Monday, January 01, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs December 31, 2023

Three nēnē appeared to own the road in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park as the  Endangered Species Act
 became 50 years old at the end of 2023. The Park urges motorists to look out for these geese.
NPS Photo by Janice Wei

Hau kuahiwi was extinct in the wild as of 1930 but
was reintroduced and lives in Hawai'i Volcanoes
National Park. NPS PHoto y E. Ribeiro
THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT IS 50 YEARS OLD WITH THE SUNSET OF YEAR 2023. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park reminds everyone of its importance in preserving wildlife. By protecting endangered species, the Act conserves wildlife, like native Hawaiian trees that contribute to creation of drinking water and other resources important to human life. The Park posted that "In 1973, the Act made it illegal to kill, collect or harm certain species and authorized the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to develop a list of endangered plant and animal species.
    The Park gives the example of the endangered hau kuahiwi, Hibiscadelphus gifffardianus, which went extinct in the wild. However, devoted conservationists collected its seeds before the last plant died in 1930. That last wild tree was in the Kīpukapuaulu forest, where a new generation of hau kuahiwi is protected by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park today.
    Another species recovered from near extinction is the Hawaiian nēnē, a goose named to be Hawai'i's state bird. The Park urges motorists to "Please slow down and watch for nēnē, any number of them, while you drive through their home in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park," even though they appear to "own the road."




KAʻŪ HIGH TOOK ON HILO ON THE ROAD SATURDAY NIGHT. Kaʻū's Tyson Kuahia Faafia in photo below battled for an open shot, facing off against Hilo's Jason Biruetta in the Trojan's game against the Vikings.
     Despite many outstanding Kaʻū efforts, Vikings beat the Trojans 58-25 at Hilo High Gym. 
     In these photos, Kaʻū High alumni community member Tim Wright also captured Kaʻū's Joe Buyuan at right, going up for a basket against Hilo's J Peyton Pana Biruetta.
     In the photo above, Wright captures Hilo's Kamani Cazimero-Galderia who looks for an open shot while guarded by Trojan's Braysen Andrade (41).

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VOLCANO SCHOOL'S KULA `AMAKIHI DIORAMAS ARE ON DISPLAY AT KAHUKU Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences Kula 'Amakihi students created dioramas of the ahupua'a system as part of their studies of Hawai'i Island Sustainability and Traditional Survival Skills.
    Students and families in this community-based education program for students grade three through eight participated in a hike and workshop at the Kahuku Unit where Ranger Wendy Scott-Vance introduced everyone to the ahupua'a system. Under the guidance of their learning coaches and teachers, students built dioramas for presentation and display inside the Visitor's Center at Kahuku. The ahupua'a exhibit can be seen through the end of January, according to Barbara Sarbin, Kula 'Amakihi Coordinator.
Kula 'Amakihi student Ellarue Newman presents her ahupua'a
 diorama at Kahuku. Photo by Barbara Sarbin


A TSUNAMI ALERT WAS ISSUED FOR JAPAN AND PARTS OF THE KOREAS AND RUSSIA on New Years Eve Hawai'i time but no tsunami alert was issued for the Hawaiian Islands. 
    The earthquakes struck around 9 p.m. Hawai'i time. The series of earthquakes off the western coast Japan did not pose a tsunami threat to Hawai'i, unlike the major quake in 2011, which led to tsunami destruction on this island and a nuclear plant meltdown in Japan.
    Taking place around 4 p.m., Dec. 1 Japan time, the series of earthquakes, including one of Magnitude 7.5, cracked pavement and damaged buildings and hurt people, with a 4 foot tsunami rolling into Wajima, some 190 miles from Tokyo. Residents were urged to move from the coast to higher ground.
    Ishikawa prefecture was threatened by a tsunami of 16.5  feet and coastal residents were urged to flee. Nigata was expected to experience a tsunami height of ten feet. 
    Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority reported that it was examining Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant. It was also reported that some bullet trains were halted, as a precaution.
    North Korea, South Korea and Russia's Asian coastal areas were also under warning for a three-foot tsunami.

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