Earth Day is a kind of thanksgiving. It has been celebrated in the United States since April 22, 1970, as an opportunity to honor the life that the earth provides us and to explore the many ways we can help preserve the resources she offers. Celebrating Earth Day is a reminder that the health of the planet is essential to our life. In this spirit, many events are planned. Celebrate by attending them and be sure to take away some new ways to respect and care for our planet earth.
Earth Day is a kind of thanksgiving. It has been celebrated in the United States since April 22, 1970, as an opportunity to honor the life that the earth provides us and to explore the many ways we can help preserve the resources she offers. Celebrating Earth Day is a reminder that the health of the planet is essential to our life. In this spirit, many events are planned. Celebrate by attending them and be sure to take away some new ways to respect and care for our planet earth.
The sixth annual Earth and Ocean Festival at Keauhou will showcase the unique treasures of Hawaii Island with activities and educational booths on conservation practices and ocean stewardship. Earth-friendly Hawaiian cultural traditions as well as other environmentally supportive practices will be presented at the Reef and Sustainable Island Theater.
In addition to the informational booths and presentations, several vendors will offer delicious foods made from locally sourced ingredients. Chef Paul Heerlein and his students from the University of Hawaii Center, West Hawaii Culinary School will be on hand with some interesting offerings, while Super J’s will serve local-style plate lunches. Locally made treats from Tropical Dreams and Kettle Corn will also be included in the food selections.
Free musical entertainment rounds out the day with performances by Hapa, Darlene Ahuna, Bula Akamu as well as several hula halau and the Kealakehe Intermediate Ukulele Ensemble.
The entire event is free and open to the public starting at 10 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. on the Keauhou Beach Resort’s luau grounds. For more information, call 329-1758, email info@kona-kohala.com, or visit kona-kohala.com/2010-Events/2010-earth-day-fair-at-keauhou.html. To encourage energy saving transport to the event, special parking will be provided for those who arrive by bike.
A natural farming seminar, school garden tours, a farm to fork dinner and a green homes tour are also earth-celebrating events offered next weekend. Check the Gardening Events calendar for more information.
North Kohala’s Eat Locally Grown campaign will honor Earth Day with a series of free events from Wednesday through April 28.
Learn to make kim chee and fermented vegetables in “Focus on Food Preservation” from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Kohala Intergenerational Center.
Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, folks can take help support the Kohala High School Agriculture Program by participating in a tree planting at the ag program’s site on campus.
Saturday afternoon, a Community Harvest Hawaii event is scheduled from noon until 4 p.m. at the Kohala Intergenerational Center. This is a chance to share your bounty. Make a dish to share or drop off your homegrown fruit and vegetables with the food bank by 9 a.m. and enjoy the dishes created from the donations at noon. “Focus on Food Preservation” continues in the afternoon, teaching ways to build a dry box for drying fish, fruit and meat. Free copies of the new “Eat Local Hawaii Plate” and the “North Kohala Eat Local Guide” will be available.
At 6 p.m., the fun continues with a “Trash Bash” party upstairs at the Kohala Coffee Mill. It’s a chance to get trashy by entering art from recycled objects in the art show. Come in trash fashion with a dish to share.
Information about the earth will also be offered from noon to 4:30 April 28 at the Algood Barn located at 55-3309 Hoea Makai Road. “Getting Down and Dirty: A Soil Mini-Symposium” will share information about caring for the “ecstatic skin of the earth” with presentations by local soil experts and a screening of “Dirt! The Movie.”
A complete listing of events is available at eatlocalhi.org. For more information, contact Andrea Dean at 960-3727 or andrea@andreadean.com.
Tropical
gardening helpline
Leon asks: I have heard pollen from the genetically modified papaya grown on the Big Island could be carried to my farm causing my organically grown papayas to then contain the transgenic gene. Is there a way for me to find out if my fruit now is a GMO papaya?
Answer: Yes. A University of Hawaii lab in Hilo can test your papaya plants or seeds for the transgenic gene. The lab checks for the GUS gene utilizing a gene reporter system. The B-glucuronidase gene is to date the most frequently used reporter gene in genetically engineered plants and is present in GMO papaya. The presence of the GUS gene is detected using the GUS histochemical staining procedure, which causes transgenic plant parts such as leaves, pollen or seeds to turn blue.
Take samples to a UH CES office to get forms and pay the fee. Andrea Kawabata, the new agent in Kainaliu, can help prepare and send samples to the Hilo lab. Each sample should be properly labeled and placed into separate plastic bags. If you wish to test a plant, select a very young leaf from the terminal. Contact Andrea at 322-4892 for more collecting and drop off instructions. The analysis code for this test is G1 and a fee of $3 per sample will be charged. Results will be mailed to you.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by certified master gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant with an organic farm in Captain Cook.