Environment

News stories regarding Molokai’s outdoor environment

Honu Population at Mo`omomi Thriving

Sunday, July 29th, 2012

Honu Population at Mo`omomi Thriving

On summer nights, female green sea turtles, or honu, make their way to the beach they were born on about 30 years before. Plodding determinedly to a spot above the high tide line, they dig a hole in the sand with their flippers — sometimes they dig several pits before finding a location they deem satisfactory. There, they lay about 100 white eggs, then use their flippers to cover them with sand. They lumber back to the ocean and slip into the cool dark water, never to see their tiny young that will hatch about two months later and instinctively head for the sea.…

Monitoring Monk Seals

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Monitoring Monk Seals

In order to bring more tangible data to ongoing efforts to better understand Hawaiian monk seals, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a research project that will attach Crittercams, or small video cameras, to the backs of the seals. Video footage would allow not only scientists to gather important data, but would also help community members better understand the seals’ diet, behavior and potential impacts in the main Hawaiian Islands.

There are currently approximately 200 seals living in the main Hawaiian Islands. Their presence has created some controversy and conflict with divers and fisherman near shore, who believe the seals are competing with them for fish.…

Assessment Identifies Molokai’s Agriculture Needs

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Sust`aina ble Molokai News Release

Sust`aina ble Molokai has completed a comprehensive Agriculture Needs Assessment for food production and security on Molokai. The Assessment is based on survey results that show where your food is being grown, who is growing it, and where you can buy it. The document is also valuable in that it shows what we don’t have as an island, and therefore what opportunities exist for job creation in the agriculture field.

One of the needs identified by the survey, for example, is an agriculture coordinator for Molokai to connect local farmers with stores and restaurants both on- and off-island.…

Monitoring Monk Seals

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

Scientists hope to gather data via video cameras

In order to bring more tangible data to ongoing efforts to better understand Hawaiian monk seals, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a research project that will attach Crittercams, or small video cameras, to the backs of the seals. Video footage would allow not only scientists to gather important data, but would also help community members better understand the seals’ diet, behavior and potential impacts in the main Hawaiian Islands.

There are currently approximately 200 seals living in the main Hawaiian Islands. Their presence has created some controversy and conflict with divers and fisherman near shore, who believe the seals are competing with them for fish.…

Molokai Air Travel Developments

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

Molokai Air Travel Developments

Good news may be on the horizon for Molokai air travelers. Hawaiian Airlines has announced that Molokai is one of the destinations it is looking to serve with new turbo-prop aircraft it plans to acquire. In addition, current Molokai service provider Island Air is upgrading its aircraft to allow increased passenger capacity and improved service.

Hawaiian to Expand Neighbor Island Service
Hawaiian Airlines (HA) announced last week that is has signed a “letter of intent” to acquire smaller, turbo-prop aircraft (powered by propeller rather than jet engine) with the aim of establishing a subsidiary carrier to serve airports like Molokai’s Ho`olehua Airport, which are not currently part of HA’s routes.…

Centuries of Molokai Pa`akai

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

Centuries of Molokai Pa`akai

Salt: a long history of high value

For many people, salt is something found in shakers on the dinner table. But for ancient Hawaiians who harvested snow-white flakes of pa`akai from the rocky shores of Molokai, it held sacred value. After seawater dried in the sun and the remaining salt was scraped from bowl-like crevices in the lava rock, it was used in ceremonies, purification rituals, to preserve food, and even regarded like money for trading.

“[Native Hawaiians] have been harvesting salt as long as people have been here,” said
Mac Poepoe, a Molokai-born traditional resource manager. “People used to walk miles
just to collect salt.”…

4-H Youth Steering the Herd

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

4-H Youth Steering the Herd

For youth in the Molokai 4-H club, raising and showing animals takes months of patience, preparation, and care. But participants at the organization’s annual Livestock Expo last weekend proved that all the work is worth it. Youth proudly showed off their animals large and small, while the community got to engage in their learning process and enjoy farm market goodies, raffles and auction prizes.

For senior 4-H-er Kainoa Kamakana, seven years of participation culminated in taking first place in the market steer showmanship competition on Saturday.

“It feels good [to win] – all the hard work paid off,” said Kainoa. “I encourage every child to join 4-H – it teaches a lot, [and you’re] better set for life from the skills you learn.”…

Monk Seal Crittercam Talk Story Session on Monday

Friday, July 13th, 2012

Monk Seal Crittercam Talk Story Session on Monday

Community Contributed

By Charles Littnan, Lead Scientist, Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program NOAA Fisheries Service

A team of biologists, NGOs, filmmakers, and community members are developing a new research project to use National Geographic Crittercams to build on existing knowledge of the feeding behavior, diet, and habitat use of monk seals in the main Hawaiian Islands.

To discuss the project with Molokai residents, there will be a talk story session at Mitchell Pauole Center this Monday, July 16, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The cameras, which are attached to seals for short periods, were a valuable scientific tool used to understand some of the factors contributing to the species decline in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.…

Molokai Mom on a Mission

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

Molokai Mom on a Mission

Community Contributed
Opinion by Mercy Ritte

Did you know that for over 20 years now, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and Maui have been used for open-field testing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)? Agricultural biotechnology corporations such as Monsanto, DOW, DuPont/Pioneer, Syngenta and BASF lease thousands of acres of land to produce experimental GMO crops that have never before existed in nature, and that require the use of over 70 toxic pesticides to make them grow.

Research to assess the environmental and health safety of these GMO crops is fairly limited, according to University of Hawaii Professor, Hector Valenzuela. Yet Fred Perlak, Monsanto’s Vice President of Research and Business Operations, continues to promote the claim that “biotech crops have been tested, shown to be safe, therefore they are not a safety concern.”…

Ho`olehua Ohana Garden to Farm

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

Ho`olehua Ohana Garden to Farm

UH Extension Service News Release

Here in Ho`olehua, many families have a garden. Subsistence agriculture or farming is a way of life for many. Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat for a period of time.

The Ohana Garden to Farm program is designed to first get homesteaders interested in growing their own food. The intent is to eventually transition them from gardening to small scale farming once they know what they can grow best and have a feel for the resources needed to increase production beyond subsistence.…