Ka‘ū News Briefs Sunday, March 25, 2018

Midway Island, host to an estimated 3 million seabirds, is suffering under a House mouse infestation - and
they are attacking the nesting birds. See full story, below. Photos from NOAA

"YOU MARCHED. NOW WE FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES," states the website, after the March for Our Lives March 24 events across the world. "Be counted this November. And if you've already registered to vote - register your friends. Be counted next week, and the next, by continuing to show up and speak truth to power. Demand action. Join us in this Fight for our Lives," it continues.

     The mission statement on the site says, "March For Our Lives is created by, inspired by, and led by students across the country who will no longer risk their lives waiting for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings that has become all too familiar. In the tragic wake of the 17 lives brutally cut short in Florida, politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns.  March For Our Lives believes the time is now."

People marched in Kona Saturday as part of the March for Our Lives event in protest of current guns laws. Photo from March for Our Lives Kona Facebook

     March 24 events in Kona, Waimea, and Hilo and some Kaʻū High School students who participated in the school walkout on March 14 said they would attend.
      Damp Kona participants walked along the highway above the old industrial area, soaked Waimea participants walked along the highway across from Ace Hardware, and slightly moist Hilo participants stood outside a shopping center on a busy street. Many participants held signs, including one toddler in a stroller, whose sign read, #NotMe. Several students in Waimea made impassioned speeches in front of Parker School to a crowd of over 100. A performance art piece was in the vein of 60s and 70s protest poetry. The message was clear: No more. Never again. Enough. See the video here.

Tiny "marcher" solemnly holds his protest sign: #NotMe.
Photo from March for Our Lives Kona Facebook

     Sen. Mazie Hirono, at Concert for Our Lives in Maui, said, "This is a movement that will inspire a generation. Activists from across the country and around the world came together today to demand sensible gun legislation that will close background check loopholes, eliminate bump stocks, and prevent anyone from owning assault weapons. If these bills pass, it will be because of you and the movement we are all joining. I stand with you because we are all in this together."

     In CBS News interviews on March 19, two of the founding members of the movement - students Emma González and David Hogg, who both survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on February 14 - discussed their place in history, "We're going to make this change," and, "We're going to vote out the people who aren't acting," said González; Hogg said, "Since 1968, more people have died in America as a result of gun violence than they have fighting in war." They discussed the walk-out: "Those kids are walking out of school, but they're going to be walking into the polls come November," said Hogg. On the bill that Florida passed in the wake of the shooting, González said it was positive, but, "it's just the beginning." Hogg said there were too many loopholes in the bill that was passed: "It doesn't cover so many basic things that have widespread support on both sides of the aisle, and that's the part that I hate most about it."

Waimea saw many dozens of participants in their march event,
including tourists from New York, which was organized by Parker School
Senior Riley Herendeen. Photo from Big Island Video News video

     Regarding the death threats they have received, González said, "There's always been people who are going to want to harm us... I'm not going to pretend this opened my eyes to a cruel and heartless world." She added, "They're attacking us personally because they can't find fault in our message." They discussed the role of the National Rifle Association: "The way they've been reaching out to us is basically threatening us," and "The people at the top of the NRA are no longer working for the people that are in their organization. They're working on behalf of the gun lobby," said Hogg.

     Hogg said, "Make sure you get out and vote, that you're registered to vote so you can vote in the primaries and stay educated for the rest of your life because the seeds of corruption are always being sowed."

People of all ages in Kona braved rain yesterday to join the worldwide
March for Our Lives event. Photo from March for Our Lives Kona Facebook

     The NRA was silent on March 24, unlike on previous days with more than ten tweets daily. But the day before, they tweeted, "YouTube banning videos on the installation is now in the business of political posturing and censorship. Millions of Americans watch YouTube videos every day to learn more about the safe and responsible use of firearms, and those videos show law-abiding gun owners participating in lawful behavior. By banning this content, YouTube is engaging in politically motivated censorship and alienating the millions of people who turn to the website for education and training,"

     The tweet was in response to YouTube's recently updated policy: "YouTube prohibits certain kinds of content featuring firearms. Specifically, we don’t allow content that:

   ● Intends to sell firearms or certain firearms accessories through direct sales (e.g., private sales by individuals) or links to sites that sell these items. These accessories include but may not be limited to accessories that enable a firearm to simulate automatic fire or convert a firearm to automatic fire (e.g., bump stocks, gatling triggers, drop-in auto sears, conversion kits), and high capacity magazines (i.e., magazines or belts carrying more than 30 rounds).

People holding signs along a busy street in Hilo yesterday as part of the March for Our Lives event. Photo from Bob Smith's Facebook

   ● Provides instructions on manufacturing a firearm, ammunition, high capacity magazine, homemade silencers/suppressors, or certain firearms accessories such as those listed above. This also includes instructions on how to convert a firearm to automatic or simulated automatic firing capabilities.

   ● Shows users how to install the above-mentioned accessories or modifications."

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MICE ATTACKING NESTING ALBATROSS ON MIDWAY are endangering the largest albatross colony in the world and the most important and successful breeding ground for black-footed albatross and Laysan albatross, reports NOAA. In just a few years, mice attacks have increased from just a few incidents to hundreds of widespread attacks on albatross that result in injury, nest abandonment, and death, states the release. In order to protect the colony, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the invasive house mouse from Midway Atoll. A draft environmental assessment for the project is available for public comment from March 21 through April 20.

     According to the NOAA statement, "Within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial supports over three million birds from 30 different species. Nearly 40 percent of all Black-footed albatross and 70 percent of all Laysan albatross in the world rely on the approximately 1500 acres of islands that comprise the remote atoll. Seabirds face a myriad of threats - from fishery interactions and marine debris to invasive species and shrinking habitat. Safe places like Midway Atoll, where seabirds can rest and raise their young, are critical for their ability to survive into the future."

     Non-native, invasive house mice and black rats became established on Midway Atoll's Sand Island more than 75 years ago, before it was a refuge and memorial. House mice persisted after black rats were eradicated in 1996 and are now the sole rodent and non-native mammal present in the Monument.

     Biologists do not yet know what triggered the mice to begin preying on the albatross. Mice are omnivores - meaning that they will eat any source of food they can find in their quest to survive - and although they had been present on Midway Atoll for decades, there had never been a documented case of predation on adult albatross by mice before the 2015 hatching season.

     The majority of seabird extinctions around the world have been caused by invasive mammals, in particular, non-native rodents. For most of the island's history, there were no rodents on Midway Atoll. Pacific seabirds like the albatross evolved without any fear or defense mechanisms against mammalian predators like mice, rats, cats, dogs, or humans.

House mouse, poised to attack
an adult nesting albatross.

     Part of the danger to the colony is that mice reproduce very quickly compared to albatrosses, which have a very slow reproductive cycle. Albatross pairs only have one egg every one to two years, and both parents invest a lot of energy into hatching and raising that chick. The incredible amount of time and work necessary for albatrosses to survive to adulthood, find a mate, and become a successful parent means that each adult bird is incredibly important to the overall survival of the colony.

     Their lack of defense mechanisms and complete dedication to their eggs has left albatrosses vulnerable to predation. Their slow reproductive cycle means that losses to the colony from being preyed on by mice will continue to impact the population for decades to come.

     "This was something we had never expected to occur. Mice preying on adult albatrosses simply hasn't been recorded here," said Matt Brown, Superintendent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Papahānaumokuākea. "Regardless of what caused them to start this behavior, it has the potential to cause an incredible amount of damage to this colony. And it's a problem that we have to address."

Wounds from a House mouse attack
on an adult nesting albatross.

     The proposed action to remove mice from Midway Atoll and the alternatives considered are evaluated in a draft environmental assessment. To date, there have been more than 500 successful projects to remove invasive rodents from islands, and the proposed project on Midway Atoll models similar, successful projects elsewhere.

     The Service has coordinated with the Monument co-managers and worked with Island Conservation, American Bird Conservancy, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other members of the conservation community in the synthesis and development of the science that contributed to the development of the draft environmental assessment.

     All relevant comments and info received by April 20 will be considered. Draft Environmental Assessment available for review at: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Midway_Atoll/ or www.papahanaumokuakea.gov. Submit public comments on draft EA: midwayEA_comments@fws.gov; or via mail to Attn: Midway Draft EA Comments, Pacific Islands Refuges & Monuments Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Rm 5-231, Honolulu, HI 96850.

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SECOND HALF OF THE TROJANS BOYS VOLLEYBALL season opened with Ka‘ū hosting Pāhoa, and dominating three of the four games played; game three, they score a strong 20, with their opponents ending the game at 25.

     The next scheduled game is a ways off: Tuesday, April 3.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at kaucalendar.com

/janfebmar/februaryevents.html. See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, 

weekly events at kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/februarycommunity.html.

February print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano. Also available free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.

KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE

Girls Softball: Saturday, Mar 31 @ Honoka‘a

   Monday, Apr 2, @ Kohala

   Saturday, Apr 7, Hawai‘i Prep @ Ka‘ū

   Monday, Apr 9, @ Pāhoa

   Wednesday, Apr 11 @ KSH

   Saturday, Apr 14, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū

Boys Volleyball: Tuesday, Apr 3, @ Waiakea

   Wednesday, Apr 11, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū

   Friday, Apr 13, Honoka‘a @ Ka‘ū

   Monday, Apr 16, @ Hilo

   Friday, Apr 20, Parker @ Ka‘ū

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

AVOCADO GRAFTING FOR COMMERCIAL GROWERS WORKSHOP Register by Monday, March 26, for Hilo, and Tuesday, March 27, for Kona. Workshops scheduled for: Wednesday, March 28, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., at Komohana Research and Extension Center, 875 Komohana St, Room D-202, Hilo, HI 96720. Kona will hold two workshops, at 9 a.m. to noon or 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Thursday, March 29, at Kona Cooperative Extension Service, Conference Room, 79-7381 Mamalahoa Highway, Kealakekua, HI 96750. Class Fee is $25 per person, per workshop; registration required. RSVP online, or by contacting Gina at 322-4892, at least two days prior to the workshop.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27

HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS, Tue/Wed, Mar 27 (committees)/28 (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov

WALK INTO THE PAST WITH DR. THOMAS A. JAGGAR, Tue, Mar 27, at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., at Kīlauea Visitor Center. Each performance lasts about an hour. To find out more about this 2018 weekly (except July and Aug) living history program, visit the park website: nps.gov/havo/planyour
visit/walk_into_the_past.htm

HOVE Road Maintenance Monthly Meeting, Tue, Mar 27, 10 a.m., RMC Office in Ocean View. hoveroad.com, 929-9910.

KA‘Ū FOOD PANTRY, Tue, Mar 27, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

TRACKING LAVA LAKES WITH THE SOUNDS FROM BURSTING GAS BUBBLES, After Dark in the Park, Tue, Mar. 27, 7 p.m., in the Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Free; a $2 donation is suggested to support park programs. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28

HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING, Wed, Mar 28 (Council), in Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov

KŌKUA KUPUNA PROJECT, Wed, Mar 28, 9 - 11 a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors, 60 years & older, encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i - referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

HŪ (HAWAIIAN TOP) DEMONSTRATION, Wed, Mar 28, 10 a.m. to noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Make a Hū and learn the game. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ‘Ike Hana No‘eau "Experience the Skillful Work" workshops. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

THURSDAY, MARCH 29

STEWARDSHIP OF KῙPUKAPUAULU Thu, Mar 29. Meet at 9:30 a.m., Kīpukapuaulu parking lot, Mauna Loa Rd, off Hwy 11. Bring clippers or pruners, sturdy gloves, a hat, water, closed-toe shoes; fabrics may be permanently stained by morning glory sap. New volunteers, contact Marilyn Nicholson at nickem@hawaii.rr.com.

POETRY READING WITH 'THE POETS OF 1958' - Laura Mullen, Marthe Reed, and Susan M. Schultz - Thursday Night at the Center, March 29, 7 to 9 p.m. Free; $5 donation suggested. volcanoartcenter.org

FRIDAY, MARCH 30

COFFEE TALK, Fri, Mar 30, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Kahuku Park. Join park rangers in an informal conversation on a variety of topics. This month: Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries available for purchase. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

SATURDAY, MARCH 31

LAST 2018 SANCTUARY OCEAN COUNT, Sat, Mar 31, 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; arrive 30 min. prior for orientation. Four locations near/in Ka‘ū: Miloli‘i Lookout, Ka Lae Park, Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park, and Ka‘ena Point - hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov for directions; park entrance fees apply. Bring sun protection, water, snacks, and a cushion to sit on. Pre-registration required: sanctuaryoceancount.org

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT Sat., March 31. Meet Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center, 8:45 a.m. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants, and bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves and tools provided. Parental or guardian accompaniment, or written consent, required for volunteers under 18. Visit park website for additional planning details: nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/summit_stewardship.htm

VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY PRESENTS HO’OKU’I I NĀ KIKO, Connecting the Dots, by Natalie Mahina Jensen and Lucia Tarall. "A curated collection of photographs, paintings, sculptures, and feather work items deliver a sublime message, connecting the viewer artistically with the provenance of the design." Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Saturday, Mar. 31, to Sunday, May 6. volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222
     A free lecture titled “The Last Truth,” offered by Lucia Tarallo, takes place at 3pm on the opening day of the exhibition. The lecture will be followed by an opening reception where the public is invited to meet the artists.

SECOND ANNUAL KA‘Ū WELLNESS FAIR, GET YOUR SPRING, Sat, Mar 31, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., multi-purpose room at Ka‘ū District Gym in Pāhala. The event features an Egg Hunt and Healthy Fun-Run-Walk, both of which begin at 9:30 a.m. - registration begins at 9 a.m. Also offered are a Blue Zones Purpose Workshop, from 10 a.m. to 11 a..m., and Book Time - Read A-Loud with Friends of the Ka‘ū Libraries, starting at 10 a.m. P.A.T.H. makes a presentation at 10:30 a.m. Vision Screenings, Keiki I.D.s, and Biometrics from Ka‘ū Public Health will be available. Several organizations will also provide information booths for the event: Bay Clinic, Ka‘ū Rural Health Clinic, Ka‘ū Rural Hospital, Project Aware - Your Mental Health First Aid, HSTA, Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool and Home Visitor Program, and more.

PU‘U LOKUANA, Sat, Mar 31, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Short, moderately difficult, 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu‘u Lokuana. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time, and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Kaʻū. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

SUNDAY, APRIL 1
EASTER BRUCH, Sun, Apr 1, 7 - noon. Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Camp, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Main entrees: Ham, Beef Pot Roast, and Breakfast Veggie Stir Fry. No reservations required. $17/Adult, $9.50/Child (6-11 yrs). KMC is open to all authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

EASTER EGG HUNT, Sun, Apr 1, 9 a.m., ‘Ōhi‘a Room, Kīlauea Military Camp, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Open to keiki 10 years and under. Registration accepted from 7:30 - 8:45 a.m. Bring a basket. KMC is open to all authorized KMC patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Pre-register children: 967-8352, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

FOURTH ANNUAL KA‘Ū COMMUNITY EASTER EGG HUNT, Sun, Apr 1, 1 - 3 p.m., Nā‘ālehu Community Park. Over 6,000 candy filled eggs, over 300 prizes. Free chili & rice bowls. Donations welcome. Free; open to all ages, infants to adults. Pam/Lance, 929-8137, Henri, 464-5042

ONGOING

TŪTŪ AND ME OFFERS HOME VISITS to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.

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