MEDIA RELEASE

From the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary:

As many of you know, in 2010 the sanctuary began a multi-year process to review and update the current management plan. The management plan review process (MPR) includes many consultations with community members, including Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, scientists, educators, ocean users, and state and federal agency representatives.

There are also numerous opportunities for members of the public to provide input.

Following a 90-day public comment and scoping period in the summer and fall of 2010, the sanctuary advisory council formed 9 working groups based on priority issues that were raised by the public. The working group process included more than 150 participants, 60 meetings, workshops, and more than 2,000 hours of service in developing potential management recommendations for advisory council consideration.

At the January 2012 meeting of the advisory council, the council discussed, voted on, and forwarded recommendations to the sanctuary management on possible roles the sanctuary could play to address marine and cultural resource conservation.

As part of this process, the sanctuary advisory council has recommended that the sanctuary consider expanding its focus from humpback whales and their habitat to an ecosystem-based management approach.

The recommendations also include the consideration of special management areas and vessel speed limits, as well as increased collaboration with communities and state and federal agencies.

The recommendations reflect an approach that considers the whole ecosystem, including humans and the environment, rather than managing one resource or issue in isolation.

The advisory council recommendations will be considered as the sanctuary moves forward to develop a new draft management plan. The draft management plan and associated environmental impact statement will identify gaps in existing marine conservation efforts in Hawaii and potential roles for the sanctuary to complement existing conservation efforts.

No final decisions have been made at this time, and once the draft plan is complete, there will be additional opportunities for the public to provide input. It is anticipated that a draft plan will be available to share with the public in early 2013.

— Find out more:

hawaiihumpbackwhale.no…

By Hawaii 24/7 Staff

Team 6000 n 60 in Kohala

During the White House Science Fair Tuesday (Feb 7) four Kohala Middle School students had the honor of presenting their exhibit ‘Improving the Environment One Community at a Time’ for President Obama and officials.

Isabel Steinhoff, Rico Bowman, Genevieve Boyle and Mina Apostadiro took first place in the grade 6-8 division of the 2010-2011 Siemens “We Can Change the World” Challenge, for their household battery recycling effort to collect 6,000 batteries in 60 days. The team’s mentor is Lani Bowman, a former part-time teacher at Kohala Middle School.

The team, named ’6000 n 60′, embarked on a campaign to improve their community’s use and disposal of batteries by giving people information on the environmental harm of batteries disposed improperly along with providing tips on how to better use battiers and provide opportunities for recycling.

The team distributed surveys to gauge community awareness on the issue before and after the collection. A logo and t-shirts were created along with promotional materials to raise awareness and increase participation in the recycling effort. The team also involved the school and community through school bulletins, assemblies, posters, PSAs, presentations to community organizations, had a community kickoff event, a Facebook page and guest speakers. Students set out bins to collect used batteries. 6000 n 60 met their goal of collecting 6,000 batteries and the team is using their data to lobby the country for better battery recycling opportunities.

For their Siemens prize team members each receive a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond, a trip to Costa Rica this summer and a pocket video camera to document their adventure.

MEDIA RELEASE

Dr. Dilafruz Williams

WAIMEA, Island of Hawaii—Hawaii Preparatory Academy will launch a series of monthly ‘Ohana Nights at the Energy Lab beginning Wednesday, February 8.

‘Ohana Night at the Energy Lab, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, provides hands-on learning opportunities for families in the areas of energy and water conservation, energy generation, water clarification, zero waste, food sovereignty, and green chemistry. The fee, which covers all materials, is $15 per family per evening or $50 for all four evenings in the series.

The first ‘Ohana Night will feature Dr. Dilafruz Williams, Stanford Fellow and professor at Portland State University, who will present Learning Gardens and Sustainability Education: How Parents and the Community Can Support Academic Achievement in the Garden. As part of the presentation, families will take home one pound of worm castings to use in their own gardens.

Williams has been studying the effects of ecologically-based education on academic achievement, social skills acquisition, and nutrition for more than 20 years. As a parent and former public school board member, she values education that builds relationships with nature and humans. She is the co-founder of Portland School District’s Sunnyside K-8 Environmental School and co-founder of Leadership in Sustainability Education, where she established a master’s level academic program, initiated and designed Learning Gardens at several schools addressing local farm-to-school food and nutrition issues and integration into major curricular goals for grades K-8.
Future ‘Ohana Night at the Energy Lab events will feature:

• Wednesday, March 14: Dr. Bill Wiecking, director of the Energy Lab at HPA, will present Solar Energy: Applying Energy Lab Technology at Home. Families will bring a list of home appliances to aid in calculations and will take home sketches of home systems.
• Wednesday, April 11: Angela Kang, Hawaii County Recycling Specialist, will present Zero-Waste Your Home and Office. Families will make an alkaline battery capture bucket or sew a reusable bag.
• Wednesday, May 9: Deacon “Dr. Beachcomb” Ritterbush, Ph.D., will present Connecting to Nature Through Beachcombing. Families will create beachcombing art.

For more information, please contact Koh Ming Wei at 808-881-4266 or mwkoh@hpa.edu.

Kipukaakihi looking down in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Unit. Photo courtesy of NPS

Hawai‘i National Park, HI – Two adventurous programs offered by Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will introduce a captivating landscape, biodiversity and history of the park’s southernmost section to intrepid hikers.

People and Land of Kahuku is a two-mile, three-hour expedition through pastures, a quarry, an airstrip and the 1868 lava fields of Kahuku. Rangers will explain how people lived on the vast Kahuku lands, from the earliest Hawaiians through today. Walk in emerging native forest, hear about Kahuku’s history of violent earthquakes and eruptions and the residents who survived them, and find out how Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park plans to restore the native ecosystem and protect Kahuku’s cultural sites.

The hike is offered Feb. 12, Feb. 18, Mar. 11, Mar. 25, Apr. 15 and Apr. 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet near the Kahuku gate, which is located off Highway 11 between mile markers 70 and 71 on the mauka side of the highway. Park and meet inside the gate near the ranch buildings. Boots, raingear and long pants are recommended. No advance registration is required.

Kīpuka‘akihi is a challenging 1.5 mile, five-hour adventure to see some of the rare plants and wildlife that inhabit this treasured kīpuka. Participants must be prepared to scramble over fallen trees, lava rock, and slippery, wet terrain. Wear sturdy hiking shoes, long pants, sunscreen and a hat. Bring raingear, garden gloves, a day pack, insect repellent, lunch and water. This forest stewardship program provides opportunities to help protect this rainforest by pulling up invasive kāhili ginger and other invasive non-native plants throughout the kīpuka. Due to the fragile nature of the region, the program is limited to 15 people and pre-registration is required. To sign up, call (808) 985-6011.

This expedition into Kahuku’s isolated refuge of rare plants is offered Feb. 26, Mar. 18 and Apr. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet near the Kahuku gate, which is located off Highway 11 between mile markers 70 and 71 on the mauka side of the highway. Park and meet inside the gate near the ranch buildings.

MEDIA RELEASE

A new coastal community park is underway at Kohanaiki in North Kona – the result of years of collaboration between community groups, the County of Hawaii, the Kohanaiki Shores project, and lineal descendants of the area.

The Kohanaiki Coastal Community Park, situated along 1.5 miles of coastline, will provide an improved road, parking and facilities at some of North Kona’s most popular surf, dive and camping spots.

Mayor Billy Kenoi praised the stewardship agreement between the county, community and Kohanaiki Shores.

“Our shoreline areas are wonderful places to be enjoyed by residents and visitors,” Kenoi said. “But they are fragile, and it is through the cooperative efforts of the public and private sectors as well as those who swim, surf and play there that we will be able to preserve them for future generations.”

A blessing of the park grounds is 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7; a brief closure of the beach access will be in effect while the blessing takes place.

Upon the park’s completion – targeted for the end of 2012 – it will be turned over to the County of Hawaii and the responsibilities for park care will be shared between Kohanaiki Shores, the County and the Big Island community.

As work gets underway, the park partners will continue their discussions on details of the beach park’s operation.

Kohanaiki Ohana, an active member of the community partnership that has worked toward establishment of the park, president Rebecca Villegas said.

“The Kohanaiki Ohana supports this collaborative effort to create a model for partnerships between government, private enterprise and the community,” Villegas said. “We are committed to ensuring the park remains the special place that families and community members have cherished for generations.”

Daily beach access will continue on its current schedule. However, the tentative camping schedule for 2012 may be adjusted as work on the park dictates and beach goers can expect some detours on the road to the beach during construction.

“We will keep the public and our regular beach goers informed of anticipated delays and detours through distribution of flyers and one-on-one contact at the beach,” said Joe Root, project director for Kohanaiki Shores.

One of the first phases of park work will focus on landscaping and will include the careful moving and transplanting of trees and other flora to make way for necessary roadways and parking.

Once completed, the park will be open daily and will include bathrooms and outdoor showers, designated camping spots, a halau for cultural practices, improved parking, and improved roadways to the shoreline and within the park.

A pedestrian trail along the length of the shoreline is already established and is part of the longer Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail. A preservation and cultural plan, guided by the lineal descendants of Kohanaiki, is in place to oversee the conservation of historic and cultural sites at the park, as well as ongoing cultural practices.

Elizabeth Maluihi Lee said, “I am very impressed with Kohanaiki Shores for providing a park for the community to enjoy. The name Kohanaiki refers to a narrowing strip, wide at one end and narrow at the other. By providing these types of amenities to the local people it represents the widening of that strip to include all who live here as beneficiaries of this land. Aloha mai oukou! Mahalo nui nei au, i na kulena waiwai no ka mahele ana ke aloha no ka lehulehu o ka aina i keia kahua hale hoolealea. O wau no me ka haahaa.”

MEDIA RELEASE

More than 950 volunteers helped gather data Jan. 28 from 61 sites on the shores of Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island for the kickoff of the 2012 Sanctuary Ocean Count.

Hawaiian waters provide critical breeding habitat for approximately two-thirds of the north Pacific stock of humpback whales.

The following are the average numbers of whales sighted per 15-minute count period on each of the islands:

Hawaii Island – 3 whales
Kauai – 8 whales
Oahu – 2 whales

Preliminary data from each island is attached. Scientific studies have shown the humpback whale population in Hawaii is increasing at an annual rate of approximately seven percent.

Over time, data from the Sanctuary Ocean Count can be used to corroborate these findings.

Two more Sanctuary Ocean Counts are scheduled to take place on Saturdays – Feb. 25 and March 31.

For more information on becoming a Sanctuary Ocean Count volunteer, call 1-888-55-WHALE ext. 253 or visit:
www.sanctuaryoceancoun…

MEDIA RELEASE

The 2012 Nahelehele Dry Forest Symposium will highlight dryland forest ecology and restoration efforts in Hawaii. The symposium is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.

The 2012 conference will emphasize “Connections’ in Hawaiian dry forests — between the past and the present, people and the forest, uplands and lowlands, and between the forest and the animals that inhabit them.

The dryland forests of Hawaii are fragile habitats that are home to many of the rarest plants in the world. Dryland forests were once considered to be the most diverse forest ecosystem on the Hawaiian Islands but today they are extremely deforested and degraded.

Only remnant patches of the habitat remain to remind us of the highly diverse community of plants and animals that once dominated the landscape of West Hawaii.

How Hawaii’s unique dryland forests evolved and the relationships between the forest, people and other forest inhabitants will be the focus of this year’s Dryland Forest Symposium.

This year is the sixth annual Nahelehele Dryland Forest Symposium. It will feature presentations by Hawaii plant and animal experts from around the state.

The program includes talks about the origins of dryland forest species in Hawaii; linkages between the forest and generations of people; the complex roles of alien animals as pollinators, seed dispersers and seed predators; effects of ungulates on dry forests; and Hawaii’s native birds.

There will be other talks about the role of fire in shaping dry forest succession, restoration efforts at Auwahi (Maui), and the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project.

An optional field trip on the geology, botany and culture of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park will precede the symposium 9:20 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23.

This field trip will include an overview of the geology of Hualalai and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park and a hike to the coast to view a variety of lowland indigenous and endemic Hawaiian plants.

The hike passes through a native plant restoration project conducted from 2000-2007, a petroglyph field, and over different aged lava fields. Trip leaders Jill Wagner and Mark Solien will explore what this coastal forest looked like thousands of years ago based on pollen samples from a sediment core dating to the time before human habitation. The trip will end with a sack lunch on the beach.

The public is invited to attend the symposium and field trip.

Register by downloading the registration form at www.kohalacenter.org/p… and emailing it to Cortney Hoffman at choffman@kohalacenter…., faxing it to 808-885-6707, or call Cortney at 808-443-2757.

Symposium registration by February 13 is $55, which includes lunch. After February 13, the registration fee increases to $70. Student registration is $35, increasing to $45 after Feb. 13. The field trip is $25 ($15 for students, ID required), and no late registrations will be accepted.

The Nahelehele Dryland Forest Symposium is a project of Kaahahui o ka Nahelehele, a non-profit organization dedicated to dry forest advocacy and partnerships.

Sponsors of this symposium include Bishop Museum’s Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, Hawaii Forest Industry Association, HTA Kukulu Ola: Living Hawaiian Culture Program and The Kohala Center.

— Find out more:
www.drylandforest.org/…

MEDIA RELEASE

You can make a difference in preserving our ocean resources through the Eyes of the Reef community reporting network for coral bleaching and disease, COTS and marine invasive species.

Attend a three-hour workshop to learn how to identify and report coral bleaching, coral disease, Crown-of-Thorns Sea Stars and marine invasive species.

Whether you are a recreational ocean user, recreational or commercial fisherman, tourism operator, researcher or student, you can help us learn more about when and where these events occur by keeping an eye out for signs of change when visiting the reef.

RSVP as seating is limited.

For more information, contact Linda Preskitt, Eyes of the Reef Hawaii Island Coordinator, at 936-7636 or email linda@eyesofthereef.or…

* Kailua Kona:
5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2
Kona CPR 73-5577 Kauhola Street #1A, Kailua-Kona, 96745 (Kaloko Industrial Area)

* Kohala:
5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16
Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company, 61-3251 Maluokalani Street, Kawaihae, HI 96743 (above Kawaihae in industrial area)

— Find out more:
www.reefcheckhawaii.or…

MEDIA RELEASE

The non-profit Hawai’i Marine Mammal Consortium (HMMC) is pleased to announce the release of a glossy, full-color art poster of humpback whale tail fluke photographs. The poster illustrates the beauty of humpback whale flukes and how scientists use them to study whales. Like human fingerprints, the shape, color, and markings on the tail flukes of humpback whales are unique to each whale. The poster shows 56 photographs of 53 different whales with a built-in “fluke matching” quiz to identify three whales that appear twice in the photos. The answers can be found at the HMMC website: www.hmmc.org

Sightings of individually identified whales over the years help scientists to describe their social behavior, migrations, and life histories. The website shows information about the sighting history of each whale and links to pages about whale biology and behavior. All photographs were taken under a NOAA Fisheries Scientific Research Permit.

Copies of the poster are available at select locations on Hawai’i Island, including Hawai’i Ocean Sports and The Gallery at Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi. It is also available by mail through the HMMC website. The purchase of the poster is tax deductible, and proceeds will directly support HMMC’s whale and dolphin research in Hawai’i.

The HMMC is a Waimea-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2003 by four biologists who first met while conducting whale research for the University of Hawai’i on the Big Island in the early 1990′s. Local residents may have noticed this group at their hillside whale observation site off Akoni Pule Highway just north of Kawaihae and from their vessel-based work each winter out of Kawaihae Harbor. The HMMC also assists with whale disentanglement efforts led by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The group focuses on marine mammal conservation, research and education and has a science advisory group from top universities around the U.S. and abroad. The HMMC hosts education programs for classes of high school and college students from Hawai’i and the mainland, including an annual week-long class on whale bioacoustics for Cornell University students and a collaboration with faculty at the University of Alaska Southeast in Sitka and the University of Hawai’i Hilo to connect students from Hawai’i and Alaska. For more information about HMMC scientists, research, education programs and scientific papers, visit www.hmmc.org or email info@hmmc.org

MEDIA RELEASE

Sulfur dioxide gas emissions from the crater of Pu‘u ‘O‘o on Kīlauea’s east rift zone (above) and the vent within Halemaumau Crater at Kilauea’s summit create volcanic pollution that affects the air quality of downwind communities. Here, an HVO gas geochemist measures Pu‘u ‘O‘o gas emissions using an instrument that detects gas compositions on the basis of absorbed infrared light. Photo courtesy of USGS/HVO

Hawaii National Park, HI — The public is invited to learn about Kīlauea’s volcanic gases and vog (volcanic air pollution) in an “After Dark in the Park” program at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Tues., Jan. 31, at 7 p.m.

U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists Jeff Sutton and Tamar Elias will update information on Kīlauea Volcano’s gas emissions and associated environmental impacts. Their presentation will be at the park’s Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Park entrance fees apply.

Sutton and Elias will discuss how vog forms from sulfur dioxide gas emitted from Kīlauea’s east rift and summit vents. They will also provide an overview of existing resources that residents can consult to better deal with this notable aspect of the volcano’s ongoing eruptions. After their talk, an optional “gas tasting” session will be offered, during which attendees can safely learn to recognize individual volcanic gases by smell.

Kīlauea has been releasing large amounts of potentially hazardous volcanic gases for nearly three decades—since the beginning of the volcano’s east rift zone eruption in 1983. In March 2008, Kīlauea gas emissions increased further when a new vent opened in Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the summit of the volcano.

Average sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emissions from Kīlauea’s east rift zone vent declined significantly in 2010 but jumped briefly during the Kamoamoa eruption in March 2011. Kīlauea summit SO2 emissions, overall, have remained high since the opening of the Halema‘uma‘u Overlook Vent in 2008. At of the end of 2011, the combined emission rate for these two sources was about half of what it was during 2008-2009. This lower combined rate has been comparatively good news for downwind residents and visitors of Hawai‘i Island.

This presentation is one of many programs offered by HVO during Hawai‘i Island’s Volcano Awareness Month in January 2012. For details about this After Dark in the Park program, please call 808-985-6011. More information about Volcano Awareness Month is posted on the HVO website at hvo.wr.usgs.gov

MEDIA RELEASE

Humpback whales in Hawaii. Photo by Benjamin L. Richards/NOAA

Hawai‘i National Park, HI – Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park encourages volunteers to help count humpback whales during the annual Sanctuary Ocean Count held the last Saturday of January, February and March (Jan. 28, Feb. 25, and Mar. 31) from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Hawaii Volcanoes’ Ka‘ena Point, at the end of Chain of Craters Road, is one of 22 Sanctuary Ocean Count sites island-wide where volunteers onshore monitor humpbacks in nearshore waters for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Residents and visitors enjoy this yearly event which provides important population and distribution information about humpback whales around the Hawaiian Islands.

“This is an ideal opportunity for the community and for Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park to work together as stewards of our ocean,” said Park Ranger Adrian Boone, site leader for the Sanctuary Ocean Count. “These magnificent creatures swim more than 2,000 miles to Hawai‘i from Arctic waters every winter, and the annual count is one way we can help observe and record their behavior, and ensure their future,” he said.

Volunteers can sign up on the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary website: hawaiihumpbackwhale.no… or call 1-888-55-WHALE ext. 253

MEDIA RELEASE

The Sustainable Hawaii Youth Leadership Initiative launched the New Year with a weeklong Leadership Intensive including a three-day Sustainable Hawaii Tour.

The SHYLI Tour served as a preliminary community assessment of youth and green initiatives from sustainable agriculture, sustainable business, sustainable energy, sustainable housing, and sustainable living.

SHYLI’s Leadership Intensive coincided with the Hawaii Island Economic Summit 2012 with more than 300 island leaders who chose education as their top priority – with sustainability as another.

The first was sustainable agriculture with West Hawaii Explorations Academy’s Green Team traveling to Malaai Gardens: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School. Carved from the former Parker Ranch pastureland, the Garden supports student learning by integrating core curriculum (math, science, language arts, social studies and health, cultural learning and healthy life skills).

The Garden Classroom is guided by the ideals: I will be safe; kind and respectful; have an open mind; use my time well; and be my best self in the garden. In addition to sharing their beautiful plants, vegetables and herbs, Malaai Garden teacher Amanda Rieux shared how they use herbs like comfrey for poultices and for enriching compost.

At the Malaai Gardens, SHYLI ‘s visiting faculty Josue Cruz, 23, shared how he had been inspired by the Sustainable Tour with the Youth Leadership Summit on Martha’s Vineyard.

When he returned home to his island of Puerto Rico, he helped get a grant to create 100 school gardens with 150 teachers that benefited over 7,000 fourth-grade students.

“In just six months, students involved with the project increased their MCAS science scores, while learning about sustainable living,” he said.

SHYLI is a local branch of the Stone Soup Leadership Institute whose mission is to develop educational tools and train young and emerging leaders to build a more sustainable world.

The next stop was sustainable energy and building at the internationally recognized Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s Energy Lab. The 6,000 square foot facility is located where the greatest variety of renewable resources on the planet features a wealth of educational tools to facilitate 21st century learning environment. It is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum candidate and Living Building Challenge participant.

Sustainability Curriculum Facilitator Ming Wei Koh lead WHEA’s Green Team on an impressive tour of the facilities and shared how students designed state of the art projects using their technologies.

Cruz was especially impressed with The Energy Lab’s video conferencing technologies.

“This will allow our islands to stay connected as we develop projects together. Each one of you can have a dream for your life, your island and the world,” he said. “Together we can build a more sustainable world for our families and our future.”

SHYLI’s first day focused on sustainable business with an interactive presentation by Guy Toyama at NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory Hawaiian Authority) and site visits to solar power technology leader Sopogy, and OTEC, the world’s premier ocean science and technology park growing sustainable industries by using sunshine, seawater and ingenuity.

“Hawaii’s isolation and vulnerability is our greatest asset,” Toyama said. “It forces our island people to shift into a new era of sustainable and self-reliant living. Upon meeting Josue and SHYLI members, I’m encouraged to see our youth leaders grab the ball and run to the goal with a sense of urgency.”

Cruz was fascinated with the similarity of challenges and opportunities facing his island.

“The Island of Hawaii is really one of the leaders among the islands in sustainable development initiatives,” he said. “While I enjoyed learning about them during the Institute’s Youth Leadership Summit, it was awesome to personally visit them and meet the leaders of these great organizations and institutions.”

The Sustainable Hawaii Tour was part of a weeklong SHYLI Leadership Intensive. The SHYLI Team first paid their respects to Deputy Mayor Wally Lau and met with potential partners like Nancy Redfeather and University of Hawaii, West Hawaii Center to explore developing a leadership certification program with college credits.

The tour began with a greeting from Keala Ching.

“In order to really capture sustainability, we have to begin to understand how one sustains themself. Through self-reflection of who one represents, sustainability is accomplished,” Ching said. “By living life, knowledge is gained. Me Ka Hane Ka Ike, we learn by doing.”

Cruz traveled to Hawaii to help train SHYLI’s new Project Coordinator Mariana Garcia. This summer he will serve again as the director of the Institute’s Youth Leadership Summit training youth delegates from five islands to envision a better future for their lives and their world.

Cruz transformed his life from a depressed, obese, 15-year old C-D student to a healthy, happy, 4.0 under graduate, and first year law school aspiring to become the mayor of his island.

Cruz led the Vieques Youth Leadership Initiative team to envision the future of their island, researched best practices and created VYLI’s 2020 Report for Sustainable Development that was presented at the 2008 APEC Youth Summit in Peru. The VYLI team got their mayor to donate 500 acres of land to create a green community.

SHYLI’s Day 2 began with a guided visit to the Volcano National Park with Marsha and Howard Shapiro. As education director for Recycle Hawaii, Howard then introduced SHYLI’s team to Recycle Keaau (KRRC), a recycling project that serves as a model for replicating recycling and reuse centers around the County of Hawaii.

“All of us with Recycle Hawaii greatly appreciate the goals of your organization and fully support your work,” he said.

At the Keaau Youth Business Center, the SHYLI team met with Director Trina Nahm-Mijo and Sound Recording Engineer Damon Williams. They learned about their youth-driven hands-on, interdisciplinary curriculum stressing project-based learning, community engagement, entrepreneurial training, and capstone assessment activities that integrate STEM curriculum and Digital Arts skill building.

“It was a pleasure talking story with Mariana, Josue, and Marianne,” Nahm-Mijo said. “I was especially struck by how our philosophy and mission of empowering youth was so similar. KYBC really looks forward to collaborating with their organization in the future. A hui hou.”

SHYLI’s Sustainable Hawaii Tour culminated with an event hosted by Holly and Elia Algood at the Algood Bamboo Barn in Hawi. Guests included sustainability organizations like David Fuertes’ Ka Hana Noeau and Susan Cox with Green Power Girl.

An educational slideshow about the building project explained how they are completely off the grid and use solar energy if there is no wind or wind energy from their windmill if there is no sun.

Their tilapia pond fertilizes the aquaponically grown spinach that feeds their chickens. Their recycled bus even serves as their office.

In April for Earth Day, SHYLI will join with The Grand Green Home Tours sponsored by the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce and the West Hawaii Mediation Center.

“I believe that the Sustainable Hawaii Island Leadership Initiative can empower our youth with experiences to transform them into tomorrow’s leaders by achieving personal dreams and by being stewards of our aina,” Algood said.

“We were inspired by everyone’s interest in collaborating to benefit our young people and support existing sustainability initiatives,” the institute’s director, Marianne Larned said.

SHYLI is now expanding its focus beyond its pilot program to partner with other educational organizations. Each month SHYLI will partner with others to support and expand programs.

In this way, it will serve as capacity building for existing organizations to engage more youth and develop their leadership skills. People are invited to nominate youth (ages 15-22) who are potential leaders from their communities.

“Young people hold the key to our future,” SHYLI’s Project Coordinator Mariana Garcia said. “Our world is in trouble, and we are going to be the ones who will have to save it. It is imperative that we learn now, before it is too late.”

— Find out more:
Sustainable Hawaii Youth Leadership Initiative: www.shyli.org
Stone Soup Leadership Institute: www.soup4worldinstitut…

Josue Cruz speaks with students. (Photo special to Hawaii 24/7)

Josue Cruz with HPA and WHEA students. (Photo special to Hawaii 24/7)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

Mayor Billy Kenoi has signed the plastic bag reduction ordinance.

Kenoi signed the bill Monday, Jan. 16, before he left for the United States Conference of Mayors in Washington, D. C.

The bill phases out the use of plastic bags at checkout counters in stores over the next year, but does allow for continued use for produce and meat. Consumers still will be able to choose between paper bags, boxes and reusable bags.

Kenoi said he considered all arguments before making his decision to sign the bill, eventually deciding it was a quality of life issue and beneficial to the island in the long term.

Kenoi said the new rule isn’t a matter of over-governance, but is more of an education and awareness move to encourage behavior change, much like seatbelt use, littering and recycling.

In the end, he said, it was about leaving a cleaner, healthier island for the next generation.

“In the end, this bill is not about plastic bags, politics or the Hawaii County Council. It’s about protecting our beautiful island,” he said.

Kenoi also urges the County Council to continue implementing measures to bolster the county’s Zero Waste policy.

The bill garnered more comments and opinions than just about any other issue during Kenoi’s term. The mayor said he quizzed every person he ran into and was amazed that it was split almost evenly between proponents and opponents.

The county Department of Environmental Management will now draw up administrative rules for implementation of the ordinance, which will take effect January 17, 2013.

Public hearings are expected on the administrative rules.

Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann, who introduced the bill, said he believes people want to protect the environment and will readily adapt to the new rule.

Maui and Kauai already have implemented similar ordinances.

MEDIA RELEASE

West Hawaii Fisheries Council meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19 at Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club, Honokohau Harbor.

This meeting will include following up on issues that were discussed at the Strategic Planning in December and commiting to strategic actions to implement each committee program.

The mission of the West Hawaii Fisheries Council is to manage fishery activities to ensure sustainability, enhance near shore resources, minimize resource depletion and manage conflicts of use.

The council was created after the 1998 Hawaii State Legislature created Act 306 which called for a community source to formulate and recommend West Hawaii fisheries management actions and changes to the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources.

Council meetings are open to the general public and, for those wanting to join, applications can be picked up at the Division of Aquatic Resource office at Honokohau Harbor in Kona as well as contacting Marni at 987-2171 or marnih@hawaiiantel.net or Glennon at 960-9348.

MEDIA RELEASE

Coral reef affected by Montipora White Syndrome. Note the large swath of white skeleton tissue surrounded by normal (brown) corals. USGS Photo

Scientists have discovered an outbreak of coral disease called Montipora White Syndrome in Kāneʿohe Bay, Oʿahu. The affected coral are of the species Montipora capitata, also known as rice coral.

Rice corals provide valuable habitat, shelter, and foraging grounds for a variety of tropical marine fish and invertebrates and provide the fundamental structure of coral reefs. Rice corals are especially important to Hawai‘i’s marine ecosystems because they are one of the more abundant coral reef species in the region.

Thus, loss of corals can have negative effects on many other reef-associated organisms. In fact, losing a coral reef is similar to losing a rainforest, with many species reliant on that ecosystem for survival.

In addition, coral reefs in Hawai‘i are an important source of tourism and other economic income (fisheries). For example, Kāneʿohe Bay, where this outbreak is concentrated, is a popular spot frequented by snorkelers, bathers, divers, boaters and fishermen.

While this particular disease outbreak seems limited to south Kāneʿohe Bay, coral diseases have the potential to be widespread, affecting large geographic regions. A prime example is the Western Atlantic and Caribbean where large tracts of coral reefs have either declined or disappeared due to diseases.

Science Helping Protect the Reefs

The investigation of this recent outbreak has been led by the University of Hawai‘i’s Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology in collaboration with University of Hawai‘i, West Oʿahu, and the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Honolulu Field Station.

Current efforts are focused on determining the extent of the outbreak and collecting samples for laboratory analysis. On a longer term scale, all three partner organizations are trying to devise better methods to detect coral disease and determine their cause.

For the most part, the causes of coral diseases are unknown. Since biologists do not know yet precisely what is killing corals, this has complicated management of coral reef diseases. Scientists are investigating many possible causes, including host immunity, host physiology, potential infectious agents like bacteria or parasites, and environmental variables such as increased seawater temperatures associated with climate change or land-based sources of pollution.

The USGS is one of the few organizations globally that has applied biomedical tools to investigate animal diseases to coral reefs (yes, corals are animals too). The USGS’s focus in this particular outbreak is to characterize the changes seen in sick corals by looking at the whole coral (what we see with the naked eye) as well as at the cellular level (under the microscope). The USGS is also developing other laboratory tools to help enhance our understanding of coral diseases with the eventual goal of pinpointing the causes of such important diseases.

What Is Montipora White Syndrome?

Coral reef affected by Montipora White Syndrome. Note the large swath of white skeleton tissue surrounded by normal (brown) corals. USGS Photo

Corals are basically modified anemones, which are a group of predatory — and often strikingly pretty — marine organisms related to jellyfish. Corals secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton covered by a thin layer of tissues that form the foundation of coral reefs. Montipora White Syndrome affects the rice coral and involves loss of tissues from the coral until the underlying white skeleton is revealed/exposed, hence the name “white syndrome.”

History of Outbreak and Future Risks
Based on surveys done since 2006 by the University of Hawai‘i and USGS, Montipora White Syndrome has historically been documented in coral reefs in Kāneʿohe Bay, albeit at low levels with scattered, isolated colonies affected. Large-scale outbreaks involving multiple coral colonies over a larger geographic area have only been documented since March 2011 and this recent event.

The reasons for this increase in outbreaks are presently unknown. Tissue loss diseases like white syndrome are particularly insidious in that they result in immediate loss of coral cover. Often, dead corals are then overgrown by algae, leading to permanent reduction in corals reefs and a change in the ecosystem from a coral-dominated to an algae-dominated reef.

Whether this will be the case here remains to be seen.

The USGS and partner scientists are actively involved in trying to better understand Montipora White Syndrome and other coral diseases. This will allow managers to also determine the environmental drivers of those causes, leading to better intervention and strategies to protect coral reefs.

For more information on this topic and other wildlife health related issues, visit the USGS Honolulu Field Station website.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary 2012 Sanctuary Ocean Count

Saturday, January 28, February 25, & March 31 ~ 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Get involved in this fun volunteer event!
Volunteers count the number of humpback whales which can be seen around the islands over a four-hour period and record their behavior. This year, the Sanctuary Ocean Count will be conducted at over 60 different shore sites around the islands of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, and O‘ahu (see online site descriptions). Counts will be conducted the last Saturday of January, February, and March. Select the date(s) you would like to take part in and register online today!

Want to be even more involved? Join as a site leader!
The sanctuary is also recruiting a limited number of site leaders. Site leaders must be able to participate in all three counts and must attend training. Please call for more information.

Find Out More and Register Now!

hawaiihumpbackwhale.no…

sanctuaryoceancount.or…

Toll Free 1-888-55-WHALE ext. 253
O‘ahu 397-2651 ext. 253

MEDIA RELEASE

The Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Scenic Byway Committee meets 8 a.m. each Tuesday at the Holuakoa Cafe to develop the Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for the 10-mile Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Corridor Byway from Palani Junction to the Honalo Junction.

The public is welcome at all of the Pulama and Corridor meetings. The next date is Jan. 17.

The state has funded this plan to help assess, enhance and maintain intrinsic qualities; hire consultants to report on traffic safety measures, geography, cartography and the historic buildings and sites that Pulama ia Kona, the sponsor of the byway, wants to protect.

On Hawaii’s first Scenic Byway property owners will not be affected directly but will be encouraged to voluntarily maintain the historic character of their buildings and appreciate the historic aspects of the corridor.

Websites will provide residents and visitors with information about where to find amenities along this roadway. These websites will also have a calendar of important and interesting events along the byways.

For further information, call either Tomoe at 329-3058 or Marni at 987-2171, or visit www.HawaiiScenicByways… and www.PulamaiaKona.org

MEDIA RELEASE

HONOLULU — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is focusing its efforts on ecosystem management to protect our islands’ fresh water resources.

DLNR has produced a half-hour television special illustrating the importance of watershed protection and restoration. “The Rain Follows the Forest,” features Jason Scott Lee setting out on a journey to learn about sustainable life in our island home. Through interesting conversations, he learns about Hawai‘i’s fragile fresh water supply and discovers connections to our upland forest environment, and shares ways in which we all can contribute to protecting our watersheds.

One of those conversations in the television special is with William J. Aila, Jr., Chairperson of DLNR who says, “I think about my grandchildren all the time and the challenges that they are going to face. The worst-case scenario is that our watersheds are depleted and the source of fresh water diminishes.”

“Fresh water is really important for us, it’s important to every ecosystem from the top of the mountain even into the ocean,” continued Aila.

Tune-in on Thursday January 19, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. on KGMB and join Jason Scott Lee as he learns about our watersheds and how they provide nearly all of our fresh water in Hawai‘i.

DLNR has launched a facebook page which has been following the production of the television special. Follow DLNR on facebook at www.facebook.com/Hawai… to see those images and keep up to date with DLNR news.

Airdates in January 2012

• KGMB Thursday 1/19/2012 6:30-7pm
• KGMB Sunday 1/22/2012 at 4:30-5pm
• KHNL Thursday 1/26/2012 at 6:30-7pm
• KHNL Saturday 1/28/2012 at 6 – 6:30pm

Airdates in February 2012

• Throughout February on “Outside Hawai‘i” on OC16

For additional information, you may find “The Rain Follows the Forest: A Plan to Replenish Hawai‘i’s Source of Water” which was released by Governor Abercrombie in November 2011 on our DLNR website at www.hawaii.gov/dlnr.

MEDIA RELEASE

Walmart’s 2012 Acres for America program is helping conserve more than 49,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat across the United States.

Acres projects connect existing lands to protect migration routes, provide access for people to enjoy the outdoors and help ensure the future of rural economies that depend on forestry, tourism and recreation.

Acres for America is a 10-year, $35 million commitment that began in 2005 between Walmart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to purchase and preserve one acre of wildlife habitat in the U.S. for every acre of land developed by the company through 2015.

To date, Acres for America has invested in projects in 24 states, protecting more than 687,000 acres.

“It is estimated that America loses nearly three million acres of open space each year,” said Jennifer May-Brust, Walmart vice president of realty supplier management and compliance. “Our strategic partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is helping save important wildlife habitats and fits perfectly with Walmart’s larger goal to bring sustainability into the communities we serve.”

In the summer of 2011, Walmart expanded its Acres investments to include urban conservation projects in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. The six awards support projects in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina and Tennessee.

“With these new projects, Acres for America extends into five additional states to protect vital areas for wildlife and people,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “These investments will not only benefit endangered species like the Florida panther — they will also expand open space near urban areas and conserve forests and streams along the Appalachian Trail, one of our most treasured natural resources.”

The 2012 Acres for America projects:

Southern Sierra Partnership: Tehachapi Linkage, California

While protecting more than 22,000 acres of rare blue oak habitat in the Sierra foothills, this project completes a key 50-mile ecological corridor linking the Sierra-Cascade ranges to the California Coast ranges and the lowlands of the Great Central Valley to the Mojave Desert.

Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge Expansion: Colorado

This project protects 1,334 acres of tallgrass prairie adjacent to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and connects to 70,000 acres of locally protected open space, greatly expanding recreation opportunities in metropolitan Denver.

Panther Crossing Protection Project: Florida

This 1,530-acre property protects a key migratory corridor for the endangered Florida panther, of which less than 165 exist in the wild. It connects existing panther habitat to the south with 1.5 million acres of new habitat in the Northern Everglades, and will also benefit the American black bear, red-cockaded woodpecker, swallow-tailed kite and snail kite.

Almo Tract: Fort Benning, Georgia

This 7,550-acre tract in Georgia’s Fall Line Sandhills is the eastern anchor of a larger 30,000-acre conservation corridor adjacent to Fort Benning. The project protects longleaf pine forest and provides important habitat for the gopher tortoise and red- cockaded woodpecker, among other species.

Palila Protection Project: Hawaii

On the Big Island, two protected parcels (4,469 acres) provide critical habitat to the palila (Loxioides bailleui), one of the rarest birds in the world, and contribute significantly to its recovery.

Appalachian Trail Habitat Protection Project: North Carolina and Tennessee

Partners: The Conservation Fund, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Blue Ridge Forever and Conservation Trust for North Carolina

This group of seven key parcels protects nearly 13,000 acres of forest and 40 miles of freshwater streams along the Appalachian Trail Corridor, which are home to the imperiled southern Appalachian brook trout, 1,000 species of plants, at least 300 species of birds and 20 species of rare and declining salamanders.

— Find out more:
www.nfwf.org

walmartstores.com/sust…

MEDIA RELEASE

The Humane Society of the United States and Hawaii DLNR Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement Inaugurate Reward Tip Line As Total Rewards Grows to $30,000 in Monk Seal Killings

The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust announced new efforts to support the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement’s work to combat poaching and designated wildlife-related crimes by sponsoring a toll-free, confidential reward tip line, 1-855-DLNR-TIP.

The statewide tip line will allow citizens to confidentially report information about poaching crimes to law enforcement. The HSUS will offer $2,500 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for specific, predetermined cases. The first case under this new reward program and tip line involves three monk seals killed on Moloka‘i and a fourth monk seal found killed on Kaua‘i. Necropsies performed on three of the four seals confirmed the deaths were suspicious. The fourth case is pending additional information. Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call the confidential reward tip line.

Along with The HSUS’s $2,500 reward offering, the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Marine Conservation Institute are collectively offering $2,500 for each incident. A generous anonymous local donor has offered to match these rewards, bringing the reward total up to $30,000, or $10,000 per seal.

“We are pleased to support the critical work of DOCARE by funding a reward program and tip line for information on illegal wildlife-related offenses,” said Inga Gibson, Hawai‘i state director for The HSUS. “We must be a voice for these innocent animal victims and encourage anyone with information to please call the confidential tip line.”

“Monk seals are a vital part of Hawai‘i’s marine ecosystems,” said William J. Aila, Jr., DLNR chairperson. “The intentional killing of any monk seal is not only illegal, it is inexcusable environmentally and culturally.”

“We thank The HSUS for their sponsorship of this new program to help protect Hawaii’s precious wildlife,” said Randy Awo, DOCARE chief. “Our hope is that the reward program will deter future wildlife crimes and also encourage the community to become more involved in protecting our environment and reporting wildlife offenses.”

Wildlife officials estimate that tens of millions of animals are poached annually nationwide, but less than 5 percent of poached animals come to the attention of law enforcement. Wildlife officials report that poachers often commit other crimes as well.

For more information about this current reward posting please visit humanesociety.org/hawa…

Monk Seal Facts:

Hunted to the brink of extinction in the late 19th century, Hawaiian monk seal populations have been declining since modern surveying due to human interactions such as intentional killing, marine debris and fishing gear entanglement, disease and loss of habitat.

Hawaiian monk seals are one of the world’s most endangered animals, with population estimates less than 1,100. Hawaiian monk seals are endemic to Hawai‘i and found nowhere else in the world.

In June 2010, the Legislature passed Act 165, specifically to increase penalties for taking (which is defined to include harassing or killing) a monk seal. It’s a Class C felony (up to 5 years imprisonment). Someone convicted under this law could face a maximum fine of $50,000. Monk seals are also protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it a crime to kill or harm a Hawaiian monk seal.