Ka'u News Briefs Friday, August 25, 2017

The bridge entrance to Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube) is one of the most popular, and most photographed, destinations in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.  See story below. Photo by Janice Wei, National Park Service

MEDICAID-FOR-ALL is a new bill that Sen. Brian Schatz is preparing to introduce into the U.S. Senate. He trumpeted on Thursday that "Last month, we won a historic victory against the Republicans’ plan to throw millions of people off their health insurance in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest among us." Schatz also warned, "The Republicans still have a majority in the Senate. If we’re ever going to move forward and make progress on health care, we need to go on the offensive and present ideas now on how to improve Obamacare so we’re ready when that chance comes." Schatz is asking his Hawai'i constituents to add their names to become co-sponsors of his Medicaid-For-All bill.

Sen. Brian Schatz

     His proposal has drawn coverage this week in New York Magazine and Slate. Vox wrote that "Sen. Schatz's new health care idea could be the Democratic Party's future."
     Said Shatz, the proposal "will allow millions of Americans to get the coverage they need without going broke." He explained that the Medicaid-For-All bill gives states the option to expand their Medicaid programs to uninsured Americans wishing to purchase coverage.
     "That means millions of Americans who already rely on Medicaid will get to stay on their insurance and people who are currently making too much to qualify will be able buy in and join the program for the first time. And it would make Medicaid a public option which would put private insurance companies in competition with a much cheaper and effective Medicaid system."
     Schatz conceded that "Our goals are ambitious. What we are trying to do is to come up with a plan that will get the most coverage at the lowest price for the most Americans. If we are going to be successful, we will need everyone to stay engaged and demand better health care."

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CLOSING PORTIONS OF THURSTON LAVA TUBE, Nahuku, and its rainforest loop trail will start Tuesday, Sept. 5, for approximately two weeks while Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park maintenance workers replace the electrical conduit and lighting system.
     During repairs, the public will be able to explore the open section of the lava tube, which is one of the most popular destinations in the park. Visitors are advised to bring their own light source (cell phone lights are adequate). The nearby restrooms will remain open.

Interior of Nahuku, Thurston Lava Tube, with the lights on.

Photo from National Park Service

     The new energy-efficient lighting system will simultaneously increase visitor safety by illuminating the interior, and protect the cultural integrity of the ‘ana (cave) by inhibiting the growth of non-native plant species, says a statement from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
     The back portion of Nahuku will be closed first, including the stairs leading out of the lava tube and the north section of rainforest trail. Visitors will be able to access the front section of the lava tube via the bridge entrance, and return the same way. Once work is complete in the back portion, work on the front section will start and visitors can access the rear portion of Nahuku via the north trail and stairs.

     The public will be notified of any updates. The park regrets any inconvenience to the public, said the HVNP statement.
Nahuku - Thurston Lava Tube and its lush rainforest trail are popular features in the park, located near the summit of Kilauea volcano off Crater Rim Drive.
     The lava tube was formed by a vigorous stream of magma that erupted from Kilauea and crusted over about 550 years ago. When the magma source was exhausted, a long, hollow tunnel was left behind. The native rainforest surrounding Nahuku is managed by the park as a Special Ecological Area, and is home to endemic plant, bird and insect species. Visitation is heaviest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and parking is limited to 30 minutes.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I RECOMMITTED ITSELF to Mauna Kea telescope park management on Thursday, its Board of Regents directing the university administration to "build a global model of harmonious and inspirational stewardship that is befitting of Mauna Kea."
      Other support for continued use of acreage on Mauna Kea for astronomy, education and research has come from Gov. David Ige who issued a statement saying, "I am pleased that the University of Hawai‘i has affirmed its intention to take action to strengthen the collaborative stewardship of Mauna Kea and its resources. I look forward to working with the university and its partners to make meaningful changes that further contribute to the co-existence of culture and science on this special mountain."

Rendering of the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Mauna Kea.
Image from TMT

    Mayor Harry Kim weighed in earlier and proposed "a peace park."
     The Regents' resolution comes less than a month before a Hilo public hearing, Sept. 20, before the state Board of Land & Natural Resources to consider a recommendation to provide the Thirty Meter Telescope with a land use permit to build the project.
     The resolution approved by the Regents onThursday calls for the university to retain 1,288 acres for the telescopes on the mountain and return 10,000 acres of the 11,288-acre Mauna Kea Science Reserve to the state for management. The resolution also calls for the university to "meaningfully increase the engagement" of local students in celestial navigation and astronomy.
       Opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope and other elements of the telescope campus testified against the resolution. Kamana Beamer, Univeristy of Hawai'i associate Professor of Hawaiian studies, called the resolution "ingenuous." He said one major aspect of the opposition to the Thirty Meter telescope is "scale of development" and speculated that the Thirty Meter will be the largest telescope only until the next generation telescope is developed. Opponents said that Mauna Kea is a sacred place and should not be furrther developed, even for scientific purposes.
     See more on the Thirty Meter Telescope at www.tmt.org.

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REGISTER KEIKI, grades K-8, until August 29, to make a beaded key chain on Wednesday, August 30, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Call 928-3102 for more.

DISCOVER HAWAIIAN GODDESSES HI'IAKA & PELE and the natural phenomenon they represent on a guided, moderate, one-mile hike through the Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park tomorrow, August 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Free. Visit ups.gov/havo for more.

FEARLESS ABSTRACT PAINTING, a class in which Samantha DaSilva will share her unique method of painting, takes place tomorrow, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Volcano Art Center. $90 plus $15 supply fee per person. Call 967-8222 for more or visit volcanoartcenter.org.

Samantha DaSilva in the studio.
Photo from bellevuedanielsmithevents.blogspot.com

     Born in Brazil, DaSilva is a professional artist, living and working on the Big Island of Hawai’i, who, according to her website, was “influenced at an early age through her copiously artistic family. Her grandmother, a portrait artist, her aunt, an accomplished jewelry designer, and her mother, a watercolorist, all influenced Samantha to experiment with a variety of mediums.” Her bio reads that, “beneath her amiable personality burns a fervent fire to express life through art and dialogue… Her passion for abstract painting has manifested itself through prolific expressions of art on canvas and varying media. Since ’08, Samantha’s work has been exhibited in over 100 group and solo shows across North America. As an educator, Samantha has instructed at various public & private institutions across North America.” For more about Samantha DaSilva, visit samanthadasilva.com.

FREE FIRST ANNUAL MALAMA NA KEIKI FESTIVAL IS SATURDAY at the Na`alehu Community Center and baseball field from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is organized by Hui Malama Ola Na ‘Oiwi. It offers a wide variety of maternity and new family mini-educational classes; clinical health screening for expectant mothers, keiki, and ‘ohana; keiki fun activities; keiki performances; live music; and healthy local-sourced food.
     The festival is made possible through support of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. "Hui Malama strives to help participants develop a strong network of prenatal and postnatal support, and learn best practices to prevent potential health problems, raise healthy happy children, strengthen family, and fulfill OHA and Hui Malama's shared goal of a strong and healthy Hawaiian nation," says a statement from the organization. For more details about the event and Hui Malama, visit hmano.org.

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START VIEWING LIVE LONG AND PROSPER MIGHTY ‘OHI’A, daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from tomorrow, August 26, through October 8, at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park with paintings and illustrations by John D. Dawson. The artworks focus on the highly variable display of ‘ohi’a lehua trees found within the park. Gallery viewings are free, though park entrance fees apply.

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Unit, 1868 lava flow. Photo from nps.gov/havo

NATURE & CULTURE: AN UNSEVERABLE RELATIONSHIP, a moderate hike approximately 2 miles takes place Sunday, August 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Palm Trail hikers visit a place where catastrophic change (hulihia) and subsequent restoration (kulia) can be observed as the land transitions from the 1868 lava flow with its pioneer plants to deeper soil with more diverse and older flora. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture. Free. Visit nps.gov/havo for more.

HOVE ROAD MAINTENANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 29, at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church. For more details call 929-9910.

KA'U FOOD PANTRY, a non-profit organization that aims to provide each family in need with three days of food, will be handing out food again on Tuesday, August 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Most of the food comes from Food Basket of Hawai'i, Inc. in Kona. Ka'u Food Basket pays them a small handling fee for the food they provide.

Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017.swf

Ka'u News Briefs Thursday, August 24, 2017

The Hawaiian monk seal is at home in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. It is one of the most

critically endangered marine mammals in the United States.

Photo by James Watt/Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

FISHING COULD BE ALLOWED IN NATIONAL MONUMENT waters off Hawai'i. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke provided a report Wednesday to Pres. Donald Trump, which, according to The Washington Post, calls for the possible overturning of fishing and hunting bans within National Monuments. It also calls for considering reduction in sizes of National Monuments. In April, Trump asked Zinke for a report reviewing the status of 27 National Monuments.

Ulua in the Marine National Monument.

Photo by James Watt/Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

     One of them is Hawai'i’s Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which expanded during the presidency of Barack Obama to become the largest marine preserve in the world, covering 582,578 square miles.
     The Washington Post story by Juliet Eilperin and Darry Fears quotes Conservation International Center for Oceans. Its senior Vice President Aulani Wilhelm was Papahanaumokuakea's first superintendent. The Washington Post reports Wilhem saying that the 582,578 square miles of land and sea across the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are the world’s largest gathering spot for seabirds and home for a myriad of endangered species that have proven largely resilient despite climate change. "There’s a need to have areas in the ocean not only to understand the changes underway but to protect functioning systems as a hedge against those changes," Wilhelm told The Washington Post.
     The Washington Post also reports: "The Hawai'i-based long-line fishery has argued that the expansion of Papahanaumokuakea’s boundaries last year impedes its catch. But the industry has already used up 94 percent of this year’s fishing quota, prompting federal officials to temporarily close the fishery as of Sept. 1."

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument could be opened to commercial fishing,
according to a recommendations by the Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zenke.
Map from Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

      Referring to Obama's establishment and expansion of National Monuments, including Papahanaumokuakea, under the Antiquities Act, Zinke wrote, “No President should use the authority under the Antiquities Act to restrict public access, prevent hunting and fishing, burden private land, or eliminate traditional land uses, unless such action is needed to protect the object.” He said that the recommendations he sent to Trump will provide "a much needed change for the local communities who border and rely on these lands for hunting and fishing, economic development, traditional uses, and recreation.”
      According to The New York Times, "Robert D. Rosenbaum, who serves as counsel to the National Parks Conservation Association, said Wednesday that no president has sought to shrink a monument’s boundaries in the past four decades: 'If the president attempts unilaterally to take adverse action on any of the monuments under review, he would be on very shaky legal ground, and we expect the action would be challenged in federal court.'"
      See https://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov and visit Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument's Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo.

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Infographic from www.bikemaui.com

HUNTING  FERAL PIGS ON STATE LAND IN THE KA'U FOREST RESERVE is an issue before the Hawai'i Supreme Court, which is pondering a decision on a suit brought by the Pele Defense Fund.
     The Pele Defense Fund, Palikapu Dedman, Terri Napeahi, John Griffiths, Jr. and Tammy Ka'awa sued the state Department of Land & Natural Resources Division of Forestry & Wildlife over the state's Ka'u Forest Reserve Management Plan for 61,641 acres. The plaintiffs contend that an Environmental Impact Statement, rather than and Environmental Assessment was needed to analyze the plan, which includes fencing of areas to protect native species from feral pigs and other ungulates.
     The local circuit court sided with the DLNR and issued a summary judgment. However, Pele Defense Fund took the case to the Hawai'i Supreme Court.
     According to Big Island Video News, which reviewed tapes of arguments before the Supreme Court earlier this month, the Pele Defense Fund attorney argued against eliminating feral pigs from portions of the forest reserve. "You're eradicating a Native Hawaiian religious symbol. You're eradicating a religious ceremonial object. The eradication of pigs in Ka'u is to eradicate Article 2 Section 7. It's analogous, as a matter of fact, to desecrating Christian sacraments," said Pele Defense Fund attorney.
       Hunters testified at several meetings in Ka'u, when the plan was being developed, that they worried they would be restricted from hunting pigs to feed their families. There was also testimony regarding native gathering rights in the forest.
     The DLNR has contended that there are plenty of pigs and hunting grounds outside the areas to be fenced to protect endangered species. Pigs, goats, sheep and wild cattle damage the forest and increase the habitat of mosquitoes which carry a malaria that kills native birds.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. 

REGISTER KEIKI, grades K-8, until August 29, to make a beaded key chain on Wednesday, August 30, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Call 928-3102 for more.

TALK STORY AT THE KAHUKU UNIT of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Friday, August 25, for Coffee Talk from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and join the informational conversation on the Ala Kahakai Trail with its Superintendent Aric Arakaki.  Ka’u coffee, tea and pastries will be available for purchase. Free entry.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE’S 101ST ANNIVERSARY Friday, August 25, and enter Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park fee-free.

PREGNANT WOMEN, YOUNG FAMILIES, THOSE CONSIDERING PREGNANCY AND SUPPORTING ‘OHANA are welcomed by members of Hui Malama Ola Na ‘Oiwi to attend their first annual kids health festival for kids in Ka‘u this weekend, formally Malama Na Keiki Festival. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 26, at the Na'alehu Community Center and baseball field. The festival offers a wide variety of maternity & new family mini-educational classes; clinical health screening for expectant mothers, keiki, & ‘ohana; keiki fun activities; keiki performances; live music; & healthy local-sourced food.
     The festival is free and made possible through support of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. "Hui Malama strives to help participants develop a strong network of prenatal and postnatal support, and learn best practices to prevent potential health problems, raise healthy happy children, strengthen family, and fulfill OHA and Hui Malama's shared goal of a strong and healthy Hawaiian nation," says a statement from the organization. For more about the event visit hmono.org.

John D. Dawson
Photo from constant contact.com

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER MIGHTY ‘OHI’A is the title of an art  show open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, August 26, through October 8, at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park with paintings and illustrations by John D. Dawson. The artworks focus on the highly variable display of ‘ohi’a lehua trees found within the park. Gallery viewings are free, though park entrance fees apply.
     John D. Dawson has lived in Hilo with his wife Kathleen for the past 22 years and has been commissioned by the United States Postal Service continuously for the past 12 years. The Nature in America series is one of his most well known accomplishments along with a majority of the new art displayed in the Kilauea Visitor Center at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

DISCOVER HAWAIIAN GODDESSES HI’IAKA & PELE and the natural phenomenon they represent on a guided, moderate, free one-mile hike through the Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Saturday, August 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Visit ups.gov/havo for more.

FEARLESS ABSTRACT PAINTING, a class in which Samantha DeSilva will share her unique method of painting, takes place Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Volcano Art Center. The fee per person is $90 plus a $15 supply fee. Call 967-8222 for more.

NATURE & CULTURE: AN UNSEVERABLE RELATIONSHIP, a free moderate hike approximately two miles takes place Sunday, August 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Palm Trail hikers visit a place where catastrophic change (hulihia) and subsequent restoration (kulia) can be observed as the land transitions from the 1868 lava flow with its pioneer plants to deeper soil with more diverse and older flora. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture. Visit nps.gov/havo for more.

Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017

Waikapuna, where owner Resource Land Holdings has been cooperating with local conservation groups
and Hawaiian families in their efforts to purchase and preserve the land.
Photo by Andrew Richard Hara, courtesy of Hawai'i Legacy Land Conservation Program

WAIKAPUNA WAS THE DESTINATION of the county Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Commission on Wednesday. Commissioners Kekaulike Tomich and Susan Fischer traveled to the remote Ka'u Coast property to consider partial funding of the proposed 2,209 acre acquisition of the land located between Honu'apo and Ka Lae - South Point, makai of Na'alehu.
     Maxine Cutler, manager of PONC for the county; Keoni Fox of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association, which proposes to steward the land; Laura Ka'akua, of Trust for Public Land; and Megan Lamson, of Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, were among the community members who made the trek.    
     Nohea Ka'awa, a native Hawaiian descendent of the area; Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail superintendent Arik Arakaki and archeologist Rick Gmirkin, of the National Park Service; and Deborah Chang also made the trip.
       Ka'u Agriforestry Association members Bruce Raye, Olivia Ling, Noela Pritchard and
Kaneala Young attended and are proposing a purchase of the property that would transfer land to county ownership.
      Leilani Rodrigues, descendent of the area, Michelle Galimba, a rancher on the property, and The Nature Conservancy Hawai'i Island Director Shalan Crysdale met with the commissioners before their trip to the coast. 'Aina Akamu met after.
     The price tag on the property owned by Resource Land Holdings is about $6 million and the state Legacy Land Program has committed $2 million. The funding from PONC would come from two percent of the county's property taxes that is set aside each year to purchase, conserve and steward public lands, with approval from the County Council and the mayor.
     Waikapuna is on the PONC list and may receive a resolution from County Council member Maile David, asking for the county to help fund the purchase of the property, during PONC's meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, at West Hawai'i Civic Center, at the conference room in Building G.

Waikapuna land, extends from points near Hwy 11 on the Hilo side
of Na'alehu to the coast. The state Legacy Land Commission
has approved partial funding and the county Public Access, Open
Space and Natural Resources Commission will consider the
proposal on Sept. 11. Another proposal is for federal funding.
The steward would be Ala Kahakai National Public Trail and
is local Association.

     Citizens can weigh in on the matter at the PONC meeting or by sending testimony ahead.
     Resource Land Holdings bought about 5,800 acres, including Waikapuna, from Lehman Brothers, who foreclosed on developers of the property after the financial crash of 2008.
     The collection of RLH parcels purchased in Ka'u also includes mauka lands with pastures and most of the famous Ka'u Coffee farms, all of which which RLH is planning for subdivision.
      The PONC proposal focuses on Waikapuna and is supported by Trust for Public Land, Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, and the Legacy Land Fund of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
     Speaking of the acquisition proposal that he supports, Fox said, "The proposed stewards and owners of the property would be the Ala Kahakai Trail Association, which plans to engage with the Ka'u community by partnering with community organizations and descendants of the area to care for the land and its resources. We support a community based management model," he said.  Fox is the board member of the Ala Kahakai Association who represents the Ka'u District. "Waikapuna is a big kuleana and we hope to partner with Ka'u groups and families to help steward the land."

Resource Land Holdings owns Waikapuna, Honu'apo mauka,
and Ka'u Coffee land properties.

   Fox's family released a statement in December saying, “For the Keanu ‘Ohana, we believe that this acquisition will honor our kupuna, their history, their values and their legacy by protecting the entire cultural and natural landscape. There are few opportunities today where such large scale preservation of pristine lands is even possible. The purchase will help to safeguard our family’s many sacred sites including the iwi kupuna.”
        Regarding wildlife, the statement said, the “effort will also allow for the protection of Waikapuna’s dryland forest and extensive native coastal plant habitat which includes seabird nesting areas along the sea cliffs. Furthermore, the scenic shores of Waikapuna are known as a place where fish and other marine life spawn and its protected tide pools serve as nature’s nursery.
     "Waikapuna presents an opportunity for research and education on many levels. As native descendants, we hope to continue our traditional cultural and educational practices on the land and in its waters. Our family is committed to assisting the Ala Kahakai Trail Association and other community organizations with the stewardship of the property. We are very excited about this opportunity to protect Waikapuna,” the Keanu family statement concluded.
     Resource Land Holdings invests in resource rich properties. Other investments include an Alabama sand quarry, a large surface coal mine in the midwest, a Florida citrus operation seeking to diversify, an alliance with a Washington apple fruit packer, and timberland in California.
     RLH has been cooperating with the organizations attempting to conserve the Waikapuna property as they go through the process of finding the funding.

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An ancient coastal trail.
Photo from Ala Kahakahi National Historic Trail

ALA KAHAKAI TRAIL SUPERINTENDENT ARIC ARAKAKI will be back in Ka'u this Friday to give the Coffee Talk at the Visitor Contact Station of the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

     The Alakaha Kai Trail Association is also involved in the proposed preservation of Ka'u Coast lands at Waikapuna.

     Used and maintained for an estimated 1,000 years, Ala Kahakai trails are still traveled by descendants of the original builders. Designated as a National Historic Trail in the year 2000, the Ala Kahakai protects and assures that access and cultural practices will continue into the future. Learn about the Trail and how NPS is working with descendants and communities to manage one of the oldest trails in the National Trails System.

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Hirono supports minority-owned
small businesses during a Business
Summit Conference in Hawai'i

MINORITY-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES deserve federal partnerships and investments, according to Sen. Mazie Hirono. Today, she highlighted their importance during the third annual Native Hawaiian Organizations Association Business Summit Conference.
     “Small businesses have a unique perspective on not only growing their business, but growing our community,” said Hirono. “However, the Trump Administration’s budget proposal threatens the progress we’ve made for all native programs, including minority-owned business. As a member of the Small Business Committee, I will continue to fight to see these programs protected and enacted in a way that supports our local economy,” said the U.S. Senator representing Hawai'i.

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RESPONDING TO PRES. DONALD TRUMP'S THREAT today to shut down the government, if Congress won't approve building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, Hawai'i Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted: "If the wall gets a Senate vote it loses badly. It's an expenseive talking point with federal government condemning and taking private land. I really think September is going to be the month that elected Republicans put their country first."

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KA'U TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM beat Parker School tonight at home. JV took Parker with 25-14 and 25-8. Varsity won over Parker with 22-25, 25-28, 25-13 and 25-16, reports Athletic Director Kalei Namohala.

REGISTER KEIKI, grades K-8, until August 29, to make a beaded key chain on Wednesday, August 30, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Call 928-3102 for more.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE’S 101ST ANNIVERSARY on Friday, August 25, and enter Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park fee-free.

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER MIGHTY ‘OHI’A is the title of an art  show open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, August 26, through October 8, at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park with paintings and illustrations by John D. Dawson. The artworks focus on the highly variable display of ‘ohi’a lehua trees found within the park. Gallery viewings are free, though park entrance fees apply.

DISCOVER HAWAIIAN GODDESSES HI’IAKA & PELE and the natural phenomenon they represent on a guided, moderate, one-mile hike through the Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Saturday, August 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Free. Visit ups.gov/havo for more.

FEARLESS ABSTRACT PAINTING, a class in which Samantha DeSilva will share her unique method of painting, takes place Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Volcano Art Center. The fee per person is $90 plus a $15 supply fee. Call 967-8222 for more.

NATURE & CULTURE: AN UNSEVERABLE RELATIONSHIP, a free moderate hike approximately two miles takes place Sunday, August 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Palm Trail hikers visit a place where catastrophic change (hulihia) and subsequent restoration (kulia) can be observed as the land transitions from the 1868 lava flow with its pioneer plants to deeper soil with more diverse and older flora. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture. Visit nps.gov/havo for more.

Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017