Issue 9: Another Exam (Sigh)

I mohala no ka lehua i ke ke`ekehi `ia e ka ua.
Translation: The lehua blossom unfolds when rain treads on it.
Basically this is the Hawaiian version of "You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar."  - people respond better to gentle words than harsh ones.

Organism of the Week!:  Once again postponed! So sorry, am trying not to lose my steam on this, but I'm at the end of my summer course and I've really got to do well.  Please enjoy some pretty pictures of Hawaii google has provided for us :)

Volcano themed!

Since I'm in Volcano!

-Sabrina Robello
Sourced: Google, none of the photos are mine


Community Events!
Ipu Decoration: Saturday June 30, 9:30am-1:30 pm, Lyon Arboretum, UH Manoa Campus
This event is more of a craft workshop lead by Tamsen Fox, a skilled artist who'll teach you how to etch, dye, woodburn and all types of things for a decorative ipu.  Class fee=$50 but for a fun Saturday learning some interesting crafts, it does seem to be worth it.

Issue 8: Puakenikeni

Onipa`a.
Be steadfast.
(Incidentally, the motto of Queen Lili`uokalani)

Organism of the Week! Puakenikeni - "Ten-Cent Flower" - Fagraea Berteroana

The puakenikeni is a flower commonly used for lei here in Hawaii, but it grows on many islands in the Pacific.  The plant itself typically grows as a small shrub or tree, growing to sizes of approximately 16ft tall, but it can be grown to be as tall as 50ft tall.  It produces small "berries" which sprout into the pretty flowers seen at left, and are non-edible.  The leaves are broad and a bit waxy, and the stemmy bits are tough, covered in a bark. But as far as my brief research has shown, the primary use of this plant is ornamental - many gardens feature a lovely puakenikeni shrub.
And since it's summer, it's graduation season, which is the main time of year that I personally get to see this flower in action.  Leis made of puakenikeni are nearly as common as plumeria lei around graduation time, and wonderfully fragrant.

-Sabrina Robello
Sourced: Here



Community Events!
All About Turmeric - Sat June 23, 9:30am - 11:30am, Manoa Campus (Lyon Arboretum)
This is a program about turmeric (olena), the daily benefits of it, its use in cooking and such.  This program includes a booklet and samples, but costs $25 to attend.

Issue 7: Postponed!

Lawe i ka ma`alea a ku`ono`ono.
Acquire a skill and make it deep. (Working on it!)

Organism of the Week: None for this week unfortunately!  The main writer has unfortunately been studying hard for an exam all week and not diligently researching a fascinating native organism!  Never fear, more to come next week!
For now, enjoy some pretty photos from google.

Community Events:
Hei`eia Stream Restoration Project - Sat. June 16, 8am-12pm (details here)
The monthly cleanup and restoration of this stream has been going on since 2009, includes implementing erosion control techniques.  Non-professional volunteers welcome.
Invasive Algae Cleanup - Sat June 16, 9am-11am, Waikiki Aquarium
Another Saturday restoration project!  Get some good karma in before Father's day and remove algae and sorting through invasive and native limu.  Sounds fun?  Be ready to get wet and arrive by 8:45 to check in (where I assume they will inform you which is good limu and which is bad).

Issue 6: Hawaiian Tree Snails

Mai kapae i ke a`o ka makua aia he ola malaila.

Don't set aside your parents teaching, for there is life there.

Organism of the Week! : Hawaiian Tree snail
Given how the founder of our club is currently working towards the conservation of these creatures (check it out here), I thought it would be prudent to do at least a cursory blog about them.  Unfortunately, I do not know the different names of the few species that still survive today, ergo general research on Hawaiian tree snails.
There used to be quite a few different species of tree snail, but these days that number has dwindled down to  an embarrassingly low number.

These species are endangered (and extinct) due primarily to the disappearance of their native habitat - the presence of these tree snails indicate a healthy, unspoiled habitat, but due to predation and invasive species of plants, these snails are disappearing.  Some of these species are down to the last several hundred specimens which are kept in labs to encourage a safe environment for them.

Now the use of these snails historically is for their pretty shells.  Ancient (and present) Hawaiians made lei with these striking shells.  This required many of them, but apparently did not have a significant affect on the population.  Kind of remarkable given how very many shells were needed for a single lei - no, invasive plants can pretty much take all the blame for these species dying out or becoming endangered.

-Sabrina Robello
Sourced: Here mostly


Community Events!
Towards Green Mauka and Blue Makai - Wed June 6, 3-4pm, Queen Lili`uokalani Center Rm 412
Fulbright Scholar Mojca Stubelj Ars from Slovenia presents here research findings after spending a year at UHM researching the connection between environmental education and sustainable choices int he tourism industry here in Hawaii.