• Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed

  • Submission Deadlines

    Advertising

    Thursday 4pm

    October 16, 2025

    Content

    Friday 4pm

    October 17, 2025

    To print on:

    Wednesday

    October 29, 2025

  • Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Google Plus Subscribe via RSS

Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Kupuna ‘Ai Program

Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release

Help us continue to provide fresh, locally grown foods to our island’s kupuna!

We’re thrilled to announce the ongoing pursuit of our Kupuna ‘Ai program, which allows community members to purchase fresh, locally grown food boxes and donate them for delivery to local kupuna in need. We’re collaborating with organizations such as the Molokai Rural Health Community Association, which has active kupuna programs, to deliver weekly community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes containing locally grown foods like kalo pa’a, bananas, papaya, and eggs via the Sustʻainable Molokai Mobile Market completely free of charge to our island’s kupuna. 

The Kupuna ‘Ai program was launched in March and is a way for us to give back to the community and support our kupuna, who have played such a vital role in shaping our island’s culture and history.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Subsistence Survey Update

Wednesday, August 9th, 2023

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release

Get a coupon for free poi or kalo pa’a when you complete the 2023 Molokai subsistence study update survey. Only available to the next 100 people who complete the survey as a coupon for Sustʻainable Molokaiʻs Mobile Market. All English-speaking Molokai residents aged 18 or older can take the survey one time. 

Why participate? It has been 30 years since we have had updated, island-wide information on subsistence practices like hunting, fishing, gathering, and farming on Molokai. The 2023 Molokai Subsistence Study Update is our chance to update our Molokai-specific data on subsistence practices and food security.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Kamakani Farms: Salt, Chickens, Tomatoes—and Wind

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Kamakani Farms: Salt, Chickens, Tomatoes—and Wind

by Paul Hanley | Community Reporter 

“I didn’t want to do conventional farming,” says Cameron Hiro, who operates Kamakani Farms in Hoolehua with his wife Jacqueline and their ohana. A fourth-generation homesteader, Hiro resides on agriculture lands where his mother Janice and her late husband, Cameron’s stepfather Joseph Pele, and other family members once grew vegetables.

Though Cameron didn’t want to farm he stayed in the food industry. After high school, he studied restaurant, culinary and catering management, which led to a 35-year career in cooking, catering, and event management. In 2017, he and his brothers Raymond Hiro and John Pele became owners of Hiro’s Ohana Grill at Hotel Molokai.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment

Free Mobile Market Delivery for EBT/SNAP Customers

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Sustʻāinable Molokai News Release

Sustʻāinable Molokai’s Mobile Market is proud to announce free mobile delivery for EBT/SNAP customers as part of the Da Bux Program. With no minimum purchase required, this new service aims to make healthy and fresh produce more accessible to the Molokai community. 

Customers can order online and receive their groceries at their doorstep, with free delivery available for EBT/SNAP recipients. Visit MolokaiMobileMarket.com to purchase fresh, locally-grown, and produced food. Our online store opens weekly from Sunday at 3 p.m. to Tuesday at 12 p.m. Order pickups are on Thursday and deliveries are every Friday.

This thoughtful initiative makes it easier for families to enjoy locally grown, fresh food without the barrier of minimum purchase requirements, ensuring that even the most budget-conscious can access nutritious options.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Grant For Energy Savings

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

Hawaii Energy News Release 

Molokai nonprofits, small businesses and restaurants can receive grants of up to $6,000 for eligible energy efficiency projects through the EmPOWER Grant program. Applications will be available beginning Aug. 1 and must be submitted by Sept. 29. Organizations may apply for a grant of up to $6,000, depending on the equipment type, which may cover up to 100 percent of eligible project costs.

EmPOWER Grant funding may be used to cover the following expenses of energy efficiency projects: new energy efficient equipment, including HVAC systems, window film, ENERGY STAR® certified commercial kitchen appliances, and refrigeration technologies like motor controls and adding doors and anti-sweat controls to open cases; parts, accessories and other materials necessary for installation; labor for old equipment removal, site preparation and installation of energy efficiency measure(s); shipping costs for equipment and materials; taxes for the preceding items.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Unreliable Transportation Decreases Dental Services

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

There are now decreased dental services on Molokai due to unreliable transport into and out of the island.  When reliable dental support becomes scarce, minor issues can escalate into emergencies, leaving residents without immediate recourse for relief or treatment.

In contrast, areas with dependable infrastructure and healthcare systems are better positioned to respond swiftly to urgent dental needs. For those experiencing sudden tooth pain, broken fillings, or injuries to the mouth, knowing that an emergency dentist Austin is available provides not only clinical reassurance but also emotional comfort.

These providers are equipped to manage a wide range of dental crises with efficiency and care, ensuring patients aren’t left suffering or at risk of complications.…

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

Disappointing Services

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

To recap a previous community letter, we, the people of Molokai, used to have a ferry that traveled to/from Maui twice daily, and we used to have services from three different airlines. Since February 2021, our only means of off island travel is via Mokulele Airlines/Southern Airways for medical, business, family, recreation travels.  (And some have access to private boats.)

It’s with great disappointment that Mokulele Airlines has not been dependable in providing reliable and consistent services.  We travel frequently each month for the reasons mentioned above, and we have a corporate account.  Too often our flights have been delayed, changed, or canceled. …

Posted in , commentsAdd your comment

County Mapping Molokai’s Wetlands

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter 

Maui County is seeking to protect wetlands across the county, and to do that, it needs to know where they’re located. In response to a recently passed ordinance, the county is in the process of creating a new map of wetlands on Molokai. 

“The purpose [of the map] is to protect and restore wetlands. You cannot protect and restore something if you don’t know where it is,” explained Shahin Ansari, an ecologist contracted by the county for the project. 

Ansari explained that the new map will offer the public a “functional perspective on a wetland.” 

The project was started in March 2023 and is slated to finish in October of this year.…

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

County to Consider Public Ferry

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A feasibility study to consider a Maui County-owned ferry system is slated to be completed in the next year. Lanai Councilmember Gabe Johnson, who has spearheaded the initiative, said $300,000 has been budgeted for the study for this fiscal year that will determine options for how ferries between Molokai, Maui and Lanai could be run, how much it would cost, where the funding might come from, and other variables. 

He pointed to how Maui’s public bus transportation is operated, with the buses owned by Maui County and operated under a contract with Roberts Hawaii. He said a similar arrangement for the ferry service might be an option. …

Posted in , , commentsAdd your comment

Sustainability Speaker Series

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

Maui County News Release 

The County of Maui Environmental Protection and Sustainability Division will host the second installment of its speaker series “Sustainability Together: Community-led Regenerative Action” on July 10 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Molokai Community Health Center. The event will be streamed live on Akaku Maui Community Media Channel 54.

Panelists at the July 10 event include Molokai Homestead representatives, community organizer and solar energy technician Todd Yamashita, Leilani Chow of Sustʻainable Molokai, Keaʻa Davis of Shake Energy Collaborative and Harumi McClure of Haru Energy.

In the second of the four-part speaker series, participants will gain insights into the household-level impacts of energy insecurity and how different communities have successfully mobilized to build resilience through the use of renewable solar energy.…

Posted in , , , commentsAdd your comment