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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Restoring Refuge

Monday, September 12th, 2011

The water at Kakahai`a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), a 44-acre area on the eastern portion of Kawela I, sits still and muddy. Native `alae ke`oke`o (Hawaiian coot) and ae`o (Hawaiian stilt) struggle to thrive. But the refuge’s management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), wants to bring back Kakahai`a’s healthy wetlands and native birds – and they now have plans to make that happen.

USFWS’s preferred 15-year management plan for Kakahai`a NWR – one of three alternative plans presented by USFWS at the Mitchell Pauole Center last week – would expand the area they actively manage and restore to 32.3 acres, up from about 4.5.

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Seal Talk

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Seal Talk

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed actions to help preserve the endangered Hawaiian monk seals.  Below, students reflect on how they feel about the native species and human interactions with them.



We should all come together and protect the Hawaiian Monk seals. Without our help the next generations would be without Hawaiian Monk seals. They wouldn’t get to experience what we did with them. I hope that everyone can just forget what bad things they do and find a way to help them out.
Ky-lee Dudoit-English

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Meeting about Molokai Wildlife Refuge

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex News Release

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking comments on a draft conservation plan for Molokai’s Kakahai`a National Wildlife Refuge. When final, the plans will guide management of the refuges for the next 15 years.

Refuge staff will hold an open house to hear comments from the public and to address questions regarding the draft plan and its associated environmental assessment. On Molokai, the open house will be Sept. 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Mitchell Pauole Center.

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Vehicles Scorched

Sunday, September 4th, 2011

Vehicles Scorched

Two 15-passenger vans were set ablaze at Malama Park in Kaunakakai last Friday evening. No injuries or damage to park property and buildings were reported.

The Molokai Fire Department responded to multiple calls beginning at 8:01 p.m. by community members who saw the burning vans, according to Fire Captain Willy Barut. The fires lasted no more than 10 minutes from when the first call came in, he said.

The vehicles were property of Molokai Outdoors. Owner Clare Seeger Mawae said she believes the vans were lit after failed attempts to siphon gas. Gas tanks were found open, tubing was discovered inside one of the vans and driver side windows were smashed. The incident is still under investigation by both fire and police departments, according to Molokai Fire Inspector Rick Schonely.

“The preliminary findings are very suspicious, leaning toward signs of arson,” he said.

“It is unfortunate something like this had to happen,” Seeger Mawae added. “Malama Park is known as a place to party and as a cultural site, I believe very strongly that the park needs to be brought back to a park.”

This suspected arson comes two weeks after five brush fires blazed around the island. Local officials are unsure if the incident is related to the recent fires, however, and do not have any suspects at this time.

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Agriculture Transportation Reimbursement Program Ends Sept. 9

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Agriculture producers exporting crops have until Friday, Sept. 9 to apply for reimbursements covering transportation costs.  Authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill, the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (RTCP) provides payments intended to offset a portion of the costs of transporting agricultural inputs and products over long distances. The program assists farmers and ranchers in Hawaii, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau.
 

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Saving Hawaiian Monk Seals

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Saving Hawaiian Monk Seals

Community Contributed by Brandon Luuloa

Hawaiian monk seals have occupied the Hawaiian archipelago for a long time.  The Hawaiian monk seals were here longer than us and now we’re trying to help them because they are becoming extinct. They are important to us because they can help us in different ways like saving our island and helping to stop developments. There are 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals left in the state of Hawaii and the Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The pups in the NWHI are dying off because of starvation and getting eaten by sharks.

On Aug. 8 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administartion (NOAA) held a meeting at Mitchell Pauole Center about the monk seals. There were lots of fishermen who came and also kupuna and people of the community. Some of the kupuna and fishermen were pretty upset when they heard that NOAA wanted to make a critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seals on Molokai. Some of the people from the community said to the NOAA people, “why do you guys call them Hawaiian monk seals, when they’re not even native?” That night I heard one uncle say when he went diving for squid he saw a monk seal digging up the coral and plowing it through like a bulldozer.

On Aug. 9, the day after the meeting, our class walked into La`au.  We saw about six monk seals that were lying on the beach. We took pictures of them and recorded their number tags. There were huge seals that we saw and different colored ones; we also saw a pregnant seal.

I would like to support the seals because they are native to the Hawaiian Islands. They are coming back to the Hawaiian Islands because they’re dying off in the NWHI and starving. We would like to help them by finding them a better place to live so they can reproduce and stay alive. It would be better if the seals don’t eat all the fish but save some for the next generation so they have fish when they grow up, and hopefully the seals will eat the rubbish fish instead of the good fish.

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Oh My Okra

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Community Contributed by Glenn I. Teves, UH County Extension Agent

Okra is one of those vegetables you either like or you don’t. One of the few vegetables in the hibiscus family, okra loves the heat, and is very comfortable in the dog days of summer.

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Science Education Grant Available

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

Applications are now being accepted for the Monsanto Hawaii Science Education Fund. This Monsanto Fund grant program is open to public schools serving students at the intermediate, high school and college levels on the islands of Oahu, Maui and Molokai.

Established in 2005, the fund helps provide Hawaii public schools with programs, tools, supplies and equipment to enhance science education, and encourage today’s students to consider a future career in the sciences. To date, the program has awarded more than $115,000 to public schools throughout the state.

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Prevent Molokai Fires

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Community Contributed

By Fire Inspector Rick Schonely

One of the most important things you can do to prevent fires is to clear brush from vacant lots and around your house. Many Molokai residents have already done this – mahalo! The Maui County Dept. of Fire and Public Safety will continue to inspect overgrown lots year round so please continue to maintain your property.

Here are some other fire safety tips:

-Clean your garage or carport of stored newspapers or other rubbish that can fuel a fire. Newspapers stored in a damp, warm place may ignite spontaneously.
-Test your smoke alarms monthly.
-To help prevent nuisance alarms, gently vacuum your smoke alarm every six months or as needed.

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Easy Riders

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Easy Riders

No need to go any faster, according to Max, who plans to use the Model A as his primary mode of transportation. Driving around Kaunakakai last week, the car was already building up a buzz.

“I call it the smile machine,” Max said, “because what it does is it brings back memories. People tell you stories like you wouldn’t believe.”

In addition to smiles, the car – named Emily – also brings the couple savings. Equipped with an original four-cylinder Ford engine, the Model A takes regular gas and can achieve up to 48 miles per gallon.

Part of the savings is in the slowness, Max said. Staying below 45 mph means the engine isn’t working too hard, he said, thus saving gas in any car. With the Model A, that’s the only option.

The couple sought the car to replace one Joyce had years ago in California – “I’ve always just ached to have it again,” she said – and named this Model A after her old one. The car was popular with doctors back in its hey-day, and is “just your basic car,” Max said – a stripped-down version of today’s vehicles. It has only six volts of electricity, unlike the 12 volts in most modern cars. Almost everything requires manual action in the Model A; even turning it on is a multi-step process that might confuse most drivers.

The seller wanted to make sure the new owners wouldn’t turn it into a hot rod, Max said, and he and Joyce have no such plans. They like the car the way it is, with its original black steel body, rumble seat in the back, and cable brakes – no hydraulics here.

Their only plans right now are to replace its current 16-inch wheels with 19- to 21-inch wheels, which were the standard in 1930, and to enjoy themselves cruising around Molokai. They’re even interested in helping other locals import antique cars from the mainland, Joyce said.

“There’s no computers, no air conditioning, no heater,” Max said, looking at the car. He smiled, adding, “It’s pretty cool.”

 

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