Malama Hawai'i

[Menehune Man]

Malama Hawai'i means: To care for and protect Hawai'i.

This thread is about what you know of being done or have done yourself in that respect.

Myself: I was the organiser of a clean up day back on April 16th, 2005.
A group of 20 people got together and did the best we could to clean up the Ala Wai Boat Harbor's Breakwater. we found an empty C&C trash bin and overfilled it with trash bags. We all had a great time doing it and afterwards had a potluck at Magic Island. I plan on doing something similar next April.

Hawai'i Trails and mountain Club: They are a group that, (for free), Clear hiking trails all over Oahu. Maybe the other islands too, I don't know. Cleaning up and taking care of whatever area they're in that week.

Others: I know lots of hikers that bring trash bags along with them while hiking. Picking up trash along the way.

Please share some stories of ecologically good happenings around Hawai'i.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

Malama Hawai'i means: To care for and protect Hawai'i.

This thread is about what you know of being done or have done yourself in that respect.

Myself: I was the organiser of a clean up day back on April 16th, 2005.
A group of 20 people got together and did the best we could to clean up the Ala Wai Boat Harbor's Breakwater. we found an empty C&C trash bin and overfilled it with trash bags. We all had a great time doing it and afterwards had a potluck at Magic Island. I plan on doing something similar next April.

Hawai'i Trails and mountain Club: They are a group that, (for free), Clear hiking trails all over Oahu. Maybe the other islands too, I don't know. Cleaning up and taking care of whatever area they're in that week.

Others: I know lots of hikers that bring trash bags along with them while hiking. Picking up trash along the way.

Please share some stories of ecologically good happenings around Hawai'i.

I know it pisses some people off, but I am really glad that the bottle bill passed. In the long run, I think it will increase recycling efforts of plastics.

Not to tweak your thread, but one of my current resolutions was to slo-o-ow down on paper towel consumption and use dish rags, cloth napkins and kitchen towels, as much as possible.

Toilet paper consumption shall remain the same. Some things defy substitutes.

[tutusue]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

[...]Please share some stories of ecologically good happenings around Hawai'i.

I can't speak for Hawaii but I can speak for my small office and even smaller condo! I use reams of paper, mostly at work. Paper must be used on both sides before it can be thrown in the trash. If it's partially blank on the 2nd side, that part is cut off and used as scratch paper. Plastic shopping bags are reused, hopefully 2 more times. Shredded paper is reused as packaging material as are an overabundance of plastic shopping bags. I tell my grandsons that the shredded paper is really a puzzle and they have 'til the following Christmas to finish it!

[toeknee]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

Efforts to clean up debris, trash and fishing nets along the southern coast of the Big Island and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are making a difference.
[URL=http://starbulletin.com/2005/11/28/news/story01.html]

I hope to participate in the scheduled Feb. cleanup.

I too am a fan of the bottle bill. I recycle aluminum cans, glass and plastic drink bottles anyway, so why not get a nickel each for 'em.

[Kauaibound]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

We pick up any trash we find. I can't believe how much stuff is left by people hanging out in parking lots or at turnouts in scenic areas. Beer bottles and cans everywhere...sometimes 24+ at a time.

We recycle while we're there and give the bags to local kids when it's time to redeem them for money so they can have some extra pocket money. We make sure we cut up the plastic rings that come on 6 packs in case they should somehow make their way to the ocean unintentionally so that dolphins don't get their noses caught and restrict their ability to eat. If we see any debris floating in the ocean, we get that too.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

April 22nd, 2006 is Earth Day and some fellow Geocachers are starting to organize a CITO (Cache In Trash Out) Event. That's where a group gets together to clean up a particular place and also have some fun.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

When I bought a farm operation in Kurtistown here on the Big Island I got together with another person and we started to detoxify the farm land of pesticides and fertilizers using certain plants to suck em up out of the ground. Then we started using organic fertilizers and non-invasive means to take care of nematodes and other insects harmful to the crops we were growing. Eventually she took over the organic farming to grow produce for the U.S. School Lunch program using grants from the Federal Government to provide organic produce.

The previous owner was using fungicides so toxic that pregnant or nursing women were restricted from coming in contact with it. I had one pregnant woman using the stuff when I took over operations and immediately removed her from that task. Her baby came out with a small hole in it's heart. Nothing major but still requiring surgery.

Yeah coming to the Big Island gave me a better appreciation for the Aina and as a caretaker of 28 acres of it, I felt compelled to cleanse it of manmade toxins.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

Right on Craig! That is really cool and thanks for going organic with the farm. Wish more would. Is it harder to do or more costly? Why do you think all produce isn't grown that way? Not being a farmer myself, I don't know. Again, Much Kudos!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

Organic farming is much more expensive as the types of fertilizers and fungicides needed are harder to get and expensive when found. The way you get around that is to grow organic produce for various government funded programs such as the School Lunch Program.

Thru grants you can get thousands of dollars to subsidize the cost of going organic. If you can find yourself a good grant writer you too can take advantage of the millions of dollars the US government makes available for various programs it subsidizes. And that includes grant monies for salary, startup costs (capital) and operational costs.

Even things like cleaning up a swamp or hiking trail can net you monies from the federal government to assist you in operational costs.

Why isn't organic farming more popular? Because some produce isn't covered by Grant monies and really, the crop produced isn't as big as chemical fertilizers. Plus taking care of invasive intrusions by means of organic means can be quite a task requiring more manhours to net a smaller crop. When you're in business to make money, organic farming isn't the best even though your greatest customers are hotels and restaurants.

The payoff however is tastier produce that is healthier for the consumer and the Aina. But it comes at a cost.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

I'm hosting a CITO (Cache In Trash Out) Event one month from now.

It's called the "Clean up of Lili'uokalani's Playground" to be held at the Lili'uokalani Botanical Garden on Saturday Sept. 23rd between 10am. and 2pm-ish. A group of Geocachers and anyone else interested will clean up the park, it's quite a mess at the moment, then have a potluck picnic and raffle drawing. If you wish to come log onto the Cache Page and click the View them all on one page spot at the bottom in order to see everyone who's responded or email me at geobuddy2@hawaiiantel.net. I'll be supplying lots of bottled water and trash bags. Please come and join in if you wish. All I ask is that you bring something for the potluck and an item to add into the raffle (under $10). Come meet some local Geocachers and learn of the sport along with doing a good deed. Hope to see you there.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

The "Clean up of Lili'uokalani's Playground" to be held at the Lili'uokalani Botanical Garden on Saturday Sept. 23rd between 10am. and 2pm-ish. A group of Geocachers and anyone else interested will clean up the park, then have a potluck picnic and raffle drawing.

Joyce, who works with both Foster and Lili'uokalani Botanical Gardens will be there to say Thank You and show us where to pile the trash! Pretty Cool!

[Pedro]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

Being that I am not on the island any more my thoughts go with you all on your efforts on cleaning up Hawaii, especially on earth day MM

[timkona]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

In South Kona, it seems that many Mothers & Fathers do not read to their keiki. At this point in the school year, every child should have at least 42 books in their reading log. Some have none!!

I go to Hookena School on Thursday mornings and read to those keiki who have terrible, uncaring, illiterate parents at home. The kids just eat it up. You can tell they are starving for love and positive energy.

They say Hawaii was the most literate society anywhere back at the turn of the 20th century. I'm gonna do my best to get our kids back up to that lofty status.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

I go to Hookena School on Thursday mornings and read to those keiki who have terrible, uncaring, illiterate parents at home.

And if their parents do read to 'em at home, do you boot those kids out? j/k

Seriously - what kinds of things do you read to them? (Not real-estate stuff, I hope...though I do remember an episode of M*A*S*H, where someone was reading a gun-assembly manual, in a dramatic fashion, to some frightened Korean children. Presentation is key.)

[Menehune Man]

Re: Malama Hawai'i

Malama Hawai'i a "Clean up a Park Day"!
It's called the "Clean up of Lili'uokalani's Playground" to be held at the Lili'uokalani Botanical Garden on Saturday Sept. 23rd between 10am. and 2pm-ish. A group of anyone interested will clean up the park, it's quite a mess at the moment, then have a potluck picnic and raffle drawing. If you wish to come log onto the Cache Page and click the View them all on one page spot at the bottom in order to see everyone who's responded or Private message me. I'll be supplying lots of bottled water and trash bags. Please come and join in if you wish. All I ask is that you bring something for the potluck and an item to add into the raffle (under $10), it's the kind of raffle where you come with one thing and leave with another. Come meet some local Geocachers and learn of the sport along with doing a good deed. Hope to see you there.

This is still a Go and everyone is invited.