July 11, 2013 (Hawaii Public Radio)—There’s been lots of discussion throughout the state about the need to have more farmers and to have more of our food grown right here at home. On Hawaii Island, there’s a program to develop new farmers—and they’re looking for candidates. HPR’s Sherry Bracken has the story.
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May 30, 2013 (North Hawaii News)—According to Jim Cain, program director for The Kohala Center’s beginning farmer training program, growing food requires just three basic things: land, water, and people. “Our island has plenty of land and water, but we are in need of more people who want to make a living as farmers,” he said.
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May 11, 2013 (West Hawaii Today)—A local not-for-profit center is connecting West Hawaii communities interested in conservation and management of their fishery with easy-to-use tools that allow greater stewardship of fish populations. The Kohala Center developed a voluntary spawning guide, a colorful poster rich with pictures and information teaching users to fish more responsibly, to help preserve Hawaii’s vibrant and precious marine resources.
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April 28, 2013 (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)—Jim Cain doesn’t sugarcoat it: Farming is tough work. Profits can fluctuate from year to year, making long-term planning both vital and next to impossible. It’s not a 9-to-5, and it’s rarely five days a week. It requires commitment and passion and a joy for working outdoors. In short, farming is not for everyone.
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March 22, 2013 (NBC Nightly News)—Featuring Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library in the San Francisco Bay Area. With growing concern over what’s in our food and where it comes from, seed savers say they’re taking back the power to feed themselves, one backyard crop at a time. NBC’s Diana Alvear reports.
February 18, 2013 (West Hawaii Today)—Tons of sediment—possessing the potential of wreaking havoc on Pelekane Bay at Kawaihae—remains far from the shore on Kohala Mountain thanks to the efforts of a local nonprofit and nearly two dozen volunteers. The Kohala Watershed Partnership, which is helping to restore native forests in the watershed above Pelekane Bay, spent Saturday with 20-plus volunteers in “moon country”—a dry, barren oasis where infrequent, short-lived heavy rains flush thousands of pounds of sediment from the slopes into the sea.
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November 29, 2012 (Recycle Hawai‘i)—Recycle Hawai‘i and Earth-Friendly Schools Hawai‘i recognized the 2012 recipients of the Keeping It Green Hawai‘i awards as part of America Recycles Day. Keeping It Green Hawai‘i is a program that highlights projects and activities of organizations, businesses, schools and government agencies that promote recycling, resource awareness and sustainable practices in Hawai‘i. The program recognizes the positive “green projects” that are being implemented in our community and helps to motivate others to create projects that care for our environment and address local and global issues.
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November 22, 2012 (West Hawaii Today)—While Hawaii Island is a state leader in sustainable electricity production, it’s woefully lacking in another important component of self-sufficiency — transportation sustainability. That’s according to a draft report the Kohala Center prepared for Hawaii County. The Energy Sustainability Five-year Roadmap is available for public review and comment at hawaiienergyplan.com. The transportation sector accounts for 52 percent of the island’s energy use — and that doesn’t include the thousands of gallons of aviation fuel imported to the island to feed the all-important tourism sector.
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November 15, 2012 (‘Ōiwi TV)—Through his Doctoral Defense, Kekuewa Kikiloi explains the reason why Native Hawaiians build temples in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Combining ethno-history (or oral traditions) with archaeology as an integrated method, he paves a new way for method and research for modern Hawaiʻi scholars. Last month, Kekuewa Kikiloi defended his doctoral research on this intriguing topic.
Click here to view the article online.
October 28, 2012 (West Hawaii Today)—On Kohala Mountain’s leeward side is a 13-acre preserve aimed at restoring the native Hawaiian dry forest that once graced its slopes. At the Koaia Tree Sanctuary, native koaia, iliahi, mamane and other flora have taken root, providing a glimpse of the native forest that existed before the Hawaiian woods were harvested, pastures created and nonnative species, including cows and plants, introduced in the 1800s.
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