Happy 2009!
Happy New Year members and friends! As 2009 rolls in, we ask that you please consider the environment in your New Year resolutions. Please continue to check our website periodically and your membership settings for up to date information about our programs and events. May you have a peaceful and “green” year!
Green Fundraising for Schools
Tired of the same old school fundraising drives—bake sales, car washes or wrapping paper offers? Fundraising does not have to involve buying high-calorie sweets, disposable junk you don’t need or want, or harm to our environment. We all know how desperate our schools are for funds, especially now, but how to raise funds without lowering our environmental standards? Many schools continue to rely on, and profit from, well-known efforts that are environmentally friendly. The array of better, greener fundraising options is actually astounding. Check out Green Schools for a simple guide with lots of options and resources. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
- -Selling seed packets. Buy seed in bulk and repackage through a student-run seed company or grow and save seeds from home and school gardens. Download a great Seed School Curriculum at FedcoSeeds.com and some fundraising tips at SeedsOfChange.com.
- -A community-supported Farmer’s Market for the school!
- -Book fairs promote literacy while raising funds. Organize a gently-used book fair where families can donate the books they have cleared off their shelves.
- -Children’s toy & clothes swaps, where recycling old treasures to new ones benefit the school.
- -Walk-a-thons, bowl-a-thons, and other sports-related fundraisers promote physical activity for students and can be lucrative for schools.
Sunset Beach Elementary found a great way to recycle and earn money for the school at their first ever, Holiday Kids’ Stuff Exchange! Instead of spending way too much money on holiday gifts, students exchanged their gently used kids’ stuff and shopped for some new ones. They saved a ton of money, got rid of their old toys (saving space for “new” ones) and supported a great cause, Sunset Beach Elementary School! This fun & successful event took place on Saturday, 12.13.08 from 9am – 12 noon. All remaining items were donated to Operation Toy Box, a local charity.
Thank you for your support!
In the first semester of the 2008-2009 school year we have been able to reach thousands of children through our programs:
3R’s School Recycling - 13,000 students at 25 participating schools reduce, reuse, and recycle on campus. Several of these schools have started composting and vermicomposting food and green waste on campus. This fall, 6300 students will see “The Trash Heap,“ a play co-produced by the Kokua Hawaii Foundation.
‘AINA In Schools - 10 elementary schools participate in our ‘AINA IS programs. This semester 800 students participated in garden lessons, while 600 took part in nutrition lessons. Parent and community volunteers supported the program by giving 887 hours from August to October. 116 educators from over 60 public and private schools in Hawai’i attended school garden workshops presented by ‘AINA IS.
Environmental Education Mini-Grants - 330 students and 20 teachers have received assistance for environmental education supplies, curricula, and workshops. One school has raised enough worms to start a commercial-scale vermicomposting bin for their campus food waste!
Environmental Education Field Trip Assistance Program - In the Fall of 2008, 2,363 students at 25 schools participated in field trips supported by Kokua. Field trip sites include Hoa’aina O Makaha, Hawai’i Nature Center Iao Valley, Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo, and many others.
Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP) - During the 2007-2008 school year 1450 students from across the state developed KEAP projects. For the 2008-2009 school year, over 1400 students will participate. Sustainable agriculture, energy conservation, and waste reduction are some of the issues students address with their projects.
Community Programs and Campaigns:
Plastic Free Hale’iwa - Since the coalition launched last January, over 55 businesses have become members and pledged to stop disbursing single-use plastics such as plastic bags and Styrofoam containers.
Film Screenings: Over 400 community members have attended our film screenings and discussions.
Simplify the Holidays - Hundreds of KHF members have pledged to give back to their environment and communities this holiday season.
JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS:
Our very first ‘AINA In Schools newsletter is hot off the presses! Please check it out here. Mark your calendars for these ‘AINA IS dates!
Nutrition Training Dates:
1.12.09 Honolulu schools
1.14.09 Windward schools
1.16.09 North Shore schools
Garden Party Dates:
1.14.09 Wai’alae
1.17.09 ‘Aikahi and Ala Wai
1.24.09 Sunset Beach
1.24.09 Ahuimanu
1.31.09 Waikiki
We are looking for volunteers to help collect seeds, weed, mulch, and prepare the school garden beds for Spring lessons and planting. If you are interested, please e-mail . Mahalo!
Kokua Festival Announcement
December 23, 2008
Aloha Kokua Festival Fans,
After hosting five consecutive and successful years of the Kokua Festival, we have decided to take a break. We’d like to send out a big ‘mahalo’ to everyone who has supported the festival over the years, and especially thank the artists who have donated their positive energy and memorable performances.
We appreciate all the wonderful environmental actions that you have taken at the Kokua Festival and shared in your hometowns. Please continue to visit our website to stay a part of the Kokua family. The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation continues to support environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i. We are looking forward to spending the time that we would have dedicated to planning the festival and using it to strengthen and expand our Kokua Hawai’i Foundation programs.
Although we will not be holding the Kokua Festival in 2009, this week the Sundance Channel will air their feature highlighting Kokua’s past five years. Air times are:
You can also visit KokuaFestival.com and enjoy scenes from the past five years of the Kokua Festival.
We hope to see you again in the future!
Aloha and Happy Holidays,the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Gang
‘AINA In Schools Family Night with Chef Ed Kenney
For the ‘AINA In Schools program, hosting a family cooking demo is another great way to shine a light on healthy, local, fresh food, and how good it can taste. A key ingredient to a superb cooking demo is a fun and talented chef, and we knew just the one.
Ed Kenney, owner of two popular restaurants: Town and DownTown on O’ahu and an advocate for using fresh, local ingredients, demonstrated how to make Stone Soup, a soup that “has no recipe.“ What makes this soup unique is that its flavors depend on what vegetables and herbs are in season locally. Many of the ingredients in the soup were grown a few footsteps away in the Waikiki Community Gardens and donated by community gardeners.
Ed is inspired by the Stone Soup story and likes to refer to his version as Pohaku Soup. The ‘AINA In Schools Family Night attendees included families from several of the ‘AINA IS Schools on O’ahu, community and parent volunteers, and steering committee members. Kids also enjoyed making crafts from recycled materials, and got some tips on how to “Simplify the Holidays” too.
Check out KGMB’s coverage of the event here.
Another Tip to Simplify the Holidays!
So Many Loved Ones, So Little Time! This holiday season consider participating in a Secret Santa gift swap rather than trying to buy for all the ones you love. Draw names with your family, friends, or coworkers and keep it a secret. You can have tons of fun dropping hints in the days leading up to your gift swap. For example, you can leave little notes that express why they are important to you with candy canes or little treats. You will have more time to find a meaningful gift for the one person instead of scrambling to find something for everyone.
This is just one of the tips from our 12 Days of a Green Christmas Guide available for download on our website.
Subscribe to Our New Mailing Lists
To keep our friends up-to-date on all of the latest happenings and opportunities with the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, we’ve started three new mailing lists to complement our regular newsletter and Kokua Festival list. Sign up to get specific information about Kokua programs and tell your friends, too!
Please click here to subscribe to any or all of the following mailing lists:
• Kokua Hawai’i Foundation - Monthly E-Newsletter and Periodic Announcements from the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation
• Kokua Festival - Festival News and Information from the Official Kokua Festival Website
• ‘AINA In Schools- Updates, Resources and Volunteer Opportunities from the ‘AINA In Schools Farm to School Program
• Hawai’i Educators- Environmental Education News and Opportunities for Hawai’i Educators
• Plastic Free- Tips and Updates from the Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition
Simplify the Holidays
The holidays are a time of celebration with family, friends, and the community. Every family celebrates the season in different ways and for different reasons, but there is a universal act in which most participate: Giving. This once-simple holiday tradition has led to consumption practices that can have serious impacts on our environment—and the family budget!
This year the environment and the economy have taken center stage leading into the holiday season. Families are much more conscious consumers and are choosing green products, alternative gifts and eco-friendly traditions such as: picking up litter when caroling and celebrating with a locally grown or potted Christmas tree.
Please see our 12 Days of A Green Holiday for more ideas to help simplify your season.
(Christmas Seal by Heather Brown)
Take another Plastic Free step and ‘Break the Bottled Water Habit’
The New American Dream website is challenging us to ‘Break the Bottled Water Habit’ and encourage our work places, family, and friends to use reusables. Bottled Water comes in plastic bottles that are #1 and #2. These are meant for single-use only. 
86% of all bottles of water do not get recycled! Not to mention the amount of energy it takes to create them, ship them, store them, and then recycle or dispose of them. Did you know it takes 3 liters of water to create a 1 liter bottle of water? Now that seems very wasteful when most of us have excellent tap water at home, over 90% of the water systems in America are above the EPA standards.
Please join the Plastic Free Hale’iwa group effort by taking the pledge and encouraging your friends and family to do the same.
To take the pledge as a part of the Plastic Free Hale’iwa group, click here .
Take the “Eat Local Challenge!“
Have you ever had a truly satisfying meal? One where every ingredient had a story, a direct line you could trace from the soil to your fork? Your local foodshed is a gem when it comes to high quality foods that are minimally processed and closest to the source. Eating locally gives you the opportunity to know your food and where if comes from, meet your neighbors, support small farms and the local economy, practice a sustainable habit, and eat healthy and fresh with the seasons. 
Take the challenge at EatLocalChallenge.com.
Check out these websites for more benefits of buying and eating food locally:
100MileDiet.org
LocalHarvest.org
AnimalVegetableMiracle.com
Encourage local, healthy eating this Halloween! October is macadamia nut season! Give out nuts, chocolates from Hawai’i, or dried fruit instead of high-sugar, artificially colored & flavored candies.
Recycle Variety of Paper Types
Hawai’i's largest commercial printer recycles junk mail, phone books, bundled magazines (printed on glossy paper, too) — for free! Bring them to Hagadone, 274 Pu’uhale Road, between 8 a.m. and noon on the second Saturdays of each month. Hagadone shreds, bales and recycles more than 140 tons of paper per month; Myah Ely, 847-5310 or HagadonePrinting.com.
Join the ‘AINA IS team of volunteers!
With the support of teachers, school administrators, and parents we’ve just completed a very successful ‘AINA IS two year pilot program with five schools on O’ahu. Five more schools will join in this fall. To support the rapid growth and sustainability of ‘AINA IS we need dedicated community volunteer support:
• Nutrition Docent: Teach nutrition lessons in the school to 2nd, 5th, or 6th graders. (Commitment: Attend 4 trainings and teach 8 classroom lessons per school year)
• Nutrition Lesson Assistant: Assists the nutrition docent with shopping for food, and assists during the lesson with food prep and lesson cart preparation. (Commitment: Assist with 8 classroom lessons per school year, 2 per quarter)
• Garden Lesson Assistant: Assists lead Garden Educators who teach garden lessons in schools. (Commitment: Attend 3 garden lessons per semester for K, 1st, or 5th grades. Once a semester for 4th grade.)
• Garden Party: Help to build and maintain school gardens. Duties can include assembling garden boxes, loosening soil, shoveling mulch, creating garden artwork, watering, and more. (Commitment: Attend “Garden Parties” at the beginning, middle and end of each school year, or as frequently as every week, depending on volunteer’s availability)
• Farm Connections: Do you know a farmer that may be interested in hosting a field trip, speaking to a class, or offering their local produce as a school menu option? Let us know!
There is something for everyone and training is provided! E-mail us at for more information!
Plastic Free Hale’iwa Update
The Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition now has over 55 members actively using and seeking out alternatives to single-use plastic. Hale’iwa is buzzing with new ideas and its businesses are making positive changes. The Coalition will have countertop displays and customer sign-up cards in the participating coalition businesses by the end of the month. Please look for these displays and support these stores and restaurants!
Attention Teachers!
Environmental Education Mini-Grants Available!
Does your classroom need a worm bin? Would you like a presentation on eco-footprints from The Green House. Kokua has started a mini-grant program to help Hawai’i public school teachers pay for supplies and trainings for their environmental education initiatives! Applications for this school year are available here.
All At Once Community
All At Once (www.AllAtOnce.org) is Jack Johnson’s social action network providing information, tools, and motivation to empower individuals to become active in their local and world community. When on www.AllAtOnce.org, members discuss, explore, share, volunteer, and learn about important environmental issues and are rewarded for taking environmental action with free music downloads from Jack Johnson and friends. At Jack Johnson’s concerts, All At Once comes to life in the Village Green. Concert-goers connect with non-profit groups, learn about environmental actions they can take, capture environmental commitment photos, and enter to win a chance to watch Jack’s performance from the stage. Jack Johnson selected over 150 credible local non-profits worldwide to share their message online and in person at each show throughout the tour. Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is proud to be a non-profit partner of the All At Once Community. For a complete list of all non-profit groups and to become an All At Once member, visit www.AllAtOnce.org.
MAKE YOUR EARTH DAY RESOLUTION TODAY
Start a tradition of committing to reduce your eco-footprint every Earth Day and throughout the year. Our partners at Kanu Hawai’i will help us record Earth Day Resolutions year-round here on our website to measure the positive impacts we make together.
Big Mahalo to Kokua Festival Attendees, Volunteers, Performers and Supporters!
photo: Brian Bielman
Mahalo nui loa for another amazing year!
2008 Kokua Festival Merchandise
Missed it at the show? The Eco-Friendly 2008 Kokua Festival Merchandise will be available for sale via the Kokua Hawaii Foundation online store starting Monday, April 28th.