Recap of Week #2 and Reminders

Aloha Nature Study Ohana! We had another exciting week of exploring nature! Here's a recap of our week:

• Mon., June 25- Omidyar Tour and Lily Pond Exploration: Kumu Tai took us on a tour of the award-winning K-1 Omidyar campus. We were impressed with the design of this special place and all of the efforts at sustainability built into this part of campus. There were also many native Hawaiian plants growing there. Next, we took a trek to the top of Rocky Hill. We heard mo'olelo about the area and got to enjoy the fantastic view from there! Our last adventure was at the lily pond. The students enjoyed the challenge of trying to catch fish. Tara was our "top fisherwoman". She scooped up about 10 fish which included a couple of huge ones! Not to worry...we released all of our fish when we were done.
• Tues., June 26- Manoa Falls Hike and Terrarium making: Did you see the awesome pictures of the falls? I've been going to the falls every summer for the past 13 years and this is the most water that I've ever seen there! It was a wonderful payoff for the wet and muddy trail that we traveled on to get there! Along the way, the children gathered some materials to put into their terrariums. When we got back to school, the children assembled their items into their jars. I hope the terrariums made it home intact. A few of the students left theirs in  school and I'll remind them to bring them home.
• Wed., June 27- Kanewai Lo'i: We enjoyed learning about the lo'i system that the University is taking care of. The best part was getting to work in the lo'i. Wow! the children worked very hard cleaning out the lo'i and were covered in mud as a result! After we were done working, the children rinsed off in the stream which some of them may say was actually the best part! Stay tuned for some awesome pictures that Mr. Pat will be posting soon!
• Thurs., June 28- Pa'i'ai Pounding and Hawaiian Plant study: What an awesome experience! The children went through the whole process of cleaning the steamed kalo to pounding it into pa'i'ai. They worked very hard and learned how much time and energy goes into making pa'i'ai. Mr. Daniel Anthony also taught us about the cultural importance of kalo. The children were given the pa'i'ai that they pounded and most of them took it home. A few children decided that they would rather share the pa'i'ai with friends or teachers. Most of the children loved the taste of the fresh pa'i'ai. I took some home and made it into poi by mixing it with water. Yum! Stay tuned for some photos!

         Our next activity was our Hawaiian Plant research. We used the computer to search for information on
         Canoe and Native Hawaiian plants that we will be sharing at the "Summer for the Aina" fair on June 12
         at the Bishop building. Hope you can stop by.

• Fri., June 29- Kawainui Marsh and Ulupo Heiau:  It was so "chicken skin" to be so close to a real heiau that was built hundreds of years ago and to hear the mo'olelo about the Kailua ahupua'a. It was also an interesting experience to be able to take a walk through part of the marsh and to see what kind of life there is in that habitat. We were also happy to do a service project at the marsh. We helped to clear off the invasive cherry tomato plants that were crawling all over. A bonus for us was that we picked the cherry tomatoes and will add them to the salad we create with the lettuce we are growing. Photos of this adventure will also be posted soon!

Reminders for this week:

• Mon., July 2: Kualoa Beach Park: Please check the calendar to see what you should bring. We will be canoe paddling and doing other ocean activities. All children will be wearing a lifejacket when they go into the canoe and we have several lifeguards with us.
• Tues., July 3: Heeia Fishpond: Reefwalkers are suggested if you have a pair. Please check the calendar for more info.
• Wed., July 4: Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the day off!
• Thurs., July 5: Change of activity: Rocky Hill hike (on campus). We will go to Rocky Hill to pick up some seeds and cuttings for our display at the "Summer for the Aina" fair on July 12. Please wear shoes and bring snack and water in a small backpack.
• Fri., July 6: Papahana Kuaola: We will be doing a variety of activities that will include working in a lo'i. Please check the calendar for more info.

Take care and have a great week!
Cindy