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Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Seed Company Provides Local Plants

Wednesday, February 6th, 2013

 

Molokai Seed Company News Release

Established in 2008, Molokai Seed Company provides high quality seed and planting material. We sell products to the homeowner, farmer, and home gardener with sustainable agriculture in mind. Our motto is “seed for conservation and sustainable agriculture.”

Currently we have two products available: “Sunshine” Vetiver and “Tropic Sun” sunn hemp. Check our website, molokaiseedcompany.com, as we expand our product base into other seed crops. We are also planning to have additional products like Fu Man Chews, which are of premium quality.

“Sunshine” Vetiver may be the single best method to control soil erosion and provide slope stabilization.…

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NOAA Proposal Aims to Save Coral

Wednesday, February 6th, 2013

NOAA Proposal Aims to Save Coral

The south shore of Molokai boasts one of the largest fringing coral reefs in Hawaii, providing a home for fish, a draw for tourism, shelter from ocean storms, and sustenance for the local economy. Coral is fragile, though, and biologists fear these valuable organisms could be extinct by the year 2100. This is why the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed to list 66 species of coral as endangered or threatened, an action that could protect the island’s reef.

Of the 66 species that NOAA may soon list as threatened or endangered, three exist in Hawaii, and two – montipora patula and montipora flabellata– call the Molokai area home.…

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Fish and Dive Refreshes Business

Sunday, February 3rd, 2013

Fish and Dive Refreshes Business

 

After 40 years in the same location, Molokai Fish and Dive is being moved into the gas station next door in a process that will bring several changes to the popular ocean gear and tour provider. Tim and Susan Forsberg, who have owned the shop for 12 years, said it was time to do something different, so they took on the challenge of adding fuel and food to their services for locals and tourists.

When the Forsbergs noticed Hayaku, the gas station next door, was often closed last December, they feared that Molokai would soon have only one gas station again.…

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Molokai Mom on a Mission: Raising Awareness, Inspiring Change

Sunday, February 3rd, 2013

Molokai Mom on a Mission: Raising Awareness, Inspiring Change

Community Contributed

Opinion by Mercy Ritte

On Wednesday, Jan. 16, a unified group of charter school students and teachers, environmentalist, conservationalist, Hawaiian rights activists, people of all ethnic backgrounds, and families trekked a three mile march, from Buckman Hall on the University of Hawaii campus to the State Capital, in an effort to push for labeling GMO foods.

According to the Center for Food Safety, “it has been estimated that 70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves–from soda to soup, crackers to condiments–contain genetically engineered ingredients.” Studies have also revealed, over the past decade, that GMO foods can pose serious risks to humans, animal life and the environment.…

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Island Air’s New Ownership

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

Island Air — Molokai’s largest air carrier — is changing ownership, the airline announced Jan. 10. The company has not yet disclosed any details, including the buyer and how the sale may affect its employees and routes.
One week after the announcement, however, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported the buyer as billionaire Larry Ellison, the new owner of Lanai. The newspaper cited two anonymous sources “familiar with the situation.”

“Yes, we are in the midst of a potential sale,” Cindy Vanairsdale Island Air’s corporate secretary, told The Molokai Dispatch last week. “Amidst all the media speculations, from our end, it is still an unnamed entity during this due diligence period, and anything can happen.”…

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Solar Hot Water Molokai Training

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

Sustainable Living Institute of Maui News Release
Want to learn about solar hot water installation? Now’s your chance, in an upcoming training program offered on Molokai. The Solar Hot Water Training Program is a hybrid course that combines six weeks of online classes followed by three final days of classes held on-site at the UH Molokai Education Center.

The training provides entry-level training in solar hot water design and installation. The curriculum introduces students to solar thermal applications, theory, safety issues, troubleshooting and monitoring, solar thermal design and installation, and licensing and permitting requirements. The course includes both classroom and hands-on experience.…

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Mac Poepoe Gets Conservation Award

Sunday, January 27th, 2013

Mac Poepoe Gets Conservation Award

Uncle Mac Poepoe has spent a lifetime putting traditional fishing practices and resource management into action on Molokai’s northern coast. And for that, he was honored last week with the 2013 Umu Kai Award. Established in 2008 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Pacific Islands Region, the award recognizes Native Hawaiian practitioners’ contributions to modern fisheries conservation.

As a fisherman and educator, Poepoe’s goal is to pass on to youth what he calls “Hawaiian science” — or “the stuff we observe.”

“Ultimately, our success will be determined by the next generation,” said Poepoe. “It’s not about what degree you have but what you teach [youth].”…

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Molokai Ranch Returns to Ranching Roots

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Molokai Ranch Returns to Ranching Roots

Community Contributed

By Clay R. Rumbaoa, Molokai Ranch CEO

Editor’s note: This is a letter reprinted with permission from the winter issue of Molokai Ranch’s quarterly newsletter.

Aloha & Comosta Molokai, These last few months have been a whirlwind of activity at Molokai Ranch, as we move forward with many of the initiatives I outlined in our last newsletter [the four pillars: animal husbandry, sustainable farming, renewable energy and green improvements]. First and foremost, we officially returned to our ranching and agricultural roots with the reintroduction of cattle operations.

Our intention is to raise and breed high-quality grass-fed and finished cattle for consumption in Hawaii.…

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Land Trust Ownership of Mokio Preserve Finalized

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

Land Trust Ownership of Mokio Preserve Finalized

 

Molokai Land Trust News Release

Molokai Land Trust (MLT) has received the deed to Mokio Preserve, 1,719 acres of some of the most pristine and environmentally sensitive land on Molokai. The land was gifted by Molokai Properties Limited (MPL), also known as Molokai Ranch, in April 2008.

Mokio stretches along the north shore of Molokai between Mo`omomi Preserve boundary and the state’s Ilio Point parcel. The preserve encompasses five miles of remote and rugged coastline, with significant subsistence gathering areas and an extensive tidal pool system. The area has numerous koa or fishing shrines intact with offerings, as well as large ancient adze quarries.…

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Nominate a Big Tree

Friday, January 18th, 2013

Nominate a Big Tree

DLNR News Release

Do you know of a tree you’ve always thought was special? Now’s the opportunity to recognize it by nominating it for the National Big Trees Competition. Anyone can nominate a native or culturally important tree from 21 currently-eligible species in Hawaii. Last year, two coconut trees at Molokai’s Kapuaiwa Coconut Beach Park were among six trees in the state that gained national titles. For tree services Lynchburg call Viewpoint Tree Service.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) invites the public to help Hawaii compete in American Forests’ National Big Tree Program. The Big Tree Program seeks the largest trees of their species in the U.S.…

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