Oct 9, 2013 | Environment
An animal lover, Jenny Mida volunteers at the Maui Humane Society. She walks dogs, bakes dog treats for fundraisers and helps educate the public about pet adoption and the importance of spaying and neutering dogs and cats. “My motivation for doing these things is that I love all animals, and I want to do whatever I can to improve their lives and well being,” said Mida, an educational assistant at King Kekaulike High School.
The Kula resident is married and has a son, and her extended family includes three dogs – Kalea, a French mastiff; Thor, a pitbull mix; and Bernardo, an Airedale terrier. Pets can be healthy and happy if they’re made part of the family, she said. “A life lived on a chain outside is a life of misery. Play with, walk and socialize your pet with people and animals when they are growing up so they are comfortable around everyone.” When she volunteers at the Puunene shelter, Mida takes her son with her. “I think it’s important for kids to learn to care for and love all creatures, so I bring Zander along,” she said. “This is probably my favorite thing to do because the dogs are so appreciative and it’s fun to play, snuggle and get to know each dog individually. I take pictures of the dogs during our walks that I post on Instagram and Facebook with info in hopes someone will see one (or two) and they just have to adopt.”
She urges all dog and cat owners to sterilize their pets to help stop the island’s population explosion of unwanted, feral animals. The Humane Society and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Maui offer discounted spays and neuters. “It just takes one call to set up an appointment,” she said. “Spays and neuters also can decrease unwanted behaviors and reduce the risk of certain cancers.” Armed with the mission to save the lives of unwanted pets, the Humane Society has been operating as an animal shelter since 1987. For more information, call 877-3680, ext. 14, or e-mail: volunteer@mauihumanesociety.org.
Sep 11, 2013 | Environment, Events, Small Business
Physical scientist Stacie Williams thrives on learning the latest developments in her field at the annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance (AMOS) Technologies Conference presented by Maui Economic Development Board. She especially enjoys a conference feature that offers a day of hands-on science activities for youngsters. “Their engagement is our motivation,” said Williams, a program manager who oversees educational outreach projects for the Air Force Research Laboratory. The lab is actively participating in this week’s AMOS conference at the Wailea Beach Marriott. An international assembly of space situational awareness experts has gathered for events that provide technical interchange on a variety of space-related technologies. In addition to technical sessions, participants are attending a special Space Policy Forum to hear current issues and trends in national and international policies that have impacts on their work.
For Williams, one of the highlights of the conference is welcoming hundreds of Maui youngsters to the conference venue. The students are given an opportunity to learn about space situational awareness topics by engaging in varied activities from viewing celestial bodies through a telescope to maneuvering hand-held spectrometers to determine characteristics of objects in space. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s partners with MEDB in association with the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, the Maui High Performance Center, Pacific Defense Solutions, and the Boeing Company for the student day activities. “Every year our student activities get more complex and more engaging,” said Williams, who has helped to coordinate the activities for the last four years. “Everybody has embraced this and I think we just get better every year.”
Williams said she’s received overwhelming, positive feedback from scientists and other space situational awareness experts about including students at AMOS. “Bringing in the youth education element provides a wonderful synergy, a rare opportunity that more technical conferences should exploit since we are losing leadership in scientists and engineers to the rest of the world,” a senior project engineer wrote. Williams hopes that the student activities will inspire some of them to consider a career in science and technology. “We really need to get more young people interested.”
Jun 19, 2013 | Environment
The Maui Huliau Foundation uses fun in filmmaking to get young people interested and educated in environmental issues. “This is just a cool way to tell stories and learn about what’s going on around us,” said Malia Cahill, the foundation’s president and founder. First started in 2010, Maui Huliau Foundation programs are open to students in grades 7 to 12. Cahill said she encourages students to take a neutral stance and learn through their filmmaking all the facts surrounding a specific environmental issue. “In teaching teenagers not to take sides, they can learn best by educating themselves about the environment,” she said.
The program’s students have traveled to film festivals in Honolulu and California, raising awareness about environmental issues on Maui. Through its YouTube channel, the student films have attracted almost 7,000 hits, according to the foundation. Cahill, a 2001 Seabury Hall graduate who grew up in Kula, said she started the foundation three years ago with the goal of getting teenagers interested in environmental issues. Filmmaking and story telling became the means to interest them in learning about their environment. The Filmmaking Club was formed first with 12 students. Now Maui Huliau Foundation has up to 40 students participating in three separate programs — one on film, another on service learning and watersheds; and the third on leadership and environmental projects. “It’s got its own life and momentum, I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to,” Cahill said.
This month, the students premiered 11 films exploring a variety of environmental issues. They planned, directed and edited their films during an after-school program held at the Hawaiian Canoe Club hale on Kaahumanu Avenue in Kahului. Students from 13 different Maui schools presented their work to a sold-out crowd at Iao Theater. Topics range from the plight of the endangered Hawksbill turtle to a reality-style documentary about eating locally-grown food. A “Hana Hou” showing is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Seabury Hall Creative Arts Center. The event is free, however, donations of any amount will be accepted at the door. For more information, visit: www.mauihuliaufoundation.org
Feb 6, 2013 | Community, Environment
Kihei Elementary School gives students opportunities to grow – not just academically, emotionally and physically, but also in the campus garden. The lessons for the 850 students participating stems from the nonprofit, Grow Some Good, founded by Kathy Becklin. Garden Coordinator Kirk Surry said Grow Some Good garden educators host daily classes from kindergarten to 5th grade. “Science, math, history, reading and social studies are all experienced in real life in this outdoor edible learning center,” Surry explained.
The garden has areas assigned to different grade levels. For example, kindergarteners are studying the difference between plants harvested from above and below the ground, and 3rd-graders are exploring geography, different cultures and climates and how those factors influence the foods people eat. Surry said the gardening program, now in its sixth year, has had a positive impact on students’ learning and on encouraging a more healthy diet. “Students are excited about growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables,” he said. “Many teachers who participate in the garden program have also reported their students are able to understand curriculum concepts they had previously struggled to grasp. By giving students a tangible, outdoor experience, students are inspired to learn and make better nutrition choices.”
Kihei School Principal Halle Maxwell said working in the garden is competing with other campus activities. “Some of the children enjoy working in the garden so much that they give up their recess to help water or pull weeds,” Maxwell said. “We have observed children who are shy or those who don’t do well in the classroom, blossom like the plants they are cultivating. They share information or techniques with other students and beam with pride with the positive response from classmates.” Surry said he has been inspired by the keiki in the program. “Every day we see young lives being changed by their experiences in nature,” he said. The program could use more community volunteers plus additional funding to buy garden supplies and hire more staff to keep the movement growing. A fundraiser is planned for March 2nd at the Garden Lawn at Hotel Wailea. For more information, go to growsomegood.org
Nov 14, 2012 | Environment, Sustainability
Members of the Focus Maui Nui Youth Alliance visited Monsanto Co.’s Maui operations recently, getting a close-up look at the company’s high-tech operations to grow seed corn to make a dent in world hunger. Both Racieli Andrada, 16, a junior at Maui High School, and Kaile Stockham, 15, a sophomore at Lahainaluna High School, had heard the negative publicity about Monsanto, such as its work with genetically engineered food. While Andrada came away from the experience impressed, Stockham remained skeptical, but said she was open-minded.
“I learned that Monsanto uses a lot of advanced technology to help keep track of the seeds and to help them grow to their full potential,” Andrada said. She said Monsanto changes the genes within corn seeds “to allow the crop to grow to its full potential without being harmed or disturbed by the environment,” such as pests. Stockham said she “really enjoyed going in the greenhouse, where we got to watch things in action.” “I was baffled by the fact that they are able to electronically track every seed that ever enters their state-of-the-art facilities,” she said. Stockham also said she was intrigued to learn that Monsanto’s technicians shave off a piece of each seed to send to a lab on the Mainland “where they run it through a DNA machine that determines whether or not the seed has the qualities they are looking for.”
Youth Alliance members attend monthly events during the school year to explore and gain a greater understanding of key components in the Maui community. Their gatherings are coordinated by the Maui Economic Development Board, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2012. Stockham said she believes that all citizens have a “duty to be well-informed” on all current topics and the tour at Monsanto was an experience toward fulfilling her duty. “I believe the only way for us to make the best decisions for Maui’s future is if everyone on Maui is actively informed and participating in local decisions.”
Sep 12, 2012 | Education, Environment
Hundreds of scientists, astronomers, engineers and a new generation of space leaders are gathering on Maui this week for the 13th Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference. Mike Maberry is among six representatives from the University of Hawai‘i Institute for Astronomy who will be attending the 2012 event at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. “The AMOS Conference is the only annual world class space related technical conference held here in Hawai‘i,” said Maberry, assistant director for UH’s Institute for Astronomy. “It provides a great opportunity to network, to exchange ideas, and to get updates on advances in areas of technical interest.”
A program of the Maui Economic Development Board, the AMOS Conference is billed as the premier technical conference in the nation devoted to space surveillance. The mission of MEDB, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, involves taking innovative actions that strengthen existing industry and diversifying new opportunities. Maberry said the IfA has been participating in the conference since its inception. He said he attends to represent the IfA for networking opportunities “that may lead to collaborations for dual use technology development.” Scientists from the IfA have written several technical papers ‒ this year being no exception ‒ to share with others attending the conference.
The University of Hawai‘i Institute for Astronomy is the steward of two of the best astronomical and space surveillance observatory sites in the world, Haleakalā on Maui and Mauna Kea on the Big Island. Maberry said the AMOS conference helps keep him updated on the latest in space surveillance. This year’s keynote address will be given by General William L. Shelton of the Air Force Space Command, U.S. Air Force. Also, the conference will host up to 300 Maui middle school students for a session with Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut and Space Foundation Special Advisor – Human Spaceflight. For more information, visit www.amostech.com.
Aug 1, 2012 | Environment
Husband and wife ‘Iliahi and Haunani Paredes said they demand hard work, dedication and sacrifice as kumu hula of the award-winning Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi. The couple formed the hālau in October 2004 with the mission to preserve and perpetuate the “beautiful art form of hula.” Haunani Paredes adds: “The hula touches all aspects of the Hawai‘i culture, and through the hula, we promote other facets of our complex culture like the language, chant, history and crafts.” The hālau has 200 members who range in age from three to 70 and older.
In its seven years, the hālau has performed on Maui, on O‘ahu, on the East Coast and at international venues. Dancers have competed and won numerous awards at prestigious events including its first hula competition in 2005 at the Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel’s Hula O Nā Keiki Competition on Maui and the Merrie Monarch Festival on the Big Island. ‘Iliahi Paredes said he and his wife stress that “the greatest victory is for us to see our students blossom before our eyes. To know that hula has made our students better people in the community makes the hard work and sacrifice worth it.” Besides competitions and festivals, the hālau has entertained at local nonprofit fundraisers, the Maui Ag Festival and the Hawaiian Civic Club’s Holokū Ball.
The Paredes say hula touches people’s soul and hālau participation is not limited to race, age or gender. The couple also readily admits that it isn’t easy to be a member of their hālau. “Only the strong survive,” ‘Iliahi said, adding that hula takes a back seat to a performer’s education. Students failing in school are not allowed to participate in hula classes or events. “Our hope is that hula can coexist harmoniously with family, work, and school,” Haunani said. “We tell parents that we support positive educational decisions for their children, and if we can assist in any way, we will help,” ‘Iliahi adds.
Jul 25, 2012 | Environment
It takes hard work, determination and perseverance to make L&R Farms the successful business it is today on Moloka‘i, according to founder Lynn Decoite. She and her husband, Russell, established the farm in 2001 along with their children, producing three varieties of sweet potato — Moloka‘i Purple, Moloka‘i Gold and the more universally common orange. While the purple potato variety has been a traditional part of Hawaiian luaus, it is now being served at commercial luaus on the other islands and on island style plates at many restaurants in Hawaii. The Decoites’ dream is to one day export their product throughout the United States.
For now, L&R Farms stocks up restaurants and other establishments with the Moloka‘i sweet potato that was initially developed by Lynn’s grandmother, Becky Mokuau. She started raising tubers in the early 1960s on the family homestead and passed the “secrets” to her son, George Mokuau. George’s daughter, Lynn Decoite now gets help from her husband and their children with growing the sweet potatoes in Ho’olehua in rural Moloka‘i. “We have seven employees and we all strive to make our product the best we can,” Lynn Decoite said.
Ten years ago, L&R Farms introduced their renowned Moloka‘i Sweet Potato Chips as a snack for residents and visitors to enjoy and share with family and friends. The farms’ website states that the product is prepared like regular potato chips but with select sweet potatoes grown on Moloka‘i. They describe it as having a “crisp taste of Moloka‘i found nowhere else.” Every day, Decoite said, the farm tries to keep up a tradition of satisfying customers. “We believe that people enjoy our product and we are happy to supply them with it.” She said running a farm has its challenges. “We see ourselves as a small contributor to the economy, but know that the daily struggles to keep a farming operation in business are tough in this economy.”
Jul 18, 2012 | Community, Environment
As a young girl growing up on Maui, Laura Souza Paresa remembers her grandma reciting the rosary in Portuguese. “I asked her to teach me but she said, ‘You’re American, you speak English.’” Now as an adult, Paresa and 14 other active members of the Maui Portuguese Cultural Club learn everything they can about their language, their culture, and the history of Portugal. “The more I researched the history, the more I was amazed,” said Paresa, a four-year Portuguese Club president. “I feel honored to be a descendant of these people.”
The Maui Portuguese Cultural Club spent this year baking loaves of white bread and cinnamon bread and making pots of Portuguese bean soup as part of two separate fundraisers that garnered some $7,000. Club members invested the money in sprucing up the Portuguese model home and surroundings at Kepaniwai Park, where Maui’s multi-cultural history is showcased. In the Portuguese model home, a colorful exhibit traces the country’s history and outlines pictures of Portuguese exports such as copper, crystal and linen, and practices such as festivals honoring Catholic saints. “Most of our traditions are centered on the church,” Paresa said.
Paresa said about 10 percent of Hawaii’s population has Portuguese ancestry, yet not many are exposed to the rich history of the culture. She said the club awards college scholarships and it does what it can to educate others about the culture and history of the people. Portuguese Cultural Club members have trekked to Portugal and enjoyed hearing stories about a Portuguese family’s daily life. “They were hardworking individuals,” Paresa said. “In these stories, we’ve found they had a very rich culture and they also had a lot of faith.” The Maui Portuguese Cultural Club plans to be more visible at events in the community and accepts new members any time. “You don’t even have to be Portuguese to join the club. If you’re interested in the Portuguese culture, we welcome you,” Paresa said.
