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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

The Big Wave That Didn’t

Monday, March 1st, 2010

The Big Wave That Didn’t

As sirens rang out along the coastline last Saturday morning, hundreds of residents packed up their cars and families, hit the store for supplies filled up on gas, and headed for the hills.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning at 12:46 a.m. on Feb. 27 following an 8.8 earthquake in Chile. Government agencies – county, state and federal – began implementing evacuation plans, safety and security along shorelines, and informing the public of the pace of the storm through the media.

operation went very well,” Teixeira said, adding that as of 10:30 that night, no damages or injuries related to the tsunami event had been reported to Civil Defense.

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Scaling Down Waste

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Scaling Down Waste

The less trash there is on Molokai, the more land there is. That is the goal of the Naiwa Landfill off of Kamehemeha Hwy, and even as they open a new cell, staff is already experiencing less traffic.

Kawika Crivello is the environmental management attendant at the landfill, and said the tons of landfill trash he sees has decreased from 17 per day to 13 in the past year. He attributes the decrease to a combination of people buying less – thus throwing away less – and the recycling programs in the same facility.

now, we’ll fill the landfill in 16 years,” he said. “That’s the goal anyway.” He added the rate would increase over time so each cell will take longer to fill, and less land would be “grabbed” for future sites.

However, there is one item in the landfill that concerns Crivello. Irrigation hoses known as t-tape from local farms have accumulated at the landfill, and Crivello said added the plastic hoses have taken up air space of an estimated eight months worth of regular household garbage.

Tracy Takamine, Solid Waste Division Chief of Maui County, said the hoses are being used as ‘fluff layer,’ over the heavy plastic lining and under the rubbish. Members of the public have questioned this “odd practice” to Crivello, but Takamine said it keeps the plastic lining from being punctured and the landfill from leaking.


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The Slow-Moving Threat of a Tsunami

Friday, February 26th, 2010

The Slow-Moving Threat of a Tsunami

A tsunami warning has been cancelled for the Hawaiian Islands at 1:50 p.m., after National Weather Service and Civil Defense officials determined the worst had passed. The warning was issued for the Hawaiian Islands on Feb. 27 at 12:46 a.m. by the Hawaii State Civil Defense, following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile. All islands took precautions to evacuate low-lying area residents and keep people off the beaches, while residents loaded up on gasoline and food and water supplies.

More updates to come, so stay with the Molokai Dispatch, as well as official annoucements from the County of Maui website.

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Invasive Diseases

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Invasive Diseases

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

The term ‘invasive species’ usually conjures up images of a new weed choking out our native forests or a new animal like the coqui frog chirping and keeping you up at night, but there are also diseases that if allowed to enter Hawaii can create havoc on our crops. One such disease has arrived, but not yet on Molokai.

The Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus or TYLCV in one of the most devastating diseases of tomato and was first found in the Mediterranean. It has since found its way to the US via the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Florida, and California. In Hawaii, it was recently found on North Shore, Oahu and Wailuku, Maui. Most likely, TYLCV arrived with an infected plant. The disease causes stunting of the plant and leaves, and causes a yellow curled or wrinkled edge on leaves. The leaf margins will curl upward, giving them a cup-like appearance, but the worst of all is the flowers will drop off before maturing. Without flowers, you have no fruit.

TYLCV is spread by two species of whiteflies, the sweetpotato and silver leaf whitefly, both of which are already found on Molokai. Once whiteflies feed on an infected plant, they’re able to infect plants for their entire life, and are known to move in the wind. Many members of the tomato family, including eggplant, pepper, and potato can be infected but remain healthy in appearance. Beans are also a host and will sometimes display symptoms.

Management of TYLCV usually involves removing diseased plants, and controlling weedy members of the tomato family, including popolo or night shade, kikania, and apple of peru, among others. Controlling whiteflies in crops is also important. With the early discovery of this disease, many TYLCV resistant varieties have been developed and are being tested in Hawaii. Some of the seed companies developing TYLCV resistant varieties including BHN Seed, Golden Valley Seed, Sakata Seed, Seminis Seed, and Israeli seed companies Hazera,  Zeraim Gedera, and Nirit Seed. For more information, you can download a free publication on disease at UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources website.

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Beached Whale Found at Hale o Lono

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Beached Whale Found at Hale o Lono

FEB. 22 UPDATE – A dead, 30-ft humpback whale was found at Hale O Lono Harbor on Sunday, Feb. 21. A team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is currently at the scene, taking samples for baseline research. “My guess is it didn’t come ashore alive,” said David Schofield, the stranded marine animal coordinator for NOAA. There hasn’t been a beached whale on Molokai since 2008, when a live humpback was stranded at Kaunakakai Harbor. “It is very decomposed, the chances of knowing [if] it died of a disease is unlikely,” said Schofield. The whale will stay at the beach near Hale o Lono Harbor for now. A witness said at first it was hard to tell it was a whale, in the way it was positioned and how far it had decomposed. “The blubber was all out and there was a pool of blood next to the whale,” she said. A row of the whale’s baleen plates (whale ‘teeth’) were found around 100 yards away from the body. “It looked like there were several shark bites – but not an obvious cause of death,” she added. Four whales were found beached in the main Hawaiian Islands last year, and Schofield said this find is “on par” with the state’s average. “As far as this whale season is concerned, this is the first of the season,” he said. Approximately 15,000 humpback whales frequent the main Hawaiian islands every year. Check back with the Molokai Dispatch at www.TheMolokaiDispatch.com during the week for more information.

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Ho’ailona Gets Own Website

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Ho’ailona Gets Own Website

The lab at the University of California Santa Cruz where Ho’ailona, formerly and affectionately known as KP2, has created a website so everyone can keep informed of his health.

According to the website, his trainers say he has remained alert and inquisitive and doing very well. Their first goal was to increase his weight – he weighed 16 kilograms (35 pounds) at birth, and now weighs over 70 kg (154 lbs). they increased the variety of fish in his diet and added calories, and trained him for weekly weigh-ins. The staff at UCSC uses “positive reinforcement” training techniques for him to feel relaxed and comfortable for his examinations.

 

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Grow Your Own Dinner

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Grow Your Own Dinner

As everyone scrapes the bottom of the barrel to put food on the table, an old idea is picking up new steam for its cost-cutting, and environmentally-friendly philosophy.

Permaculture is a way of farming that simply let’s nature do its thing. And seasoned permaculturalist Joe Kennedy, who owns Molokai Island Farms, wants this farm-heavy island to know about it.

safe, clean food.”

Kennedy is hosting a practicum workshop for those interested in permaculture, which can easily be translated into a small family garden. He will be teaching water harvesting, creative mulching, small-scale aquaculture and planting a food forest.

A food forest is the opposite of a farm, where everything is in neat rows and farmers can manage how many products they have from year to year. But by planting spinach for example, underneath trees, the shade helps the spinach grow faster and the root systems work together for nutrients.

Permaculture methods plant perennial products, such as the ‘everlasting species’ – trees. Kennedy grows avocados and mangos among his many other products.

“Farmers are under pressure to grow huge amounts – from the media, the state and the public,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy’s workshop is guided by the Permaculture Research Institute, and is from Feb. 18 – 21. It costs $395 – 450 and includes camping and most meals. A discount will be given to Molokai residents.

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Molokai Filmmaker’s Newest Venture

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Matt Yamashita, Molokai born and raised, has just released his newest 30-minute documentary titled, “Sustainable Living on the Island of Molokai.”  The Hawaii Department of Education has already purchased 250 copies for statewide distribution in the school system.  It’s a great piece that explores the many different ways that people are practicing sustainability on Molokai.  

If you want to purchase a copy of the DVD, go to:

https://www.createspace.com/277293

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The Gorilla Ogo Removal Team Is Back!

Monday, February 15th, 2010

The Gorilla Ogo Removal Team Is Back!

Community Contributed

By Cecile Walsh

The Gorilla Ogo Team was delayed for a few months, but wants to let the community know that they are back on Molokai to remove this harmful pest.  The last Gorilla Ogo removal event was carried out in Kaunkakai Harbor in August 2009.

Along with community volunteers the team was able to remove fourteen thousand pounds of this invasive Gorilla Ogo from the harbor area.  The Ogo team returned to Molokai this January 2010, to find an alarming amount of Gorilla Ogo washed up along the beach in front of the canoe shacks.  It was apparent that there was even more invasive Ogo in January than there was in August, so the team decided to conduct another Gorilla Ogo removal event at the harbor.  
    

The Ogo team would like to thank the handful of community members that volunteered during January’s removal event, we could not done it with out the help/man power.  The Gorilla Ogo team hopes that community members will come down to the next few removal events and get educated about this alien limu and lend a helping hand in the removal efforts. 

From February 16-19, the Ogo team will be working within Kaloko eli Fishpond a few miles west of Kaunakakai Harbor.  We will be collaborating with the non profit group Ka Honua Momona International.  We are planning to conduct outreach activities with KHM’s staff, volunteers and educational groups during our week at Kaloko eli removing Gorilla Ogo.  At the end of March we will be on the east end, working within Ualapue Fishpond removing this beast, the Gorilla Ogo.

Volunteers can contact Hoala Davis, at KHM's office 553-8353

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Bankruptcy won’t stop go!Mokulele

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Bankruptcy won’t stop go!Mokulele

Inter-island flyers breathed a sigh of relief last week when they learned that none of go!Mokulele’s regular flights would be grounded after a major shareholder filed for bankruptcy.

Last Tuesday, Mesa Air Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York court. Mesa Chairman and Chief Executive Jonathon Ornstein said it was a move to unload over one-third of their fleet that is currently unused by the company. Chapter 11 filings allow companies to restructure and eliminate debt without liquidating assets.

“This process will allow us to eliminate excess aircraft to better match our needs and give us the flexibility to align our business to the changing regional airline marketplace, ensuring a leaner and more competitive company poised for future success,” Ornstein said.

Mesa primarily serves as a regional provider for major airlines including Delta and US Airways. They provide the smaller aircraft and flight crews for short connection flights. Those flights have been dramatically reduced over the past year and 52 of the 130 aircrafts Mesa currently leases are not needed.

Go!Mokulele is a joint venture company owned by Mesa and Republic Airways with Mesa serving as the majority shareholder. However, Mesa made it clear in its bankruptcy filing that the Hawaiian company will be unaffected.

“We are a completely separate company,” said go!Mokulele vice president Paul Skellon. “Mesa provides aircraft and crews for our flights and they will continue to do so for all of the flights.”

Skellon said the move might actually improve financial conditions for the Hawaiian company. Go!Mokulele currently uses five jets and four Cessna caravans leased by Mesa. The Chapter 11 laws allow Mesa to renegotiate the price of those leases. The current market value for commercial jets is nearly 50 percent less than what they are currently paying.

“Because all of the major airlines have reduced their flights, the lease rates have come down incredibly,” Skellon said. “During the restructuring, we will renegotiate the lease rates and we suspect those rates will drop drastically.”

Go!Mokulele and Mesa believe that the debt-restructuring scheme will pull the company through this tough period in air travel business. Skellon said experts anticipate that he hardest times are in the past.

“There have been some very early signs of a return to confidence in the travel market. If the rough winter weather continues elsewhere in North America, hopefully Hawaii will become an even more attractive destination than it already is,” Skellon said.

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