.JPG)
“You never heard the story of the white elephants?” asked a puzzled Claire Iveson. “During the civil war, the Siamese kings sent Lincoln elephants for the war.”
.JPG)
That included heaps of clothes, a few pairs of weather-beaten shoes, jewelry, books and kitchen goods, all of which were donated by parishioners in the week leading up to the sale.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
With a dwindling Hawaiian monk seal population, federal officials are proposing a new plan to improve the survival of the endangered species. However, some Molokai fishermen say they are worried the plan could come at their expense.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is preparing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) for an action plan that seeks to relocate monk seals to Molokai and other islands.
The NFMS is considering moving recently-weaned female pups from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) to the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) for three years. During this time, the seals would be released among wild pups and be monitored and studied before being returned to their respective islands.
Fishing Woes
Representatives of the NMFS were on island last week to gather public opinion for the PEIS, which will evaluate the impacts of the proposed activities. While some fisherman felt the recovery program has good intentions, they also spoke of how it could be detrimental to their business.
.jpg)
Aka`ula School plans to add high school grades, starting with ninth grade next fall.
Administrators at the private school, which currently teaches grades five through eight, are weighing the option of adding grades 10 through 12 at the same time or in subsequent years.
The school would likely hire another full-time teacher, part-time support staff and incorporate some online instruction, said Head of School Vicki Newberry. The school plans to hold a community meeting next month to present more detailed expansion plans.
The idea is to start small.
.jpg)
Community Contributed
By Alison Place
.jpg)
.jpg)
Community Contributed
By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
.jpg)
After getting some of the infrastructure functional and selecting participants, the Molokai Native Hawaiian Beginning Farmer Program is up and running. An orientation meeting and workshops were held in production mapping, introduction to farm production, soil fertility, organic agriculture, marketing, and drip irrigation. Classes are being planned as the beginning farmers enter that phase in their farm development.
With over 7,600 acres of agricultural land and water available from the Molokai Irrigation System, the Ho`olehua Hawaiian Homes area is a natural for this kind of program. With farmers aging nationally, the average age of farmers is 57 years old while the average age of the workforce is 38 years of age. We have made a commitment to help develop the next generation of farmers to complement those already farming in order to maintain a critical mass of small farmers needed on Molokai.
Participant’s plots were prepared by mowing, ripping, and disking. Crops were selected, and include lettuces, sweet corn, mixed local vegetables, laying chickens, taro, and others. Participants are expected to harvest on a regular basis and deliver to local markets or other avenues to sell their crops. This program has a strong business management and production focus. Participants were required to complete a production map, approved by project managers to assure the plan is well thought out and covers as many what-ifs as possible. With an acceptable production plan, participants can then move forward to implement their plan.
The Molokai Native Hawaiian Beginning Farmer Program is an education and training initiative of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Molokai Cooperative Extension Service. This project was supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information, contact our office at 567-6929. We’re located next to the Ho`olehua Post Office.
.jpg)
Community Contributed
By Frances Feeter
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_0.jpg)
It started simply enough: transform an overgrown wetland into a habitat for endangered water birds. But after three years of seeking approval from federal, state and county officials – and enduring objections from the community over his plans – Kip Dunbar is anxious to begin work.
Dunbar plans to restore about an acre of deteriorated wetland on the east end, skimming the water’s surface down 18 inches to remove invasive vegetation and building a fence around the perimeter to keep out predators.
“Slowly but surely this wetland has narrowed and narrowed,” Dunbar said. “Once you take the vegetation out of there and it stops transpiring all the water, it’ll be a wetland again.”
_0.jpg)
1 Comments