WS Merwin US Laureate
W.S. Merwin, has been named Poet Laureate of the United States. Merwin, who lives in Hawaii, is one of this country’s most distinguished, decorated, and productive poets. Previous writers selected by the Librarian of Congress include Robert Penn Warren, Richard Wilbur, Rita Dove, Joseph Brodsky, Robert Pinsky, and Kay Ryan.
Merwin has also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice. The first was for his book The Carrier of Ladders
He lives on 18 acres of land that started as a tropical forest, then was logged and burned, then used for sugar cane and pineapple, and finally for grazing cattle. Merwin wanted to re-create a Hawaiian tropical forest, so he hauled loads of horse manure, wood chips, and seaweed onto the property to rejuvenate the soil depleted from decades of erosion. Hundreds of species of native trees, palms, and plants now form a canopy around his home in secluded Maui. He also helped design and build his wooden house, install solar panels for electricity, and a roof catchment system to capture rainwater.
He has developed a close relationship with the native culture and ancient language, and has incorporated Hawaii subjects in his poetry. His work The Folding Cliffs
About poetry, he says, “It’s like making a joke. If you get one word wrong at the end of a joke, you’ve lost the whole thing.”
Baby Dolphin Contest
Sea Life Park Hawaii is inviting you to help name the newest member of their family – a baby dolphin. A male Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was born on February 27, 2010. The calf’s Father is Kaleo and its mother is Laka. At birth a dolphin calf is approximately 40 inches in length and weighs approximately 45 pounds. Laka is an experienced mom and the birth went very smoothly in just less than 1 hour, and each day the bond between mother and calf continues to strengthen.
Sea Life Park Hawaii is located on Oahu and provides a unique opportunity to interact with exotic sea life and animals – from swimming with dolphins and sea lions to sitting in on a penguin trainer talk to feeding sea turtles to diving with rays. Sea Life Park Hawaii features a beautifully designed park with reefs, lagoons, pools, theaters, lockers, and dressing rooms. And, starting June 26, the Park will be offering special guided visits for guests to see the new baby dolphin.
The contest to name the dolphin is global and anyone can enter by submitting a name before August 31, 2010. The winning entry will be chosen based upon the meaning and reasoning of the name, and the results will be announced September 30, 2010.
The Grand Prize:
- 3 nights Stay at Sheraton Waikiki hotel (estimated value: $1000)
- Round Trip Air for two (if Mainland resident wins) (estimated value: $1500)
- Annual Pass (if a Hawaii resident wins) for a family of four and four Dolphin Royal Swims (value estimated:$1200)
- Winner will be invited to attend the Baby Dolphin Event in Fall 2010
- Private Dolphin Interactive program for two and the chance to go into the water with mom and baby dolphin. (value estimated: $200)
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O returns to TV with an action-packed update of one of the most iconic shows in television history. The show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and was the longest running crime show until Law & Order surpassed it. The popularity of the original Hawaii Five-O spawned various police dramas on all the major television networks. It was noted for its liberal use of exterior location shooting with a typical episode having at least two-thirds of its footage shot on location, as opposed to a “typical” show of the time which would be shot largely on sound stages and backlots.
The same is true for the re-make which is set in jungles and beaches and scenic highways and seedy apartments and very little taking place inside a police station. And it is hard to beat the back-drop of Hawaii. This new version of Hawaii Five-O runs with a cast of Detective Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin), Detective Daniel “Danno” Williams (Scott Caan), Chin Ho Kelly (Daniel Dae Kim), and Chin’s cousin, Kono (Grace Park). On the show, the relationship between McGarrett and Danno has a similar chemistry to that of Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon.
The plot has traces of the old show – a Navy Seal returns home to Hawaii (this time to avenge the killing of his father by terrorists) and forms an elite task force. New Jersey native Danno leaves his east coast comfort zone and joins the police department in Hawaii to be near his child (who was taken there by his ex-wife). Chin Ho Kelly was wrongly accused of corruption, but a close friend of McGarrett’s dad and his niece is graduating from the Police Academy and is very street smart. Together they form the task force to hunt down ruthless criminal kingpins, who inevitably hear those three feared words: “Book ’em, Danno.”
Hawaii Plant Extinction Prevention
The goal of the Plant Extinction Prevention program is protecting Hawaii’s rarest native plants from extinction. Their focus is on plant species with fewer than 50 plants remaining in the wild, and providing native plant populations with the resources to survive for generations to come. Hawai`i is home to an overwhelming 173 species that have fewer than 50 plants remaining in the wild.
The isolation of the Hawaiian islands make it a biological hotspot with one of the highest rates of plant diversity in the world, and approximately 90% of Hawai`i’s flora being endemic. But, loss of habitat, invasive non-native plants and animals, wildfires, and other threats have all greatly contributed to their disappearance. As a result, Hawai`i continues to lose 10% of its remaining plant species each year.
In 2009, the PEP Program discovered new individuals of 17 species through surveys on all the main Hawaiian Islands. This inspiring discovery of these wild plants is important to the survival of the species, and allows conservation botanists to plan their recovery actions. To protect these precious few plants from extinction PEP partners use fencing (to prevent damage from wild sheep, goats, cows and donkeys), weed control, propagule (seeds and cuttings) collection, and planting in the wild.
Propagules (fruit, cuttings, or seeds) are also taken to preserve the genetic material of the founder plants and are used to reintroduce the species back into their natural habitat, increasing their chances of recovery. To preserve the biodiversity of these islands, PEP will continue to monitor and recover these rare species to ensure their survival in Hawai‘i’s fragile ecosystems.
Nissan Leaf
The all electric Nissan Leaf will build on Hawaii’s progress to end its over-reliance on imported fossil fuels. This new vehicle will be one option for consumers towards the goal of the Hawai’i Clean Energy Initiative’s of 70 percent clean energy by 2030. Under the hood there is no starter, alternator, or spark plugs… and no engine. The Nissan Leaf is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack instead of an internal combustion engine, and the cost to charge the pack is cheaper than a tank of gasoline, and has zero emissions.
The battery pack (440 pounds) will provide enough power for the Leaf to achieve a top speed of around 90 mph and a range estimated at 100 miles. The array of thin, laminated Lithium Ion cells will be housed in a flat assembly beneath the floor. The forty-eight separate modules, each consisting of four magazine-sized sub-units, will be able to deliver a maximum of 90 KW to the electric motors, with a total storage capacity of 24 KWH. Nissan estimates an average five-year operating cost will be $1,800 versus $6,000 for a gas-powered car.
Nissan will be making the Leaf available on a gradual basis in the markets where it thinks it will best fit. Due to Hawaii’s strong commitment to clean energy, Nissan has selected Hawai’i to be one of its initial launch markets in the U.S. beginning in early 2011. A federal tax credit of $7,500 will be available.
Sierra Club Hawaii Getaway
To celebrate Earth Day 2010 The Sierra Club is offering a Hawaii Getaway for two. Beautiful beaches, tropical breezes, and amazing hikes could be yours by winning their Hawaii sweepstakes. All you have to do is go to the Sierra Club website and take a pledge to go green on Earth Day, and you’ll be entered to win a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. The winner of this package will receive two round-trip tickets to Hawaii, with a five-night stay in a green and glamorous beachfront resort on the north coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. Your stay in the resort will include complimentary snorkel gear so that you can enjoy the incredible beaches. In addition, you will go on a day trip to Volcanoes National Park to explore this incredible park with an interpretive guide.
One lucky winner will receive:
- 2 round-trip tickets to Hawaii
- A five-night stay in a green and glamorous beachfront resort
- Complimentary snorkel gear from the hotel
- A day trip to Volcanoes National Park
By making one of these pledges:
- Bring reusable bags to the supermarket
- Make a local, organic meal
- Plant a tree
- Bike or walk a trip instead of driving
- Write a letter or email on a green issue I care about
