All posts by Leslie Lang

The Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network

February 11, 2009 Leslie Lang

Nancy Redfeather was the one at the recent E Malama ‘Aina festival making cornhusk dolls with kids who stopped by her Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network (HISGN) booth. How unexpected, and fun, is that?!

That’s Nancy above in the brown t-shirt

Girls with their cornhusk dolls

The year-and-a-half-old School Garden Network program assists Big Island schools and teachers with everything they need to operate school garden programs. “Resources, curriculum, funding opportunities, volunteers, events, media and professional development,” says Redfeather, who is the School Garden Network’s director. In addition to planning, writing and assisting programs, she visits at least 10 Big Island schools every month.

She talks about how disconnected children have become from their food, from nature and from knowing about ecosystems. “Children today don’t know a great deal about where their food comes from,” she says. “Does it grow on a tree, or a bush, or? They’re spending a lot more time inside than ever before, and eating way more processed foods, and they suffer from obesity and early-onset adult diabetes, things that even 10 to 15 years ago were unheard at the rates we are seeing today.”

With this program, which is at many public, private and charter schools around the island, they learn to grow food and sometimes prepare it. “They are amazed at how good fresh foods taste,” she says. “Especially ones they grow.”

“Moving children into hands-on outdoor classrooms improves their ability to learn in the classroom,” she says, “and assists them in deepening their classroom studies in science, math language arts and social studies. The garden is a living laboratory where curriculum can come to life, and the lessons of life are experienced on every day. These changes in the children can lead to changes in their family, too.”

The School Garden Program, started in 2007, is sponsored by the Kohala Center. “The idea for the program began with the Rocky Mountain Institutes Whole Systems Report for Hawai‘i Island, which was prepared for the Omidyar family on O‘ahu,” she says. “It was one of 12 ideas presented to move agriculture forward on Hawai‘i Island.”

At the E Malama ‘Aina festival, she set up a “Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network Student Farmers Market.” Students came from Pa‘auilo Elementary and Honoka‘a Elementary, and the Hawai‘i Sustainable Education Initiative in Honoka‘a brought a big bus full of teachers, students and some parents.

“They all brought food, value-added products and plants to sell and they sold almost everything,” she says. “The public was very supportive. We also had a craft area where we made ‘corn dolls’ from cornhusks. I grew a lot of corn last summer and had saved all the husks. It was a lot of fun.”

She says it was really a neat event. And she speaks highly of Richard and his having put on the festival in the first place.

“Richard is a cornerstone of our agriculture for the future,” she says, “as he is looking at systems and the future – something not very many people dare to do. I have a lot of respect for his work!”

Community, Television

More on the Pacific Century Fellows’ Big Island Trip

February 6, 2009 Leslie Lang

But first, a program note!

Richard will be featured this Saturday, February 7, 2009, at noon on the PBS show Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie. It’s an episode called Hawaii’s Big Island: A Food Lover’s Paradise.

If you see it, we’d love to hear your comments.

PBS Hawai‘i is also replaying its Long Story Short episode featuring Richard on Sunday (2/8) at 4 p.m. (Richard says it’s too much for me to go on and on about all these television shows — he actually asked me not to — but I thought you might want to know.)

***

“Hawaii will face numerous challenges in the upcoming years. If our island home is to prosper economically, socially and culturally, we need to identify and support the emerging generation of leaders. By nurturing them, we will ensure the future of Hawaii.”  

— Mufi Hannemann, Founder and Chairman, Pacific Century Fellows

The Pacific Century Fellows program, which we wrote about here when the group of up-and-comers visited Hamakua Springs recently, is a leadership program founded by Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann after the White House Fellows program he participated in during the 1980s.

From its website:

The objective of the Pacific Century Fellows Program is to develop leaders with a greater awareness and sensitivity to the people and institutions of Hawaii. Based on the White House Fellows Program, the Pacific Century Fellows Program will bring together annually up to 25 of Hawaii’s most promising individuals from all walks of life, fields and professions. They’ll gain a broader view of civic duty through direct contact with senior community, social and government leaders. The program encourages the development of long-term relationships between leaders young and old, united in their commitment to find creative solutions to the challenges facing the state.

Charlyn Dote is the Pacific Century Fellows program director. She says the yearlong program (which introduces fellows to state-wide topics such as criminal justice, the military, the economy, education, the environment, public safety and others) is significant because community leaders “take off their official hats and talk candidly with the Fellows,” she says. “They share honestly their challenges as a leader. I think most of the Fellows will ascend to very important decision-making positions, and I think they will hopefully make better decisions and have a better understanding.”

Char told us more about the recent Big Island trip the 2008 Fellows took; the same one during which they visited Hamakua Springs.

They started their trip at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, with speakers such as ‘Imiloa’s Associate Director Ka‘iu Kimura and Hawaiian navigation expert Kalepa Baybayan providing cultural background; Dr. Colin Aspin on the Thirty-Meter Telescope; and Gary Fujihara, the Institute for Astronomy’s science education public outreach person, providing background on the economic and educational roles astronomy plays, and on promoting the STEM program.

Left to right: Colin Aspin; Gary Fujihara; Kalepa Baybayan

Then they headed up to Mauna Kea where they had lunch at Hale Pohaku, at 9000 feet, but couldn’t go up to the summit due to 116 mph winds there. Dr. Saeko Hayashi and Dr. Kumiko Yusuda talked to them about the Subaru telescope, and Ronald Laub spoke about the Keck Observatory.

Left to right: Fellows at Hale Pohaku, which is located at the 9,000 ft. level of Mauna Kea

Dinner that evening, sponsored by the HPM Building Foundation, was at the Hilo Yacht Club. Some of the community members the Fellows met and spoke with there included Bill Takaba, Managing Director of the County of Hawai‘i; University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng; Barry Taniguchi of KTA Superstores and his son Toby, himself a former Fellow; as well as former Fellow James Takamine, Assistant Vice President of American Savings Bank.

Left to right: Fellow Chris Leonard; HPM Building Supply Chairman of the Board Bobby Fujimoto; Fellow Paul Pollock and Fellow Jason Fujimoto at the Hilo Yacht Club

It was on their second morning here that they visited Hamakua Springs Country Farms. “Richard is such a visionary person,” says Char. “I wanted him to showcase what he’s doing on the farm, and also how he’s using technology and renewable energy to run the farm, and coming up with ideas outside of the box to sustain his agriculture business. He’s a very good example and role model of how a leader faces up to challenges and works with the community.”

Richard was equally enthusiastic about the Fellows. “I was very excited to interact with our future leaders,” he says. “They were all very bright and focused like a laser beam on the important issues. With leaders like them coming up, I’m optimistic for our future.”

Richard, speaking to the Fellows at Hamakua Springs

Jason Fujimoto, Vice President and Director of Corporate Operations at HPM Building Supply, says the Hamakua Springs visit was a highlight. “How large it is, the scale and size,” he says; “the different sustainable infrastructure that Richard is putting in to really make his farm sustainable into the future. People see his produce in the stores, but not the operation and not his involvement with the community.”

Char agrees that it was an important visit. “You read in the papers about how difficult farmers have it in terms of running their business,” she says, “but until you go there and hear it firsthand, you don’t realize how important it is to sustain and support our agriculture in the islands.”

While here they also had a private briefing by Ranger Ruth Levin, and the “inside scoop” by Geophysicist Paul Okubo, up at the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. “They had time to walk around and understand how the vog is affecting the island climate, air, agriculture,” says Char.

Front: Ranger Ruth Levin explaining the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park ecological history and challenges to the environment; left to right in back: Fellows Jan Harada, Paul Pollock, Tim Schools, Amy Hennessey, Jim Lyon

Fellows with Geophysicist Paul Okubo of the U.S. Geological Survey, in the observatory

Some of the Fellows, she says, said being at Volcano was like being on a different planet. “It’s so quiet, and you can hear the birds and see the trees. It was a reminder to them to take time, slow down, and become more aware of their surroundings.”

Left to right: Fellows Chris Leonard, Amy Hennessey and Jan Harada in the Thurston Lava Tube

I asked Char what she thought the Fellows learned from this Big Island trip. She replied, “I think it was that the economy and the people are very diverse and interesting, and in many ways the community there is home-grown and rural. There are a lot of exciting things that are going on in terms of technology, environment, agriculture, and a lot of challenges.”

When I asked the same question of Big Island Fellow Chris Leonard, President and General Manager of New West Broadcasting Corporation, he told me what one of the other Fellows told him. “She said it’s one of the nice things in this program – that you get the opportunity to see that there are people like Richard, and Barry Taniguchi [of KTA Superstores], who have the passion and desire to make things better.

“Having the opportunity to interact with these people gives us some hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. That there are people aside from ourselves that really want to make things better.”

Big Island, Community, Hamakua Coast, Hawaiian Role Models, Sustainability

Brudda Skibs

February 3, 2009 Leslie Lang 1 Comment

It’s not often you run across someone who is, as Richard describes Brudda Skibs, “completely selfless.”

Richard told me that when they conceived of the idea of the E Malama ‘Aina sustainability festival, Brudda Skibs was the first person he thought of. He’s glad Skibs was a part of the festival.

Richard described Brudda Skibs to me by saying he is known for organizing people in the community – mostly young people – to malama the ‘aina. To take care of the land.

“His reputation is spreading,” Richard said, “and other islands are trying to copy his template.”

That’s Skibs kneeling in the center, wearing the black long-sleeved t-shirt.

It’s hard for some people to wrap their heads around what Skibs (real name: Keith Nehls) does. Every Monday he and his volunteer crew clean up the park at Hakalau. Every Wednesday, they work at Honoli‘i Park. Every Friday, they’re at Honomu.

“We do it free,” he says. “With our heart.”

Watch this video, and you’ll understand about his heart. It’s an important speech and I wish every kid in Hawai‘i would watch it.

And read this article about their reclamation of Honoli‘i Park. Here’s an excerpt:

Honoli’i is one of the best surf spots on the Hilo side, hands down, and for years the surrounding park area was overgrown, full of rubbish, and unattended.

No More.

In November 2003 Keith “Skibs” Nehls and 150 other people started a movement that dwindled down to maybe 5 people within five months. His undying spirit carried him through.

Never Give Up echoed in his ears, words that his Grandfather taught him.

Uncle Skibs gives plenty credit to the teachings of his Grandfather, which instilled in him a strong faith in Akua(God) and a dedication to taking care of the aina(land)….

Dramatic Changes have taken place at Honoli’i, the aina glows from the loving touch of its caretakers.

In the beginning, everybody thought that the land was county land, and no one asked; they just started cleaning it.

Turns out it was Kamehameha School lands, and they were thinking of selling it because they saw no way they were going to be able to take care of it.

When they saw what was going on, they approached Uncle Skibs and offered him a lease on the land, 1 acre, for a dollar a year!

See what a little faith does!

Just look at what they’ve accomplished at Honoli‘i. This video shows the same areas in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, and my jaw fell open to see the land go from abandoned to absolutely beautiful. I had to replay it a couple times to see it again.

At Honomu, they are working on cleaning up the old sugar mill. “It’s privately owned by a doctor,” says Skibs. “He got in touch with us and said he was looking for someone to come take care of this place. He said he wants to give back. He wants to hand it over to an entity” where part of the building can be a community center and part of the land down near the ocean can be a park. They’re clearing the top part of the property right now. “We’re showing him we’re real,” he says.

They’re real. Skibs and his crew have been doing this for five years now, and he’s formed a non-profit organization, Basic Image, which last year brought in $46,000 in cash – $40,000 of that from the Hawaii Tourism Authority – and almost $300,000 in in-kind donations.

Kids come help on the weekends, he says, from Hilo High, Kamehameha Schools, Ha‘aheo School, Punana Leo and others. “We give them a tour, talk to them,” he says. “We tell them we built this park and put on events, and you gotta bring your parents, teach others, because when we die, you’ve gotta take over. This is for everybody. It’s not yours. You’re not going to get one special park; you’re doing it to teach our culture. You’re giving back.”

Every year he puts on surf contests at Honoli‘i and Pohoiki. “It’s for the kids, but parents or guardians have to be there,” he says. “Schools help us. They tell the kids: If you come and help us, we’ll put on this free contest because you’ve giving back. The parents come so they know what’s going on.”

Want to help? He says he’s always there around 9 or 9:30 in the morning. Or email him at skibs7@mac.com.

“Everyone has one talent that’s their gift,” he says. “You don’t have to come down to clean up. You give whatever. What you like do? What are you good at? I like you come and do what you like do.”

“We’re all here to do one job. We’re not looking at money or fame; we’re looking at changing this place to the way it used to be.”

Richard says that what Brudda Skibs is doing is “a manifestation of ‘aloha spirit.'”

“This is what is going to keep us together as a society when push comes to shove,” he says. “We need to feel a part of our community, make more friends and stay close to our family.”

“What we’re doing is real,” says Skibs. “We could change this island. We’re doing it already. That’s our job right now – the future of our children.”

Community

Update re: this Saturday’s Rat Lungworm Meeting

January 27, 2009 Leslie Lang

Jane Whitefield gives us these directions to SPACE, which is hosting the Rat Lungworm meeting mentioned here this Saturday, 1/31/09:

You drive down Hwy. 130 toward Kalapana. When you dead end at the lava, turn left. This is Hwy. 137. Drive toward Kehena and Kalapana Seaview Estates (it’s probably a 10-minute drive and very hilly, but overlooks the ocean – Spectacular!). Turn left into Seaview. Travel up the entrance road until you see the sign on the right that says “SPACE,” with a hand pointing to the left. Follow that to the entrance and parking lot.

She tells us, too, that there is a Yahoo group called Parasites out of Paradise if anyone is interested in learning more.

Community

Informational Meeting about Rat Lungworm Disease, 1/31/09

January 26, 2009 Leslie Lang

After running our post about Rat Lungworm, we got this email from blog reader Jane Whitefield:

It is interesting to see how you deal with the rat, slug/snail problem at Hamakua Springs.

We are having a Rat Lungworm Meeting this Saturday, Jan. 31, at noon at SPACE in Kalapana Seaview Estates. We hope to have many well-informed people attending as the purpose of this meeting is informational. Zsolt Halda, who has just been released from the hospital, will be there.

I realize Hamakua is not real close, so we would appreciate any help you can give us “in getting the word out.” This is affecting all our lives.

She said that there’s a “pretty unique Farmers Market at SPACE from 8-11:30,” too.

Sustainability, Water

The Waters of Kane: Sustainability and the Dept. of Water Supply

January 14, 2009 Leslie Lang

Did you know that the County of Hawai‘i’s Department of Water Supply (DWS) uses more electricity than anyone else on the island? It’s expensive to move water around to where it’s needed. The Department’s electricity bill for last year alone was $20 million.

So it’s especially fitting that the DWS participated at the recent E Malama ‘Aina sustainability festival.

It was Board Chairman Tommy Goya of the county’s Board of Water Supply (the department’s policy-making entity) who wanted to be sure they were at the festival, according to DWS Public Information and Education Officer Kanani Aton.

(Richard says Tommy Goya’s “behind the scenes” advice, while Richard was helping to coordinate the festival, was invaluable, too.

“I would call Tommy and ask: ‘What you think, Tommy?’ I had never been involved in that kind of event before,” says Richard. “And he would say, ‘Meet me at Starbucks.’ He would give alternative
scenarios, how things were done before and what might be appropriate now. This helped a lot.”)

“Tommy wanted to do it big,” says Kanani. “He really wanted to make an impact at this sustainability festival because of the message the festival was sending. And because the need for water is a part of sustainability, and to help attitudes toward water deepen and become more appreciative.”

Indeed, the DWS made a splash with their huge booth, where their displays were powered by the solar power guys also exhibiting at the festival.

The DWS folks even brought their own water buffalo. “That’s our big, potable water tank,” says Kanani (though don’t you wish it had been a real water buffalo?) “We brought our water and served it right there at the festival.”

Another highlight – one of their workers had taken a donated fish tank, and working with the building maintenance crew he created a model “water cycle and water system.”

“They created a cover for the tank, and pumped water up from below the rocks, up into the sky so to speak,” Kanani explains. “By putting dry ice in the top to look like clouds, it was raining over the land, the rocks. Then, after he created the simple model of a water cycle, he overlaid an example of a water system, how you have this pump that pulls water up from the aquifer and eventually to the house.”

She says that kids loved seeing that. “They love the dry ice making the clouds,” she says. “They understand that when they turn on the faucet, they’re actually calling water to come down the hill. Whenever you turn on a faucet to wash Daddy’s car, you’re actually telling a pump far away to eventually turn on.”

It’s a way to teach children not to take water for granted, or think it is limitless. Other kids’ activities included a ball toss, a fishing pole game. They gave away coloring books, balloon art, pens and stickers.

The DWS displayed its energy management activities, engineering capital improvement projects, water use and development plan.

“We also showed how we’re changing out all the mechanical water meters to be automatic meters that send out electronic signals,” says Kanani.

The DWS has recently adopted as its new motto Ka Wai A Kane, which, she explains, is a Hawaiian chant from the days of antiquity.

“It’s a chant about the waters, the fresh water, of the Hawaiian god Kane,” she says. “All the different manifestations of fresh water, whether it be the cloud banks that gather on the sea, the high ridges, the valleys, the flowing streams, even the water below the Earth.”

“Those ancient words,” she says, “speak about what our water engineers and hydrologists and operations engineers do today – look at the water and how to harness it effectively.”

“Water is our most precious resource,” she says, “and the Department of Water Supply really has its eye on the ball when it comes to water. We need to reach out to each and every person who uses water and create a strong relationship of stewardship.”

Sustainability

Sustainability: “Eco-Conscious” Bamboo Products

January 7, 2009 Leslie Lang

When Daniel Krause was on a surf trip to Bali, he only had one towel with him, and though he didn’t wash it for almost three weeks (no laundromat handy) it stayed odorless. “I even used it as a pillow,” he says.

It wasn’t just any old towel – it was one his girlfriend had gotten him that was made of bamboo pulp. Bamboo products are sometimes compared to silk and cashmere, he says, or the softest of all cottons. Krause and his girlfriend Janie Vea, both of Hilo, were so impressed with the bamboo products they are now selling them under the brand name “Eco-Conscious.”

They set up a booth at the E Malama ‘Aina festival recently, and also appeared at a craft fair. Since then they have gotten lots of repeat customers.

“We thought the number one seller would be t-shirts,” says Daniel, “but a lot of people are buying the towels.”

From the Eco-Conscious website:

Antibacterial/ Antimicrobial. Bamboo possesses a property called “Kun,” a natural antifungal & antibacterial agent that prevents bacteria from cultivating, making the fabric odor-free. According to research done by the Japan Textile Inspection Association, tests on bamboo fiber have shown that these properties described above will remain unaffected even after 50 launderings.

Hypo-Allergenic. With the property of the bamboo kun & its naturally soft and smooth fiber properties that are non-irritating to the skin, it’s ideal for people with skin sensitivities or other allergies and dermatitis.

Thermal Regulating. Due to its wicking qualities, it draws away sweat & moisture away from the skin, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Quick Absorption. The micro–holes on bamboo cloth allows quick absorption & evaporates sweat rapidly. Bamboo fiber is four times more absorbent than cotton.

Breathable. The porous qualities of bamboo fiber account for its breatheabilit,y making it ideal for hot weather or exercise.

Provides UV protection. Bamboo naturally provides added protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays. It blocks 91 percent of UVA & 98 percent of UVB.

100% Biodegradable. Unlike synthetic fibers, which incorporate petroleum additives, bamboo clothing is safe for municipal disposal programs, whether by landfill or incineration.

Some other products claim to be antibacterial and antimicrobial, Daniel explains, but that’s because chemicals are added. “Bamboo holds its natural features,” he says. “It doesn’t take any pesticides or fertilizer to grow it. And it’s really sustainable, because it matures in three to four years, compared to other softwoods that take 20 years to grow.”

He and Janie are selling their products online, for now, at their website. Products include bamboo clothing and bamboo household products. “Bed, bath and clothing,” he characterizes the collection.

“Our main goal? Since the brand is called Eco-Conscious, we want people to listen to their ‘eco-conscience,’” he says. “Our goal is to kind of plant an eco-conscience seed in people, where you walk by a piece of trash on the ground and you think twice about it. Not only toward our products, but to really sustain the island.

“We’re so dependent here,” he says. “We import so many goods. We want this to be a better community and to be a leader for the other islands and the mainland. To show that it can work.

“We can do well in spite of being at such a disadvantage. I find a lot of people are trying to help out.”

Richard is one of the many who experienced the Eco-Conscious products at the recent E Malama ‘Aina sustainability festival. “The bamboo fiber products were so unbelievably soft,” he says. “It was striking. I can see why their sales are up.

“I was happy to see them at the festival.“

Aquaponics

Friendly Aquaponics

December 24, 2008 Leslie Lang 1 Comment

It’s Sustainable Wednesday again, so again we’re bringing you a feature about some of the interesting people and companies that were at the E Malama ‘Aina sustainability festival last month.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Friendly Aquaponics, a Honoka‘a company owned by husband and wife team Susanne Friend and Tim Mann.

They were in the construction business until about a year and a half ago when they made what Susanne describes as “a real conscious change. We made the move at exactly the right time.”

“We wanted to do food; to find some way to serve people who didn’t have a lot of money,” she says. They discovered aquaponics – a food production system that combines aquaculture (raising fish in tanks) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil).

From their website:

Aquaponics is a truly sustainable food production system:

Aquaponics uses minimal water consumption: less than 1% of the water of traditional farming!
Aquaponics is low energy: uses 70% less energy than farming using in-ground methods!
Aquaponics is eight to ten times more vegetable production than farming in the dirt.
Aquaponics is fully scalable: backyard family systems to full commercial systems.
Aquaponics is pure, clean, and natural: USDA Certified Organic.
Aquaponics is easy to learn and operate: anyone can do this!

Currently they grow tilapia in tanks and 10-12 varieties of lettuce, as well as a sampling of other vegetables. Susanne says they have yet to need to actually leave their property to sell their fish, because people come to the farm and buy all they have. They have been selling their lettuce commercially, though are currently looking for a new distributor.

“We both come from the business world. Farming is new to us, and if we can do this, anyone can,” she says.

Training other people in how to do aquaponics is part of their mission. “We had our first training, a two-weekend course, in October,” she says. “We thought six or seven people would come and we got 78. Out of the 78, one left and built a small aquaponics system in the week between the course, and another 11 have built or are building systems. Our training is designed to be imminently practical.” None of the 12 who are building systems had been farmers, she says.

They are offering another, three-day training session for families in late February, and a four-day session for people who want to set up commercial systems in March. They teach all aspects of construction, day-to-day management, and for the commercial training, marketing. “Everything but the business training,” she says. “Some follow-up business training would be good.”

They also offer free, two-hour farm tours on Saturdays at 10 a.m. “In our farm tour we give as much or more practical information as our trainings,” she says. “You could come to three or four farm tours and get as much information as taking the course. We encourage that.”

Sustainability

Robots & Sustainability

December 10, 2008 Leslie Lang

Last month, at the E Malama ‘Aina Sustainability Festival Richard helped organize, I was interested to see that there was a Robotics exhibit.

I asked Art Kimura, Education Specialist for the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium at UH Manoa, to define Robotics for me and he replied that first of all, robots don’t have to be cartoon-like, science fiction things.

He defined a robot as “a mechanical device that does human-like tasks,” and told me that we have robots all over the place, though we don’t call them that.

“A traffic light is a robot, for instance,” he said. “It’s instead of a policeman standing there in the street. Or a fire alarm, instead of someone there sensing that there is smoke.”

My other question to Art: Why a Robotics exhibit at a sustainability festival?

He had a good answer. “Most of the efforts toward sustainability, which involve things like alternative energy, require a generation of workers that have innovation and technical skills,” he said. “No matter what, we have to rely on improving technology to make some of these things happen. Workforce development, to have students that aspire to become part of the solution to sustainability problems, is a critical piece of that.”

The Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium at UH Manoa is a NASA-funded group “developing an educational foundation focused on scholarship, research and exploration, enabling scientists and engineers of the future.” Robotics is just one of the projects it supports.

Art said that every state has Robotics. “But what’s unique about Hawai‘i is that we have a state organization that helps to coordinate and support these programs,” he said. “More than a million dollars was spent on Robotics in Hawai‘i this year alone. We actually had legislation passed in support of a statewide program.”

“It’s really a beautiful situation we have in Hawai‘i,” he said. “I don’t hear of any other states with this type of support.”

Hawai‘i’s schools’ Robotics programs – six different types of programs, which have existed here for 11 years and involve kids from grades 1 to 12 – use Robotics to get students interested in STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Art said that the evidence is compelling that Robotics inspires students. “Many become engineers,” he said. “Waiakea High School can list all these kids that went into engineering, and the kids will tell you it was because of their experience with Robotics.”

“And we need kids who are in the trade industry, too; who are able to weld, do electronics. More importantly, Robotics teaches life skills like problem solving.”

He talked about how students have to collaborate to build their robots, and use them in a sport-like competition as part of a team. “There’s disappointment, failure, success. They have to communicate their goals and compromise,” he said. “Everything we like in a good worker.”

There was a Robotics competition this weekend at the Hawai‘i Convention Center in Honolulu. High school teams from Hawai‘i competed against others from Hong Kong and California.

The Big Island’s Kohala team was undefeated through the first seven matches, and the Waiakea team made it all the way to the final match. Both will go to Dallas in the spring for the next competition.

In September, a combined Waiakea and Hilo High School team competed against college students in Japan. There were 83 entries from 19 universities and only four high schools. Impressively, the Big Island high school team won several significant awards and ended up in the top three.

“They’re learning things that in the past only college students learned,” said Art. “They don’t know it’s too hard for them. They do it because it’s fun.”

“Most Robotics is after school,” he said, “and you’ll go by there at 6:30, 7:00 at night and there are 20, 25, 30 students there, just hanging out. One of the complaints I get from teachers is that the kids don’t want to go home. That’s a good complaint.”

One of the Hawai‘i Robotics programs teaches a concept they call “gracious professionalism.”

“The idea is that we want to raise the bar and not be satisfied with where we are now,” said Art. “The students collaborate. They’re encourage to share, even their designs, even though they’re competing.

“Sharing makes everybody better.”

Alan Wong, Articles

Richard in Islands Magazine

December 1, 2008 Leslie Lang

I was sitting at my breakfast nook table, looking at Islands magazine, when I came across this article about Chef Alan Wong.

As I read, I saw that its writer interviewed Richard as well.

…Wong speaks about him with so much enthusiasm that I immediately book a flight to see him. Ha’s Hamakua Springs Country Farms is a 600-acre slice of land in the rather unassuming Pepe’ekeo. When I arrive to the town, no signposts guide my way to the farm where that miraculous tomato was harvested. Only a few wild chickens on lush green hillsides (parts of this island receive nearly 300 inches of rain per year) alert me that there’s taste-bud-blowing agriculture brewing nearby…

Good writing. Good article. Have a look.