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ʻIlieʻe is the featured plant for June in The Kaʻū Calendar column Native Plants of Kaʻū. Learn about its uses fore dye and for healing. See artist Joan Yoshika's rendition and author Jodie Rosam's column below. Photo by J.B. Friday |
NATIONALLY, THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER BEGAN ON JUNE 20 and ends on Sept. 22. In Hawaiʻi there are two seasons: summer, which is called Kau in the Hawaiian language, from May through October, and winter, which is called Hoʻoilo in the Hawaiian language, from November through April. It is wildfire season and hurricane season and summer vacation for students, with the return to the fall session in Kaʻū's public schools in August.
ʻILIE'ʻ IS FEATURED IN JUNE'S Lāʻau Letters: Native Plants of Kaʻū. The monthly column by Jodie Rosam with art by Joan Yoshioka features native plants and their moʻolelo (stories), uses, preferred habitats, and opportunities to adopt them for stewardship. It seeks to encourage making new plant friends
and to reunite with others:
ʻIlieʻe, Plumbago zeylanica, Description: Did you know Hawaiʻi has a native Plumbago? Meet ʻilieʻe! ʻIlieʻe is a member of the Plumbaginaceae family, and is the only Plumbago species native to Hawaiʻi. It grows as a low sprawling herbaceous shrub and has five-petaled white flowers that emerge at the stem tips and bloom year round. Once pollinated, slightly sticky fruits develop, which can then be easily spread across the landscape by humans and animals. Because Hawaiʻi had no native land mammals, it was likely spread by large, flightless birds in the past.
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Uses: ʻIlieʻe sap can be used to create dyes for kākau (traditional Hawaiian tattooing). In fact, a synonym for ʻilieʻe is hileʻe, which means to stain dark brown. Medicinally, the bark, leaves, and roots can be pounded into a poultice and used to alleviate swelling and help with sprains, and the leaves and stems can be ground into a paste to help heal sores.
Habitat: ʻIlieʻe is indigenous to Hawaiʻi, meaning that it is found elsewhere in the world, and is present on all of the main Hawaiian Islands. The shiny leaves are adapted to survive in the sunny conditions of lowland dry forests from near the coast to about 2,500 feet elevation. It can be seen crawling along barren (older) lava flows or as an understory in disturbed forests dominated by ekoa (Leucaena leucocephala). ʻIlieʻe can be spotted all throughout the dry forests of Kaʻū. Chances are you have seen it along the roadside or on a hike, so next time you notice an ʻilieʻe, please stop and introduce yourself!
Growing and Purchasing: ʻIlieʻe is a gorgeous addition to the home landscape, and is a great alternative to the Cape Plumbago (why not plant a native instead?). They will grow in just about any soil type you offer them, and can be utilized to control erosion on steep slopes, to add some greenery in open and dry areas, or to beautify garden beds or planters. ʻIlieʻe can handle full sun or shade, just resist the desire to overwater, and remember that while plants in the shade may be prolific, they will bloom slightly less than if planted in full sun. Feel free to prune and shape them as you wish, and enjoy your new low-maintenance friend.
About the artist: Joan Yoshioka says she is a conservationist at heart and has dedicated her life to preserving the native plants and animals of Hawaiʻi through her work with federal, state, and private organizations over the past 30+ years. She describes herself as an outdoor-lovin’ optimist, biologist/botanist, and habitual creator of art-stuff. She says the key to our most fundamental and truest part of ourselves is found in nature and she constantly draws on it for inspiration.
About the author: Jodie Rosam says she has a deep love for native plants and a passion for exploration, with over 15 years of experience in working in the restoration of Hawaiʻi’s forests. As a mother and an educator, she says the next generation has the power to lead the world to a sustainable future, and is committed to teaching her children (and others) from a place-based perspective.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.
About the artist: Joan Yoshioka says she is a conservationist at heart and has dedicated her life to preserving the native plants and animals of Hawaiʻi through her work with federal, state, and private organizations over the past 30+ years. She describes herself as an outdoor-lovin’ optimist, biologist/botanist, and habitual creator of art-stuff. She says the key to our most fundamental and truest part of ourselves is found in nature and she constantly draws on it for inspiration.
About the author: Jodie Rosam says she has a deep love for native plants and a passion for exploration, with over 15 years of experience in working in the restoration of Hawaiʻi’s forests. As a mother and an educator, she says the next generation has the power to lead the world to a sustainable future, and is committed to teaching her children (and others) from a place-based perspective.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.
INTERESTED IN A GRANT TO PLANT NATIVE TREES, REMOVE INVASIVES? With the intention to help with climate resiliency, approximately $4.5 million is available from a grant from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The application deadline is Aug. 5. The program’s focus on public-private partnerships enables private companies, landowners, local communities, and other non-government
partners to keep lands resilient, water clean, and to promote economic growth in a variety of industries.
The funding opportunity prioritizes work in upper-elevation native forests that receive the most rainfall and are critical to recharging freshwater supplies. Additionally, lands and projects with the highest potential for carbon sequestration (if reforested) are also targeted with this funding. The project also seeks to include sites that are part of a landscape-scale watershed management strategy to lessen the impacts from climate change, reduce flooding and erosion onto coral reefs, and protect biological diversity.
“Thanks to State funds provided by the Legislature for watershed protection, we are eligible to receive additional federal funding that multiplies the State’s investment,” said state Department of Land & Natural Resources Chair Suzanne Case. “We are grateful for the incredible partnership with NRCS that will result in landscape-scale improvements to our watershed forests. We are looking forward to making new community partners who apply for native forest protection and restoration projects.”
J. B. Martin, Acting Director for USDA’s NRCS Pacific Islands Area, said, “We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with DLNR. With year-round warm climate and fertile soils, Hawaiʻi is one of the most efficient places to plant trees to sequester carbon. These forests also buffer against the worsening threats of climate change by absorbing cloud moisture and replenishing our freshwater supplies. When invasive species degrade these forests, we also lose our irreplaceable plants and wildlife."
See the grant application at https://hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/opportunities/opportunity-details/21622.
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| Julia Espaniola, within the vast Kaʻū watershed. Photo by Shaylan Crysdale/TNC |
The funding opportunity prioritizes work in upper-elevation native forests that receive the most rainfall and are critical to recharging freshwater supplies. Additionally, lands and projects with the highest potential for carbon sequestration (if reforested) are also targeted with this funding. The project also seeks to include sites that are part of a landscape-scale watershed management strategy to lessen the impacts from climate change, reduce flooding and erosion onto coral reefs, and protect biological diversity.
“Thanks to State funds provided by the Legislature for watershed protection, we are eligible to receive additional federal funding that multiplies the State’s investment,” said state Department of Land & Natural Resources Chair Suzanne Case. “We are grateful for the incredible partnership with NRCS that will result in landscape-scale improvements to our watershed forests. We are looking forward to making new community partners who apply for native forest protection and restoration projects.”
J. B. Martin, Acting Director for USDA’s NRCS Pacific Islands Area, said, “We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with DLNR. With year-round warm climate and fertile soils, Hawaiʻi is one of the most efficient places to plant trees to sequester carbon. These forests also buffer against the worsening threats of climate change by absorbing cloud moisture and replenishing our freshwater supplies. When invasive species degrade these forests, we also lose our irreplaceable plants and wildlife."
See the grant application at https://hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/opportunities/opportunity-details/21622.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.
QUEEN LILI'UOKALANI TRUST HOSTS A BACK TO SCHOOL event at the Robert E. Herkes Gym in Pāhala for all school children. It is free and includes the gift of school supplies and a free haircut. The date is Thursday, July 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's free.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.
VOLCANO VILLAGE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE welcomes walking and riding groups and individuals. It is sponsored by Volcano Community Association in Volcano Village from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Monday, July 4 parade starts at the Post Office at 9 a.m. and ends at Cooper Center on Wright Rd., followed by Cooper Center’s Independence Day celebration packed with live entertainment, craft and food vendors, keiki games and a large silent auction from 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m. Parking maps can be found at www.thecoopercenter.org. (No parking at Cooper Center except handicap permitted vehicles with prior reservation.)
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BECOME A SPONSOR AT THE 3RD ANNUAL EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL on Saturday, July 30th and Sunday, July 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Last year, over 2,500 visitors attended and over 40 events were featured during the EVH festival. Sign up as a sponsor at experiencevolcano.com. If you have questions, contact experiencevolcano@gmail.com. All vendor locations are taken.
SIGN UP FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNS with a change of date from July 3 to Sept. 17. Registration deadline for the annual event is Sept. 14. Organized by Hawaiʻi Island Racers, the 50K begins at 6 a.m., Half Marathon at 7 a.m., and 5K at 7:15 a.m., all starting from Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 96-2696 Wood Valley Road in Pāhala. Proceeds go to support ʻO Kaʻū Kakou. For more details on the event and registration fees, visit https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.
VOLCANO VILLAGE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE welcomes walking and riding groups and individuals. It is sponsored by Volcano Community Association in Volcano Village from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Monday, July 4 parade starts at the Post Office at 9 a.m. and ends at Cooper Center on Wright Rd., followed by Cooper Center’s Independence Day celebration packed with live entertainment, craft and food vendors, keiki games and a large silent auction from 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m. Parking maps can be found at www.thecoopercenter.org. (No parking at Cooper Center except handicap permitted vehicles with prior reservation.)
SPONSOR A BUCKLE, VOTE FOR RODEO QUEEN ahead of the Saturday, July 9 Rodeo sponsored by Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association and ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Event to be held on the rodeo grounds behind Nāʻālehu Park. Call 808-854-7917.
BECOME A SPONSOR AT THE 3RD ANNUAL EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL on Saturday, July 30th and Sunday, July 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Last year, over 2,500 visitors attended and over 40 events were featured during the EVH festival. Sign up as a sponsor at experiencevolcano.com. If you have questions, contact experiencevolcano@gmail.com. All vendor locations are taken.
SIGN UP FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNS with a change of date from July 3 to Sept. 17. Registration deadline for the annual event is Sept. 14. Organized by Hawaiʻi Island Racers, the 50K begins at 6 a.m., Half Marathon at 7 a.m., and 5K at 7:15 a.m., all starting from Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 96-2696 Wood Valley Road in Pāhala. Proceeds go to support ʻO Kaʻū Kakou. For more details on the event and registration fees, visit https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/.
See The Kaʻū Calendar June edition at www.kaucalendar.com,
on newsstands and in the mail.
SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPONSORS OF THE KAʻŪ CALENDAR
