Release 1

E ho'a'o no i pau kuhihewa.
Try it to end the panic.
This was relevant for this first episode of the blog...this means to just do it (Nike!), just get it over with.

Sourced: Mahalo Mary Kawena Pukui



Organism of the Week!
Olona - Touchardia latifolia
As the first release of our newsletter, I had a difficult time choosing a plant to feature.  I am not a student of botany or deeply entrenched in my culture so this article will be a learning experience for me (and hopefully for you as well).  I did know of the olona plant, that it was known for its strength and durability, but further research was necessary.

Olona
(http://directoryofkauai.net/blog/canoe-plants-and-olona)

The olona is a rainforest shrub of the nettle family that was once cultivated in ancient Hawaii for its properties as building material.  It is less populous now but can still be found in lower elevation forests or in boggy areas, often near streams.  The plant grows 4 to 8 ft tall in the wild with large leaves with serrated edges.  While the plant does flower and bear fruit, it does not look like anything I'd want to eat.  The value of this plant and the reason it was one of the few if not the only non-food plant that was cultivated was due to the value of the fibers derived from the plant.
The bark of the olona could be stripped off easily and the fibers within could be treated (from my brief research the treating involved scraping off the bark with opihi shells, rolling the strips inside out then soaking the strips in water for days, then scraping the pulpy bits off while others separated fibers and rolled them into bundles for transport home) then twisted into ropes of varying thickness.  The strength of these ropes were well known and when Captain Cook visited, he took with him word of the quality of this product of Hawaii.  Olona lines replaced rigging on many ships and Europe came to know how superior the quality was, even to the point where Swiss climbers would have olona lines imported.
However, Hawaiians had previously used olona to make everything from netting to adornment (like the  beautiful feather capes - ahu `ula)  and the fact that the treated ropes and lines were resistant to breakage from stress or seawater only enhanced the value and significance.
Quite the useful plant, no?

-Sabrina Robello
Sourced: Here and Here mostly


Community Events:
UH Manoa Art Sale: May 3-5, UH Art Building
It's the end of the school year and art students are selling their wares on campus for reasonable prices.  Perhaps some Hawaii-inspired art can be found there?
First Fridays: May 4, Chinatown
First Fridays in Chinatown is another art event where pedestrians can enjoy art and some lower-priced drinks at the bars.
Kanewai Lo`i: May 5, 8:30 a.m., Kanewai Lo`i (Near the Kamakakuokalani Building on Dole)
Start the weekend by helping some plants!  Volunteer your time and energy to a good cause, and if you're lucky you'll get to walk in the taro patch and squish mud between your toes.  And also there's tasty Hawaiian food, but personally, the mud is my favorite part.