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Malama O Puna

Year in Review

Hands-On Projects

Miconia: The Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) and Operation Miconia needed a nonprofit to umbrella them so that they could get $50,000 in federal help for invasive species education and eradication. They asked us, and we were glad to enable them. We are partnering with the Agriculture Dept. and UH-Hilo on this.

Our intrepid Leilani Miconia Swat Team eradicated 11,256 plants in that subdivision between February and November. The first 2003 service day is scheduled for Jan. 11th starting at 9 a.m. Thereafter, it will be held on the first Saturday of every month. It’s hard work, but our upbeat group makes it fun. Plan to join us.

We also assisted Nanawale Estates in their war on miconia, albizia and cecropia and cleared 6 full blocks in the heart of the subdivision.

Pahoa Police Sub-Station: This year we replanted the ground covers in a red (begonias), white (begonias and portulaca) and blue (Blue Daze and ajuga) color scheme. We have kept it weeded and fertilized; the Bottle Palms are growing and the asparagus ferns are draping gracefully over the rock wall.

Pahoa Aquatic Center: It took a bit of repeated reminding, but eventually the Parks Department provided expandable tree collars as protection against weedeater damage. We installed them. However, two of our native white hibiscus (kokio keokeo) succumbed to an overzealous groundskeeper. We took cuttings from the remaining one and are growing them out at our nursery for eventual replacement.

Pahoa High & Intermediate School: We learned that there was no budget for fertilizer for the campus plants, so we asked for donations from Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer and Pahoa Hardware. Both gave so generously that there was enough to share with Pahoa Elementary. The magnolias we planted several years ago have been thanking us by putting out many huge, perfumed blooms. We also donated 21 plants from our nursery to Pahoa Elementary.

Litter:

Get The Drift & Bag It: This was scheduled for the same day as the Primary Election, but we got volunteers from Kea‘au High and Hawai'i Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Governor’s Kilohano Awards: We were honored for our two “Heavy Metal” cleanups performed last year, which totaled over 9 tons! Mayor Harry Kim gave President René Siracusa a certificate, a lei and a hug. Our V-P, MayApple McCullough, whose birthday fell on the same day as the awards banquet, was gifted a decorated ipu.

Make A Difference Day Awards: We also were honored in Parade Magazine for the same “Heavy Metal” projects: Of 4 honorees in the state, we were number 1!

Malama Ka Aina Day: We coordinated 9 sites for the Puna District. 45 volunteers turned out to rid our roadsides of 130 bags and 4 truckloads of rubbish. Mahalo to all of them.

Nanawale newsletter listed the types of items that people think cannot be taken to the Transfer Station but really can – we blew it up into flyers and posted them around to inform the public. We have also created a large sign which lists these items (stoves, sofas, etc.) in pictorial form, which we will present to Environmental Management Director Barbara Bell at a meeting in January. Our Visions of Puna video program is working on some 60 second spots to get the message out.

“Give a Holiday Gift to the Aina”: Kalani Honua suggested co-sponsoring a coastal litter cleanup on December 14th. Kalani provided breakfast for the volunteers, and we did the flyers, press release, and supplied the trash bags. More than 30 residents and visitors turned out to clean Red Road and Pohoiki Road – the amount of trash was appalling.

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Hands-On Projects

Miconia: The Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) and Operation Miconia needed a nonprofit to umbrella them so that they could get $50,000 in federal help for invasive species education and eradication. They asked us, and we were glad to enable them. We are partnering with the Agriculture Dept. and UH-Hilo on this.

Our intrepid Leilani Miconia Swat Team eradicated 11,256 plants in that subdivision between February and November. The first 2003 service day is scheduled for Jan. 11th starting at 9 a.m. Thereafter, it will be held on the first Saturday of every month. It’s hard work, but our upbeat group makes it fun. Plan to join us.

We also assisted Nanawale Estates in their war on miconia, albizia and cecropia and cleared 6 full blocks in the heart of the subdivision.

Pahoa Police Sub-Station: This year we replanted the ground covers in a red (begonias), white (begonias and portulaca) and blue (Blue Daze and ajuga) color scheme. We have kept it weeded and fertilized; the Bottle Palms are growing and the asparagus ferns are draping gracefully over the rock wall.

Pahoa Aquatic Center: It took a bit of repeated reminding, but eventually the Parks Department provided expandable tree collars as protection against weedeater damage. We installed them. However, two of our native white hibiscus (kokio keokeo) succumbed to an overzealous groundskeeper. We took cuttings from the remaining one and are growing them out at our nursery for eventual replacement.

Pahoa High & Intermediate School: We learned that there was no budget for fertilizer for the campus plants, so we asked for donations from Pahoa Feed & Fertilizer and Pahoa Hardware. Both gave so generously that there was enough to share with Pahoa Elementary. The magnolias we planted several years ago have been thanking us by putting out many huge, perfumed blooms. We also donated 21 plants from our nursery to Pahoa Elementary.

Get The Drift & Bag It: This was scheduled for the same day as the Primary Election, but we got volunteers from Kea‘au High and Hawai'i Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Governor’s Kilohano Awards: We were honored for our two “Heavy Metal” cleanups performed last year, which totaled over 9 tons! Mayor Harry Kim gave President René Siracusa a certificate, a lei and a hug. Our V-P, MayApple McCullough, whose birthday fell on the same day as the awards banquet, was gifted a decorated ipu.

Make A Difference Day Awards: We also were honored in Parade Magazine for the same “Heavy Metal” projects: Of 4 honorees in the state, we were number 1!

Malama Ka Aina Day: We coordinated 9 sites for the Puna District. 45 volunteers turned out to rid our roadsides of 130 bags and 4 truckloads of rubbish. Mahalo to all of them.

Nanawale newsletter listed the types of items that people think cannot be taken to the Transfer Station but really can – we blew it up into flyers and posted them around to inform the public. We have also created a large sign which lists these items (stoves, sofas, etc.) in pictorial form, which we will present to Environmental Management Director Barbara Bell at a meeting in January. Our Visions of Puna video program is working on some 60 second spots to get the message out.

“Give a Holiday Gift to the Aina”: Kalani Honua suggested co-sponsoring a coastal litter cleanup on December 14th. Kalani provided breakfast for the volunteers, and we did the flyers, press release, and supplied the trash bags. More than 30 residents and visitors turned out to clean Red Road and Pohoiki Road – the amount of trash was appalling.