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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Students Name Monk Seal

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

Students Name Monk Seal

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai students got to name a Hawaiian monk seal born on Molokai during the pandemic. The one-year-old male seal was gifted his name, Kepuhinui, meaning “the great one of Kepuhi Beach,” during a haku inoa, or name weaving exercise, by almost 20 second grade Hawaiian language immersion students at Kualapu’u School.

Most young monk seals get identification tags attached to their hind flippers, but the seal, previously identified only with a fading bleach mark L4, finally got a culturally meaningful name in added to his identity in May.

The naming process used environmental, geographical, astronomical and cultural information particular to a specific seal to weave together a unique name, according to the Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR).…

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Emergency Repairs Bring Ho’olehua Water Restrictions

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Ho’olehua water users are asked to conserve water usage after a significant leak was discovered in the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ (DHHL) tank. Emergency repairs were initiated last week Monday to the 200,000-gallon tank.

The department days remediation will include the tank being removed from service while a temporary bypass is installed. This temporary fix will allow the water system to remain in usage while permanent repairs are made.

“Ho‘olehua Water System users are asked to immediately reduce their water usage by 25 to 50 percent during the repair period,” said DHHL in a release last week.…

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Agri-Business Workshops for Farmers

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

UHCTAHR Molokai Extension News Release

Whether you are an experienced farmer, an up and coming market gardener, or find yourself anywhere in between, then this is the workshop series for you! There will be four free workshops offered throughout August and September that will focus on the business side of agriculture and farming. The workshops will be offered both in person and have a Zoom component for those who are unable to meet in person.

The first workshop will be held Thursday, Aug. 12 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the UH Molokai Applied Research and Demonstration Farm Classroom (next to Kumu Farms).…

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$10K Reward for Info on Molokai Monk Seal Deaths

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

Poacher Strike Force News Release

A $10,000 reward is offered in exchange for information on the person or persons responsible for the deaths of endangered Hawaiian monk seals on the island of Molokai.

Anyone who has information is urged to call the Poacher Strike Force tip line at 877-773-8477.

Most recently, two monk seals were found dead on the west end of Molokai on April 27, and post-mortem exam results indicated that both seals died as a result of human-inflicted trauma. There have been at least seven suspicious monk seal deaths on Molokai since 2009.

Hawaii’s native seals, numbering around 1,400 left in the wild, are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, as well as under state law.…

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24th Annual Krazy for Kolea Kontest

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

Nene O Molokai News Release

The kolea, Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva), is revered in Hawaiian mythology as Koleamoku, a messenger of high chiefs, and was considered to be the embodiment of the god of healing. On their northern migration kolea may have aided ancient navigators with the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. Within a few weeks the kolea will make a southbound transoceanic migration between breeding grounds in Alaska to wintering locales as far away as
Madagascar. Research using light level dataloggers have tracked kolea at speeds from 36 to118 miles per hour, and with an average flight between Hawaii and Alaska taking 40 hours.…

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Share Input on Shared Solar Program

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

Hawaiian Electric News Release

Hawaiian Electric is hosting a virtual stakeholder meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., to collect feedback from Molokai residents and business owners, renewable energy developers, and interested parties regarding Molokai shared solar projects, also known as the Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE) program.

Those interested can join the meeting online by going to hawaiianelectric.com/communitymeetings, view it live on Akaku Maui Community TV channel 54, or watch a livestream of the meeting on Hawaiian Electric’s Facebook page. Participants are welcome to ask questions and provide feedback on shared solar for Molokai during the meeting.…

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Lead in Molokai School Faucets

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

Lead in Molokai School Faucets

By Catherine Cluett Pacol

Water faucets and drinking fountains at schools around the state are being tested for lead content. So far, a faucet at Kilohana School has topped the charts for the highest lead content found in Maui County. Water sources with lead content detected higher than the project action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) are no longer being used while monitoring continues.

About four percent of the water samples collected so far from faucets and drinking fountains at selected Hawaii public schools and child care facilities show elevated concentrations of lead.

The project, launched in February, is a joint effort between the Hawaii State Department of Education (DOE), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Human Services (DHS).…

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More Water Allocated for Molokai Homesteaders

Wednesday, July 28th, 2021

More Water Allocated for Molokai Homesteaders

By Catherine Cluett Pactol

Half a million additional gallons of water per day will be available for new and existing uses for homesteaders on Molokai. A decision by the Hawaiian Commission on Water Resources Management (CWRM) last week approved a permit request from the Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands, marking a long-awaited milestone to increase opportunities for Hawaiian Homesteaders.

“This year marks the centennial anniversary of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act,” said Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board Chair Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey. “For nearly 30 of these past 100 years, there has been no expansion of homesteading opportunities on Molokai, despite the best efforts of DHHL and OHA to create such opportunities by upholding DHHLʻs priority right to water in a manner consistent with the public trust, and the state water code.”…

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Giant Fruit and Vegetable Contest

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021

UH CTAHR Molokai Extension News Release

The Hawaii County 4-H program Giant Fruit and Vegetable Program is expanding to Molokai and Oahu this year.

“The Hawaii County Contest got its start back in 2012, as part of a collaboration with a local farmer and is sponsored through the Hawaii 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program,” said Oahu County 4-H Agent Christine Hanakawa. “It first started as a giant pumpkin contest, but over the years has grown to include many other giant fruits and vegetables.”

Beck Settlage, Hawaii County 4-H Agent, who started the Hawaii County Program, said, “Although we started as a giant pumpkin contest, Hawaii County has expanded to include giant tomatoes, giant watermelons, giant bushel gourd, long gourds, giant sunflower heads and in 2021 has added giant cabbage and giant field pumpkins.”…

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‘Not On Bread Alone’

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021

Opinion by Father Pat Killilea, St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa

Just this morning I received an email from a friend on one of our family islands, asking me whether I would be writing an article this week for the newspapers. I responded that I felt uninspired to do so at this time and that the dry weather might be at fault, drying up my thought process. Furthermore, my brain might need some rain moisture. Well, no rain has fallen so far this morning, yet here I am penning this.

You are probably familiar with the phrase, “Not on bread alone does one live.”…

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