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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Soil Health Workshops

Wednesday, February 8th, 2023

UH CTAHR News Release

Our UH CTAHR Molokai Cooperative Extension Service staff will teach about the importance of soil health and innovative ways to increase the health of soil in a Soil Health Workshop series starting this week. UH CTAHR Molokai Cooperative Extension Service is offering the workshops in partnership with Sustainable Molokai. 

The workshop dates are Thursdays Feb. 9, Feb. 23 and March 9.  Each will run from 4 to 6 p.m. at Lanikeha Community Center.  This series will include presentations, demonstrations and will have an interactive component.  Participants are encouraged to attend all three workshops as this is a progressive series, meaning each one will build upon the lessons learned the week before.  The…

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Storm Causes Massive Flooding, Damages

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

Storm Causes Massive Flooding, Damages

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Heavy rains drenched Molokai starting last Saturday morning, causing massive flooding not seen in decades. 

Resident reports on social media showed cars stuck in treacherous mud and churning water across the highway, homes flooded in the Kawela and Kapa’akea areas, yards underwater, and homeowners wading through knee-deep, fast-moving water in an attempt to gather belongings and animals from the flood. As state and county workers attempted to clear roadways with tractors, rocks and mud were piled high on either side to make a passable path. Muddy water rushed downstream from the mountains, causing massive erosion and destruction on its way to the ocean or low-lying areas.…

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New UH Molokai Cooperative Extension Staff

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

UHCTAHR News Release 

The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service is proud to announce that on Jan. 3, our staff on Molokai doubled in size with the addition of two new agents.

Joining the staff are Kristina “Tina” Cacpal and Kyle Franks.  They join the long-time staff of Glenn Teves, Jennifer Hawkins, and Ag Technician Faith Tuipulotu.

Tina Cacpal was born and raised on Molokai in Maunaloa and is a proud alumna of Maunaloa Elementary and Molokai High and Intermediate School. She recently completed a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Grand Canyon University. Most of her career was spent as an Educational Assistant at Maunaloa that nurtured her love for education as well as connecting with the land and her people.…

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E-Bike Business Debuts

Wednesday, January 25th, 2023

E-Bike Business Debuts

By Jack Kiyonaga, Community Reporter 

Molokai has its first electric bike rental business, recently launched by Glenn Poller. 

Through Molokai E-Bike Rental, Poller is currently renting out five e-bikes. Electric bikes use a small battery-powered motor to assist when pedaling. Riders can choose between pedaling with engine assistance or just using the throttle, depending on how reliant they want to be on the bike’s 750-watt electric engine. 

Poller’s bikes are loaded up with puncture resistant tires, shock absorbers and lights, and come with a helmet, rear storage bags and lock. The e-bikes cover a range of 60-80 miles and top out at about 25 mph, he said. …

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Data Science to Help Revitalize Fishponds

Wednesday, January 25th, 2023

Purple Mai’a News Release 

Three local organizations — Purple Maiʻa Foundation, Kuaʻaina Ulu ʻAuamo, and Hohonu, Inc. — are launching the Loko Iʻa and Coastal Monitoring Project that will kokua up to 30 Hawaiian Fishpond restoration groups across the state. The project engages local communities in the design process and will work with them to gather insights on the biggest barriers to fishpond restoration for food production.

Hawaii’s fishpond practitioners, coastal communities and local government will have access to real-time environmental data that will support biocultural restoration, climate change monitoring, resilience planning and mitigation. In addition to providing operational support, the sensor and data tools deployed can serve a broad audience for educational outreach and workforce development activities.…

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Shared Solar Projects Moving Forward

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Two renewable energy projects on Molokai are set to move forward in what represents the state’s first community-owned and -designed solar plus battery projects. In a partnership between Ho’ahu Energy Cooperative Molokai and Hawaiian Electric, the projects are anticipated to meet more than 20 percent of the island’s energy usage and serve about 1500 Molokai households. Both are expected to be operational in mid-2025. 

Pala’au Solar and Kualapu’u Solar projects will be the first on the island in a shared renewable energy program under Hawaiian Electric known as community-based renewable energy (CBRE). Molokai subscribers to the program, particularly renters who cannot install their own rooftop solar panels, will benefit from lowered electric bills, according to Ho’ahu. …

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Making a Difference with the Climate Crew

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

From September to December 2022, three of Molokai’s young women strived to make an impact and create awareness for Hawaii’s climate policy and clean energy. Kirakai Yamazaki-Gray, Kayla Holm and myself, Sage Yamashita, were picked to join Blue Planet’s Cohort called Climate Crew with eight other Maui County high school students. Through the cohort, the students completed multiple climate actions, meetings, and workshops, helping the Climate Crew’s work to reach more than 1500 people. 

“I was really impressed with the Molokai girls that joined the Maui County Climate Crew,” said Griff Jurgens, Blue Planet’s education director.…

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Molokai Group Awarded for Highway Cleanups

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023

Molokai Group Awarded for Highway Cleanups

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A group of Molokai residents were honored for their exemplary public service in picking up debris from the highway. The Kawela Plantation Homeowners’ Association was recently named the recipient of the No Ka Oi Highway Hui Award, a program of the State of Hawaii, Department of Transportation Highways Division, Maui District. The award recognizes Adopt-A-Highway groups for their environmental volunteerism. 

The Homeowners’ Association is comprised of nearly 200 full- and part-time residents. They committed to cleaning a two-mile segment along Kamehameha V Highway and have organized a cleanup every few months. With an average 10 volunteers, they pick up about 20 bags of rubbish each time, according to a press release. …

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$2.7M Awarded for Small-Scale Agriculture

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023

HDOA News Release 

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) has announced the award of 579 grants, totaling $2,684,350, for small-scale agriculture; including home gardening, herding and livestock operations in areas that are food insecure.

More than 7,400 applications were received this fall under the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP). The applications and project proposals were evaluated and ranked by HDOA’s Market Development Branch (MDB) and final approval was received last week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Funding for this grant program is provided by the USDA under the 2018 Farm Bill. Grant amounts ranged from $750 to $5,000.…

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Deer Meat Giveaway

Wednesday, December 21st, 2022

Deer Meat Giveaway

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

On Dec. 10, Molokai Hunting Club held a Holiday Deer Meat Drive to provide venison to the Molokai community and honor the fifth reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, King Kamehameha V, who introduced axis deer to Molokai.  

More than 100 households were reached during the giveaway, held at Project Coordinator Troy Tancayo’s house. 

“The first hour was for kapuna. At La Pilina, many kupuna were saying how they grew up with deer meat, and now they don’t have that in their household anymore,” said Keo Hirata, interim PR at Molokai Hunting Club. “We had a lot of families come and about 20 Molokai Hunting Club members to help to distribute the meat that day.”…

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