concessions both days support the effort.
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| Coach Yolanda Kauhuia and her Miloliʻi Volleyball girls. Photo from Kaimi Kaupiko |
ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BONSAI AND HOW TO GROW THEM, a workshop taught by well-known Bonsai Sensei Bill Newton, is offered Saturday, Feb. 10, 17, and 24, at Volcano Garden Arts. Sign up for all three classes and receive a complimentary meal at award winning Café Ono. Space is limited. For more, call 985-8979 or visit volcanogardenarts.com.
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| Volunteer with Nā Mamo o Kāwā on Saturday. Event details below. Photo from facebook.com/namamoo.kawa |
CELEBRATE MĀLAMA ‘ĀINA AT KĀWĀ VOLUNTEER DAY, organized by Mā Mamo o Kāwā, this Saturday, Feb. 10, starting at 9:30 a.m.; following events will be second Saturday of each month. The public is invited to help take care of this land. The county-owned parkland between Punaluʻu and Honuʻapo in Ka‘ū, depends on community stewardship. Sign up with James Akau by emailing namamookawa@gmail.com or calling 430-3058.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST AND A RAFFLE are offered at by Ocean View Community Association at Ocean View Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 10, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. To volunteer, call 939-7033. Visit ovcahi.org for more.
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| See Jean Pierre Thoma and the Jazztones perform live at Volcano Art Center with Fuego! Event details below. Photo from Volcano Art Center |
FUEGO! WITH JEAN PIERRE THOMA AND THE JAZZTONES give two Jazz in the Forest performances on Saturday, Feb. 10, at Volcano Art Center. The matinee starts at 4:30 p.m., and the evening show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 per VAC member and $20 per non-member. The Wine and Beer Room will be open, and an area will be set aside for dancing. Tickets are available online until Friday, Feb. 9. Call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org for more details.
JOIN VOLCANOLOGIST CHERYL GANSECKI for a Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Sunday Walk-in-the-Park event, Feb. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This moderate three-mile hike explores the Mauna Ulu area. Due to the fragile nature of this significant cultural area, space is limited to 15 people, and reservations are required. The hike is free for, but restricted to, members of Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. If you are not a member, you can join at fhvnp.org/become-a-member/join-or-renew/. Call 985-7373 or visit their website to reserve a spot.
HEATHER METTLER'S GLASSWORK - handblown, chiseled, and etched - is showcased in a new Volcano Art Center Gallery Exhibit: Passage and Place. The display will continue to be shown until Sunday, Feb. 11, during normal gallery hours - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily. Mettler's unique collection of glass explores the themes of migration, navigation, and immigration - how plants, animals, and people find their way to Hawai‘i. Free; park entrance fees apply.
PAINTING WITH PEGGY, an acrylic painting class with Margaret "Peggy" Stanton, is offered on Monday, Feb. 12, from noon to 3 p.m., at Volcano Art Center. The class is part of an ongoing series of workshops for artists of all levels and is offered again on Feb. 26. Class fess are $15 per VAC member and $20 per non-member per session. Email questions to peggystanton007@yahoo.com. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org.
LEARN ABOUT A BRAND NEW MEANS OF SAMPLING IN THE FIELD for dissolved gasses in groundwater, that can sometimes precede volcanic unrest and earthquake activity, at an After Dark in the Park event on Tuesday, Feb. 13. The presentation, Development of a New Geochemical Tool to Predict Volcanic Unrest and Earthquake Activity, begins at 7 p.m., in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Dr. Gary McMurtry of SOEST, University of Hawai‘i, describes its use in detecting any rapid changes, in time for effective hazard response and planning. Free; park entrance fees apply. Suggested donation of $2 to support park programs. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.
REGISTER KEIKI, GRADES K-8, BY FEB. 13, FOR A VALENTINE'S DAY FLOWER & BEAR CRAFT class held on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center. Free. Call Nona Makuakane/Elijah Navarro at 928-3102 or visit hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.
REGISTER KEIKI, AGES 6 TO 12 YEARS, BY FEB. 13, FOR A VALENTINE'S DAY CARD Arts & Crafts class that takes place Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., at Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. Free. For more, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.
HFS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IS OPEN to Big Island High School Seniors seeking a two or four-year degree at a College, University, or Vocational-Technical school in the 2018-19 academic year. Qualifications include: HFS member (in good standing), minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, full-time school schedule, and financial need. Applications due Wed., Feb. 28, available at hfsfcu.org/news/2018Scholarship or at any branch location: Kea‘au, Hilo , and Kona.
KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS'SUMMER INNOVATIONS ACADEMY
KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS'
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