Thirty-eight delegates, including fourteen Hawaiʻi-based, participated in the 7th EMER-GEN® Program, presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) in September. A joint initiative of the AMOS Conference and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), the program is designed to foster innovation and entrepreneurship especially for young professionals and students who are enthusiastic about careers in space.
“The program encourages participants to think creatively, collaborate in teams, and develop innovative solutions at both a technological level and a policy level,” said Annette Lynch, MEDB Director of Communications. “The diverse range of activities and speakers helps participants enhance both their technical expertise and leadership capabilities.”
Maui resident Matthew Lugo, a Privateer Space engineer, EMER-GEN alumnus, and member of the EMER-GEN planning committee, emphasized, “EMER-GEN is also known for its focus on Hawaiian cultural subjects. I feel it’s important for those in the space industry to be stewards of the Earth environment as well. Space technologies should benefit the sustainability of the planet.”
Lugo continued, “This year, along with two international SGAC representatives, we invited Michael Nāhoʻopiʻi, Executive Director of Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) to share an update about the island. The island of Kahoʻolawe is just seven miles off the coast of Maui. It is managed by the KIRC team, who are working towards a restoration of the island.”
Nāhoʻopiʻi explained, “The history and culture of Kahoʻolawe is indeed rich. It is believed to have been inhabited since about 400 A.D., and the abundance of historical and archeological sites paints a picture of the island as a navigational center for voyaging and a center for agriculture. Modern times have been less kind. The island has been home to a penal colony, a sheep and cattle ranch, and a U.S. Navy bombing range. Those land uses were detrimental to the island’s delicate ecosystem and led to severe habitat degradation. The KIRC team has taken on the challenge to restore these habitats with on-the-ground hard work coordinated by expert assistance. In addition to physically restoring the island of Kahoʻolawe, we are undertaking the cultural restoration of the island.”
Space exploration provides us with more information about protecting our planet, our environment, and improving our day-to-day lives. Everything is connected!
Michael Nāhoʻopiʻi
Executive Director
Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission
As part of preparations and festivities for the upcoming Ke Alahele Education Fund Benefit Dinner and Auction, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) is now accepting applications for the Daniel K. Inouye Innovation Award. This award honors student projects that demonstrate the most innovative uses of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in service of the community.
To support award recipients as they continue to learn and grow as STEM innovators, the winning individual or team will receive $5,000. Maui County public school students in grades 6-12 (as well as 2024 high school graduates) are eligible to apply. Interested students should submit their projects online prior to 11:59 pm on October 13 to be considered for the award. The submission form and more details are available here: https://shorturl.at/tdVOy.
MEDB also continues to accept seat reservations, auction donations, and sponsors for the Ke Alahele event. This annual fundraiser provides an unforgettable evening and also raises critical funds for STEM education programs and educators throughout Maui County. These programs, serving students from kindergarten to career, help build stronger career pathways for Maui Nui residents. By attending the dinner, community members are helping to shape a brighter future for Maui Nui’s youth.
Guests attending the fundraiser can also enjoy an exclusive room rate (starting at $349 for a garden view room) at the Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, available for stays from Friday, October 25, to Sunday, October 27. This offer ends on October 7. For room reservations, contact Mary Osorno at Mary.Osorno@waileabeachresort.com or call 808-874-7879.
For more information and to book seats at the Ke Alahele fundraising dinner on October 26, visit www.medbpathways.org.
Part of MEDB’s mission is to empower the next generation of innovators. The Ke Alahele Education Fund Dinner and Auction celebrates that mission, bringing our community together to support vital STEM programs that change lives.
Leslie Wilkins
President and CEO
Maui Economic Development Board
Maui resident and 2002 St. Anthony High School graduate Keith DeVey is the founder of Maui Walking Tours. The company, launched in early 2024, offers free guided walks through Kīhei and historic Wailuku town. The tours highlight each area’s origins and new developments, including details about local history, important landmarks, and street art. DeVey has done extensive research to uncover the best local stories, and his walks showcase the island through the eyes of a long-time resident who truly believes Maui is the best place on earth.
“Guided walking tours are a wonderful way to really get to know the place you live or are visiting,” said DeVey. “People get to hear stories that I collected firsthand through one-on-one meetings with historians, authors, local kupuna, historical practitioners, city officials, residents, educational outlets, and local architects. My sources include George Rixey, community architect and former president of the Kīhei Community Association; Lucienne De Naie, published Maui author and historian; Vernon Kalanikau, Maui County cultural advisor and lead organizer of the ahupuaʻa sign project; and Elan Vital, the artist who sculpted the Kalama Park whale.”
DeVey has assembled walking routes that allow participants to take a step back in time to better understand the present. He explains how land was divided and cared for by the early Hawaiians, the influence of the first missionary families, the formation of large plantations, the impact of the US military during WWII, and the transition to a tourism-based economy in the 1960s and 1970s. The Wailuku tour pays special attention to the revitalization of the town as a center for artists and the town’s numerous murals.
DeVey added, “I also want people to become more familiar with the colorful flora and fauna seen throughout the Hawaiian Islands, which are unlike anywhere else in the world. After each tour, participants routinely come up to me to personally share how much they enjoyed it. Some even tell me their unique history of living in or visiting Kīhei and Wailuku through the decades.”
Each tour is capped at 25 participants to ensure an enjoyable walking and learning experience. To sign up for one of the free upcoming tours, visit www.mauiwalkingtours.com.
Through my own travels, I discovered some of the most memorable takeaways were experienced through free walking tours guided by locals that lived in each community.
Keith DeVey
Founder and Tour Guide
Maui Walking Tours LLC
St. John’s 39th Annual Kula Festival is the place to be on Saturday, September 21st. An upcountry tradition, the festival is returning after last year’s cancellation due to the August 2023 wildfires. The festival began in October 1982 as a fundraising event to support both St. John’s Church and various partner charity organizations. At its peak prior to the pandemic, the event saw 2,500 attendees each year.
“All the much-loved local artists and crafters, wide variety of food for sale, produce, plants, baked goods, keiki zone, silent auction, quilt show, and the gift shop will return,” said Maui artist and festival co-chair Deb Lynch. “For the first time, several fine art paintings will be exhibited, and there will be pony rides for the kids as well. The all-day live music and entertainment, hosted by Manaʻo Radio, includes Isle of Maui Pipe Band, Cheryl Rae, Jamie Lawrence, Kawika Ortiz, Steve Grimes, Benny Uyetake, Halau Hula, and Wehena o ke Ao.”
Festival co-chair Joseph Cascio added, “This year our St. John’s leadership team decided a portion of our net proceeds will be shared with the Kula Community Watershed Alliance (KCWA). This critical watershed has been seriously destabilized and is now at risk in the aftermath of the wildfire. Neighbors immediately joined together to commit to the recovery and long-term stewardship of this special place.” To further support recovery and land stewardship efforts, the festival will be a zero-waste event.
The KCWA’s executive director, Sara Tekula, explained, “In August 2023, approximately 230 acres of the Waiakoa watershed in Upper Kula, including over 23 homes and dozens of structures and trees, were burned in the fire. With the guidance of ecological and cultural advisors, the KCWA strives to restore the ecological identity of this area through careful sourcing of seeds within our ahupuaʻa, nearby habitat preserves, and saplings that have origins nearby. Remembering the Hawaiian proverb, ʻaʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia (no task is too big when done together by all), we are grateful that St. John’s recognized us and the work that we are doing. This is a great honor for us.”
The festival will take place on Saturday, September 21st, from 9am to 4pm at St. John’s Church (8992 Kula Highway across from Keokea Park). Admission is $2. For more information, visit stjohnsmaui.org/kulafestival and kulacommunitywatershed.org.
All are welcome to enjoy a fun day at the festival and help us support the Kula Community Watershed Alliance!
Deb Lynch and Joseph Cascio
Kula Festival Co-Chairs
Maui resident Joseph Imhoff, co-owner of Haleakalā Biochar, has a passion for land restoration. A 2022 alumnus the Ka Ipu Kukui program, co-founder of the Plant a Wish project, and a recipient of the Mālama I Ka ‘Āina Award, he also serves on the Maui County Arborist Committee. His ongoing work is focused land stewardship, tree planting, and the restoration of native habitats.
Located high on the slopes of Haleakalā, the family-run business was founded in 2020 and has been committed to making the highest quality biochar to support the health of soils, fresh water, and the ocean. They provide Maui-made biochar for agricultural producers, home gardeners, land restoration projects, stormwater filtration projects, and soil remediation. This is especially important in the aftermath of the 2023 wildfires, and Imhoff’s team now offers free biochar to fire survivors whose properties need soil remediation.
“Biochar is simply a foundation for healthy soils,” Imhoff explained. “It works by providing beneficial microorganisms, the sorts of little critters that enrich the soil, feed plants, and produce healthy ecosystems. When pre-charged with these beneficial organisms, biochar promotes plant health. We utilize dying eucalyptus and wattle trees that burnt up during the 2023 fires…With hardwood-sourced biochar made to the right specifications, we can also improve water and soil quality, increase soil fertility, and raise agricultural productivity. We basically cook it down to pure carbon. It’s 100% charcoal, and it has no contaminants in it.”
Kahoʻolawe Island Conservation and the University of Hawaiʻi contracted Haleakalā Biochar to help with planting in inaccessible areas of Kahoʻolawe as part of ongoing reforestation efforts. The program uses drones to release native seeds, sourced on Kahoʻolawe, in seed balls containing a mixture of compost and biochar to help keep the seeds viable for a longer period as they take root.
“So far, we’ve had three Native Seedball Workshops,” Imhoff said. “Each drone can take 50 loads, deploying a string of 100 seed balls with each flight. We are basically supercharging the seed balls with the most micronutrients we can. It’s like a cocoon with nutrients that will grow, become a plant, and then a tree that will help restore the island.”
Thanks to grant support from the County of Maui and MEO, we are able to scale up production and donate 3 cubic yards of biochar to qualifying fire survivors who lost homes and would like to protect their land before rebuilding.
