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Sustainability

Mud-Caked Classroom

Thursday, February 5th, 2015

Mud-Caked Classroom

Local farm brings lessons of the `aina to life

A handful of Kilohana Elementary school students stared down uncertainly into the thick, gloopy mud of the lo`i kalo below them.

“Come on, ladies, let’s go! Jump in!”

Kilohana educational assistant Teon Simmons was trying to coax them into the lo`i, where three of their schoolmates were already wading and pulling weeds from the ankle deep muck. Wedged in the middle of the patch, farm owner Jo-Ann Simms was teaching the students how to gently swing long bunches of weeds to shake excess mud back into the lo`i.

Jo-Ann understood the hesitance to dive into the dirty, tedious task, a job she’s been doing since she was a kid.…

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Addressing Overfishing

Thursday, January 8th, 2015

Community Contributed

By `Aha Kiole O Molokai Members

Since statehood, the people of Molokai have relied on state government to manage Molokaiʻs ocean resources. We are currently witnessing profound shortagesin our subsistence gathering sources, which island families rely heavily on. We have fewer income opportunities and higher costs of living than most of the other islands.

From the early 90s, an effort to slow down the noticeable losses from our once rich ecosystems was begun. Management by the DLNR has not yielded positive outcomes in terms of maintaining sustainable and healthy nearshore fisheries.

Out of necessity and concern for our families, Molokai has independently generated its own island-wide conservation effort. …

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Fishing Tensions Headed to Court

Thursday, December 18th, 2014

A confrontation between Oahu divers and Molokai fishermen is headed to court. The incident, in which four Molokai men are being accused of illegally boarding a vessel in state waters, came as a culmination of rising tensions between off-island fishermen known to load up on Molokai catch and island residents who depend on those resources to feed their families.

In May, the four men allegedly threatened a group of Oahu divers fishing off Molokai and were recently arrested on felony charges. Robin Dudoit, 57, Floyd Kapuni, 31, Kaiula English, 28, and Albert Dudoit Jr., 27, were arrested by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the Maui Police Department on Nov.…

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Subsistence Fishing Designation Moves Forward

Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

Subsistence Fishing Designation Moves Forward

 

Community members are joining with state officials to develop a designation for Molokai’s north shoreline that would sustainably support marine resources, protect traditional fishing practices, prohibit commercial harvest and facilitate community involvement in resource management decisions.

The Mo`omomi Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) would extend from Ilio Point on the northwestern tip of Molokai, east to Kaholaiki Bay, near Pelekunu Valley. As it is currently written, the CBSFA would follow the contours of the coastline and extend out one half mile. The Kawa`aloa Bay Protected Area is a subzone with the CBSFA, with a subset of rules specific to it.…

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Learning the Business of Farming

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014

A group of Molokai farmers were looking to cultivate something beyond bananas and broccoli on Nov. 20: their business and marketing abilities. About a dozen local farmers and ranchers gathered at Hikiola to attend the Agriculture Business Development Training workshop to refine their skills at winning customers and securing funding.

With the county moratorium on genetically engineered crops currently on hold, many farmers are uncertain about the possible effects on their businesses. Although the workshop’s guest speaker, Nicole Milne, didn’t have concrete answers, she said laying out and following smart plans will keep farmers on the right path.

“I feel like people’s goals for their businesses and their farming ideals are fairly secure,” said Milne, associate vice president for programs for The Kohala Center, a Hawaii Island-based research and education organization.…

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Local Author Publishes Children’s Book

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Local Author Publishes Children’s Book

 

Molokai’s Todd Yamashita has authored his first children’s book, bringing together his passions of Hawaiian culture, his two kids, environmental conservation, intergenerational relationships between keiki and kupuna, and his wife’s fishpond restoration nonprofit, Ka Honua Momona. “Uncle’s Magic Thrownet,” colorfully illustrated by Jamie Mechel Tablason in hardcover, is available for sale throughout Hawaii and on Amazon.com.

“Writing a children’s book has been a dream of mine for a long time,” said Yamashita, who also owns The Molokai Dispatch newspaper. “Children’s books should be simple and fun, and especially now that I have kids of my own, it’s a unique opportunity to introduce important values and themes to the next generation.”…

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Molokai Food Hub Meeting

Thursday, August 28th, 2014

Sust`aina ble Molokai News Release

Sust`aina ble Molokai will host a meeting for island farmers and food producers on Wednesday, Sept. 3 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the High School Cafeteria.  The primary purpose of the meeting is to determine if our farmers can (and want) to supply Maunaloa Elementary School’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) with locally grown fruits and veggies.  There will also be discussion on connecting our island farmers with other consumers, including stores and restaurants.

Sust`aina ble Molokai is currently in the process of developing a Molokai Food Hub, which is meant to serve as an on-island distribution center, as well as a resource center for farmers. …

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Mobilizing to Cleanup the Beach

Wednesday, August 27th, 2014

Mobilizing to Cleanup the Beach

About one hundred volunteers walked along Mo`omomi’s coastline with large black and tan canvas bags, sifting through the sand and picking up marine debris that washed up on shore. Fast-food takeout containers and cups, tires and even a propane tank littered the area. Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii’s (SCH) beach cleanup brought volunteers together to do something about the trash last Saturday.

About 7,000 pounds of plastic shards, rope, nets, bottles, wrappers and other trash was removed from Mo`omomi Beach thanks to hard work from the Molokai community, said SCH Executive Director, Kahi Pacarro.

“We’re here because we love the beaches and want to keep them clean,” Pacarro said.…

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Kalaupapa Combats Climate Change

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

Kalaupapa Combats Climate Change

Although scientists cannot predict with absolute certainty the universal severity of climate change nor its impacts, the effects are threatening the country’s National Parks with significant risks and challenges. A recent study by the National Park Service (NPS) shows that any of the 289 National Parks, including Kalaupapa National Historic Park (KNHP) show that temperatures over the last 30 years are warmer now than they were in 1901..

At KNHP, scientists, researchers and organizations are working together to take develop and implement programs to address climate change.

“The Park has the resources to really think about climate change and to act on it,” said KNPS Chief of Natural Resource Management Paul Hosten.…

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Fruit Growers Molokai Mini-Conference  

Thursday, July 3rd, 2014

HTFG News Release

The 24th Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference is September 12-14 at the Kahili Golf Course on Maui. Geared to farmers, educators, orchard managers and proponents of sustainable agriculture, the weeklong event is presented by the statewide Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG) and open to the public.

The annual gathering continues September 15-19 with abbreviated sessions on Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Hilo and Kona. Molokai’s inaugural mini-conference is Monday, Sept. 15 to accommodate a growing, active chapter on The Friendly Isle.

The Maui conference is titled “It’s All About Production” and offers a variety of breakout sessions, plus visiting researchers and agro experts.…

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