Ka`u News Briefs March 6, 2013

The Nature Conservancy sponsors prizes for pig-hunting contests in Ka`u, including this annual event to
honor the late Chaz Moses. Photo by Julia Neal

PIGS AND HAWAIIAN CULTURE became a topic of discussion among attendees at The Nature Conservancy’s presentation at After Dark in the Park last night at Kilauea Visitor Center Theater. When did native Hawaiians start hunting pigs in the forest? John Replogle, of The Nature Conservancy, who grew up in Ka`u, said he figures that pigs brought to Hawai`i with the early Polynesians were kept close to home as they were important food – like farm animals, living around the hale and venturing out and coming back to be near the human community and the food provided to them. It is likely that very few people hunted them during ancient Hawaiian times as pigs belonged to families and community.
      Field biologist Rick Warshauer, during discussions after the presentation, said domestic Polynesian pigs brought to Hawai`i on voyaging canoes were small and probably unable to live in the native forest as their jaws weren’t strong enough to break into hapu`u fern stalks for nutrition. He also noted that the main sources of protein for piglets are earthworms, which didn’t live on the island before western contact.

Pigs brought by western explorers were likley
better able to survive in the wild than those brought
by Polynesians. Photo by Julia Neal

      However, western explorers and trading vessels shipped in the larger European pigs with ability to survive in the wild with their bigger jaws and tusks. Westerners also brought in the earthworms that help piglets to flourish.
       During sugar days, pigs lived in the cane fields, eating the cane stalks, and immigrant sugar workers built the tradition of hunting pigs with dogs. With hunters in the sugar fields, wild pigs began retreating into the forest and living there part-time. The sugar fields also provided a barrier between imported, invasive plants being brought to the islands and spreading toward the native forests, which are not only home to native species but the watershed that creates drinking water for people.
      When sugar companies closed down – the last one in Ka`u in 1996 – pigs made further inroads into the native forest, as abandoned sugar fields provided less and less sustenance with much of the land turned into pasture, Replogle ventured.
      Replogle said that The Nature Conservancy works with hunters in educating them on the reasons for excluding wild pigs from portions of the forests to allow native plants and the animals they support to recover - the watershed better preserved. Replogle described the dense forest as creating water with its many layers of vegetation. The pigs, as well as sheep, goats and cattle, can destroy the understory of the forest, and the native plants and animal populations as well as watershed decline, sometimes rapidly when invasive plants like kahili ginger, the purple-flowered tibouchina, strawberry guava, common guava, lilikoi and Christmas berry move into land disturbed by the ungulates. The ungulates spread the seeds of many invasives into the forest through their droppings and on their coats and hooves, he said.
      Ka`u, Replogle explained, has a particular advantage in protecting and restoring native species as it already has the largest pristine native forest in all of the Hawaiian Islands. With hunters helping to keep down the pig population, there is a chance that the Hawaiian forest can survive, he said. The Nature Conservancy helps sponsor local pig tournaments with prizes such as global positioning systems for hunters. The Nature Conservancy office in Na`alehu is also a location where hunting licenses can be retrieved online between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays.
      The Nature Conservancy’s 3,548-acre Ka`u Preserve is located at altitudes between 2,600 and 5,770 feet and includes four separate parcels of forested land with mountainous ridgelines and narrow plateaus broken by alternating steep valleys. The forest includes a closed-canopy of koa and `ohi`a with a lush understory of uluhe and hapu`u. Rare nuku `i`iwi as well as `io, apapane, i`iwi, `elepaio, `amakihi and `akepa native birds survive there. Monthly volunteer opportunities are open to the public. Call 443-5413.

Ka`u Scenic Byway Task Force hopes to save Na`alehu Theater.
Photo from historichawaii.org

KA`U SCENIC BYWAY TASK FORCE is working to save Na`alehu Theater. At its meeting on Monday, members of the task force and the public discussed how best to draw attention to the plight of the theater. Marge Elwell said she will try to get articles published in O`ahu newspapers and magazines including pointing out that the theater could be viable, since popular artists have attracted full house attendances in the fairly recent past. Letters will be also sent to elected representatives asking for their help. Stephanie Donoho suggested contacting the group of theater managers on the island who meet regularly.

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC CO. has published Locational Value Maps online that show where and how much customer-sited generation of electricity, also called Distributed Generation, is in place. The maps provide an indication of the percentage of DG on the utilities’ distribution circuits. DG may include solar, wind, hydro or biomass renewable generation for Net Energy Metering, Feed-In Tariff or a Standard Interconnection Agreement, or Conventional generation for a Standard Interconnection Agreement.

Map from HECO shows amounts of customer-sited generation of
electricity that are going onto the utility's grid.

      DG percentages on the Locational Value Maps are based on installed systems and accepted interconnections. The maps are rough guides, updated regularly, but can quickly get out of date, the utility stated. 

      It also said that, in almost all cases, small home or business systems will not require an interconnection requirements study.
 For larger systems, a Locational Value Map address search or a preliminary circuit check from your utility does not guarantee that an interconnection requirements study will not be needed when submitting an application for utility review.
      HECO stated, “Our goal is to help get as much customer-sited generation, especially renewable energy, as possible while maintaining reliable service to all customers. Reliable service may be impacted if a circuit has too much DG interconnected without proper protection equipment.”
      According to HECO, no limits are set on the amount of DG on a circuit. However, all interconnection applications go through an initial review process. Generally, if DG penetration on a circuit is less than 15 percent of peak load, systems may qualify for Simplified Interconnection. If penetration is 15 percent or greater, further review may be needed.
      For more information, contact HELCO’s Solar Support Specialist at c-nmcint@heco.com or 808-543-4721.

      The maps are available at heco.com.

Kumu hula Raylene Kawai`ea Photo by Dave Boyle

VOLCANO ART CENTER PRESENTS a hula kahiko performance in honor of late kumu hula Raylene Kawai`ea on Saturday, March 9. The event features Halau Hula Manaolana `O Kohala, visiting Hula Halau Pi`o O Ke Anuenue of Ashland, Oregon and Halau Hula Keao `O Kala of Pahoa under the direction of kumu hula Roy Leabig. 

      The 50-minute narrated presentation demonstrates the preparation, protocol and offering of traditional hula and chant at the hula platform in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. A hands-on cultural demonstration takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the gallery porch. All events are free (donations welcome), and park entrance fees apply.
      For more information, call 967-8222 or visit www.volcanohula.com.

Lou Cooperhouse

FOOD BUSINESS BASICS: Getting Started and Finding Your Niche in the Specialty Foods Business takes place a week from today, next Wednesday, at Pahala Community Center. Farmers who want to sell a product to the public can learn from value-added and specialty foods consultant Lou Cooperhouse when he presents the workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
      Following lunch (included with pre-registration), Nicole Milne, Agricultural Business Development specialist for The Laulima Center, will present two one-hour trainings on Financial Resources Available for Hawai`i Farmers and Marketing Agricultural Products on Hawai`i Island.
     Cooperhouse will also conduct 30-minute one-on-one consulting sessions each afternoon with pre-selected workshop participants. Registrants interested in the one-on-one consultations must complete and submit a brief application.
      For more information and to register, visit http://laulimacenter.org/foodbasics.html or call 443-2755.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.