E Pili Kakou 2010
The E Pili Kakou hula festival is meant to bring together as one all who dance the hula. From the newbie who has never danced hula to the most experienced dancers, you are invited to experience the 12th annual E Pili Kakou I Ho’okahi Lahui on Kauai. There will be a variety of Hawaiian culture delights crowned by two evenings of show your stuff, and any level of participation is welcome, from making a feather lei, a hula instrument, learning a chant or a hula, or simply being in the audience for the evening celebrations.
For eight years now, E Pili Kakou I Ho’okahi Lahui has been dedicated in their mission. “Let’s join together as one body of people”, from all corners of the world and all of Hawai’i Nei (this beloved Hawaii), to promote, share, and perpetuate Hawai’i's rich culture and heritage by sustaining and further educating all who are practitioners and enthusiasts of the hula. Each year, kumu hula and kupuna, from throughout Hawai’i are invited to pass on their teachings to eager participants. These dedicated individuals are devoted to ensuring that the art of hula will be passed on from generation to generation with accuracy, integrity and with great love for the culture and its people.
It’s their love for hula and the perpetuation of it that makes E Pili a success, and anyone who is interested is welcome to join this two day event Feb. 26 – 28 at Kaua’i Beach Resort. There are so many ways to enjoy E Pili Kakou. This event provides na haumana, na alaka’i, na ho’opa’a, na olapa and na kumu hula as well as non-hula dancers a common bond in celebrating the hula. You will learn, experience, and exchange dances and ideas, and have the opportunity to share and meet new friends while increasing your knowledge in hula.
Visit epilikakou.com or contact:
Emma Rogers, 651-4203 or emmacrogers@aol.com
Tina Unciano, 245-8372 or waiolena@-hawaiian.net
Kauai History and Surfboard Shaping
Ancient Hawaiian surfboard making began with the tree. They would carefully select one of three types of trees to make early surfboards – wiliwili, ulu, or koa. Once a tree had been selected a craftsman would use a stone axe to dig a hole among the roots, and place a fish in the hole with a prayer as an offering to the gods in return for the tree he was about to shape into a board. The construction and shaping of the surfboard that followed this ritual was an exacting task that required the experienced craftsmanship of native “shapers”. There were three primary shapes for adults: olo (18 to 24 feet), kikoʻo (12 to 18 feet), and the alaia (8 to 10 feet).
The trunk was first chipped away with a stone axe and roughly shaped to the desired dimensions. It was then pulled down to the beach and placed in a halau (canoe house) for finishing work. Granulated coral called pohaku puna, and a rough kind of stone called oahi were used for smoothing the rough surfaces on the board getting rid of the adze marks. A finishing stain from the root of the TI plant (mole ki), or the pounded bark of the kukui (hili) was used to give the board a dark lustre. Stains were also obtained from the soot of burned kukui nuts, charcoal from burnt pandanus leaves, or the juices from young banana buds. To complete the process, a dressing of Kukui nut oil was applied when the stain was dry, and the black, glossy board was ready for surfing.
Aside from the preparatory stages, the most skilled surfers were often of the upper class including chiefs and warriors that surfed among the best waves on the island. If the ocean was calm, they would call upon the kahuna (priest) to aid them in a surfing prayer asking the gods to deliver great surf. These upper class Hawaiians gained respect through their enduring ability to master the waves in this art the Hawaiians referred to as heʻe nalu or wave sliding.
Orchid Tolumnia Care
Tolumnia (pronounced toh-LUM-nee-ah) orchids are endemic to the Caribbean Basin with many confined to a single island. The foliage is usually 6 to 12 inches in height with miniature pseudobulbs bearing fan shaped leaf rosettes. They produce a shower of blooms 2 to 3 times a year of bright colorful blossoms ranging from bright sunshine yellows and golden browns, to vibrant reds and oranges. Their petite size and ability to adapt to a fairly wide range of conditions make them suitable for growing in small spaces.
Tolumnia Light
Bright, diffused light is preferred. Plants that are growing well but reluctant to bloom usually need an increase in light intensity.
Tolumnia Temperature
The temperature range for these orchids should mimic the Caribbean. The optimum range is 80 to 85 F during the day and 65 to 70 F during the night. Avoid prolong exposure to temperatures below 60 F or above 90 F.
Tolumnia Water
These orchids have no large pseudobulb water reserve, and must be watered well then allowed to dry out by night. The adage “if in doubt, don’t water” applies here.
Tolumnia Humidity
The humidity should be above 60%, and a good air movement must be provided so that they dry out between misting.
Tolumnia Feeding
Frequent and dilute feeding is the preferred approach using a balanced fertilizer applied every other watering at one quarter strength. Flushing with plain water once a month is important because residual salts can damage the roots.
Tolumnia Potting
The proper combination of good irrigation, adequate aeration, and rapid drying of the roots is key. Repotting should be done when new growth begins in the spring every two to three years. Mounting with twigs, cork bark, or small wood is the method of choice. They will also do well in tiny pots filled with loose charcoal, small orchid bark, or any other fine material.
Papahānaumokuākea Shipwreck Exhibit
‘Lost on a Reef’ is an exhibit at Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo on the Big Island which commemorates the rich maritime heritage of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The extensive coral reefs found in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to more than 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Many of the islands and shallow water environments are important habitats for rare species such as the threatened green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
The exhibit focuses on shipwreck sites discovered over the last the decade that represent 200 years of maritime history in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Centerpieces of the new exhibit include long-submerged artifacts scooped from sites around Kure Atoll and a 15-minute film that tracks the 2008 expedition to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Among the artifacts are two ship bells, both recovered from sites at Kure Atoll, the monument’s northernmost atoll. One was recovered from the whaler Parker, which wrecked in 1842, and the other from the USS Saginaw, a paddle wheel steam sailing sloop that also ran onto the reef at Kure Atoll in 1870.
The exhibit has several informational panels describing the maritime heritage legacy of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from the whaling industry’s impact on the Hawaiian Islands in the early 19th century to contemporary exploration. During the distinctive whaling period, at least 10 vessels were reported lost in the low-lying atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The wrecks and sunken vessels gives today’s marine archaeologists an opportunity to tell the stories of the thousands of ships that did reach their destinations.
State Of The Birds Hawaii
More bird species are vulnerable to extinction in Hawaii than anywhere else in the United States. Before the arrival of people, the Hawaiian Islands supported 113 bird species unique in the world, including 59 species of Hawaiian honeycreepers. Since humans arrived, 71 bird species have become extinct and 31 more are federally listed as threatened or endangered. Of these, 10 have not been seen in as long as 40 years and may be extinct.
Hawaiian birds federally listed as endangered are:
- Short-tailed Albatross
- Hawaiian Petrel
- Nene
- Hawaiian Duck (Koloa)
- Laysan Duck
- Hawaiian Hawk (`Io)
- Hawaiian Moorhen (`Alae `Ula)
- Hawaiian Coot (`Alae Ke`oke`o)
- Hawaiian Stilt (Ae`o)
- Hawaiian Crow (`Alalā)
- O’ahu Elepaio
- Nihoa Millerbird
- Kāma’o
- Oloma’o
- Puaiohi
- Kauai ‘Ō’ō
- Laysan Finch
- Nihoa Finch
- ‘Ō’ū
- Palila
- Maui Parrotbill
- Kaua’i ‘Akialoa
- Nukupu’u
- ‘Akiapōlā’au
- Hawaii Creeper
- O’ahu ‘Alauahio
- Kākāwahie, Hawaii ‘kepa
- Maui ‘kepa
- ‘kohekohe
- Po’ouli
- Newell’s Shearwater (threatened)
Still, there are reasons for hope.
- Laysan Ducks have been translocated to Midway Atoll, where the population is thriving.
- In 1994, it was estimated that less than 200 Puaiohi survived in the wild. Then a research and management program focused on two strategies: protecting nests and fledglings from rats, and removing first-clutch eggs from nests to create a captive flock.
- Population growth of forest birds such as the Hawai`i Creeper and `Akiapōlā`au has been dramatic in the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, where they are fencing to exclude feral mammals, aggressively managing invasive plants, and replanting endangered plants.
- Rats were eradicated from Midway Atoll, resulting in an increase of Bonin Petrels.
- Setting aside 7,500-acres at the Hanawi Natural Area Reserve now supports some of Hawaii’s most important concentrations of native birds, including `kohekohe and Maui Parrotbill.
more…
State Of The Birds 2009
State Of The Birds 2009
The United States enjoys diverse landscapes, a wealth of natural resources, and spectacular wildlife, including more than 800 bird species. Birds are a national heritage we share with people around the world, since billions of migratory birds follow the seasons across oceans and continents. They are beautiful, and they reflect the health of our environment. Birds are bellwethers of our natural and cultural health as a nation – they are indicators of the integrity of the environments that provide us with clean air and water, fertile soils, abundant wildlife, and natural resources.
Wildlife agencies and conservation groups have come together to produce the first comprehensive analysis of the state of our nation’s birds. The State of the Birds 2009 report reveals troubling declines of bird populations during the past 40 years – a warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems. Where we have been negligent too long, such as in Hawaii, we are on the verge of losing unique and beautiful birds and native plant communities. More than one-third of all U.S. listed bird species occur in Hawaii and 71 bird species have gone extinct since humans colonized the islands in about 200 AD. At least 10 more birds have not been seen in as long as 40 years and may be extinct. At the same time, we see heartening evidence that strategic conservation action can reverse declines of birds. This report calls attention to the collective efforts needed to protect nature’s resources for the benefit of people and wildlife.
more…
State Of The Birds Hawaii
