March 11, 2021 (DearOcean.org)—Here, the Reef Heroes project shares the story of a native Hawaiian’s struggle to continue her family’s place-keeping heritage in the face of profound cultural change and human environmental stressors. Growing up following in the footsteps of her kūpuna (ancestors), Cindi Punihaole learned to live in harmony with nature. Now, she listens to the cries for help from the land and seeks to heal it.
March 10, 2021 (Molokai Dispatch)—Food producers and small businesses in Hawaii seeking financial support now have a local ally to help them secure no-interest microloans through one of the world’s leading crowdfunding platforms.
March 7, 2021 (Honolulu Civil Beat)—Every seed tells a story, and the story of how seed, people and place are connected begins a long time ago, around 10,000 BCE, when our planet began to warm after an ice age.
March 2, 2021 (happi.com)–Like many other categories, aside from home cleaning and hand sanitizers, 2020 was a tough year for sunscreen makers. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted summer travel plans and many consumers stayed home, following lockdown orders implemented by state governments—and that most certainly contributed to lackluster sales. According to Information Resources, Inc., sales of suntan lotion and oil in US multi-outlets for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 27, 2020 fell 8.7% to $1.17 billion, with unit sales down 12.3%.
Posted February 3, 2021 (KWXX FM)
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February 2, 2021 (West Hawaii Today)—A two-year effort to protect and improve water quality and ecosystem health in the Pelekane Watershed was recently completed by The Kohala Center.
The Kohala Center, an independent nonprofit organization based in Waimea, helped to implement a rotational and targeted grazing program to support erosion control in the watershed through the state Department of Health’s Polluted Runoff Control 319 Program in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
February 1, 2021 (Big Island Video News)—Conservation activities intended to mitigate ecological degradation will reduce erosion, sediment runoff, and wildfires, The Kohala Center says.
January 28, 2021 (West Hawaii Today)—With Hawaii’s ban on the sale of sunscreens containing two chemicals harmful to coral reef ecosystems now in effect, a popular snorkeling spot on Hawaii Island is providing beachgoers with easy access to a sunscreen option that’s kinder to marine life — and possibly their own health.
The Kohala Center, in partnership with Raw Elements USA and Target, launched a public reef-friendly sunscreen dispenser program at Kahalu’u Beach Park on Saturday. The program launched following the taking effect of Hawaii’s statewide ban on the sale of sunscreens containing the active ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate.
January 25, 2021 (BigIslandNow.com)—As part of an ongoing initiative to support reef health and regrowth, two new reef-safe sunscreen dispensers have been installed at the pavilion in Kahalu‘u Beach Park. The program is made possible by the volunteer-run organization ReefTeach and a grant from Target, which will keep the dispensers up at least six months.
January 18, 2021 (West Hawaii Today)—Kamehameha Schools has launched Mahi‘ai Scale-up, an agricultural business plan competition that helps established local farms and food system organizations grow their businesses. The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and The Kohala Center are partnering with Kamehameha Schools to provide participants with business training and wraparound services.