This year’s Kokua Calendar Art Contest theme is How do you Kokua Hawai’i? Student artists will depict ways that they “Kokua,” or help, our island environment. Deadline for submissions is February 11, 2012. Winning entries will be included in the 2012-13 school year Kokua Calendar. Any Hawai’i school-aged children grades K-12 may participate.
Entries should be mailed to:
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, P.O. Box 866 Haleiwa, HI 96712.
Click here for more information and complete guidelines.
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s Environmental Mini-Grant & Field Trip Assistance Grant application period for the 2011-2012 school year will be closing on March 1.
Environmental Education Mini-Grants
Teachers from Hawai’i public schools can apply for mini-grants to help advance their environmental education goals. Previous grantees have used KHF funds for garden supplies, eco-footprint workshops, vermicompost trainings, and more.
Field Trip Assistance Program
Our field trip assistance program helps bring students to outdoor sites where they can experience hands-on learning about Hawai’i's environment. This financial assistance is offered to Hawai’i public schools which otherwise could not afford to participate in environmental field trips.
The U.S. Department of Education will begin recognizing public and private elementary, middle, and high schools through the newly created Green Ribbon Schools program. This program is looking for schools that save energy, reduce costs, feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, protect health, foster wellness, and offer environmental education to boost academic achievement and community engagement. In this pilot year, Hawaii will nominate up to four schools, one of which will be a private school. Schools will be selected based on their ability to reach the goals of the three Green Ribbon School Pillars and Elements according to the framework provided by the U. S. Department of Education. The deadline to complete the online application is February 11, 2011.
Click here for more information about the National Green Ribbon Schools award program.
Did you know that telephone books are NOT curbside recyclable and many end up in the rubbish and our landfills here in Hawaii? Our friends at Hagadone Printing have come up with a solution by hosting its first-ever telephone-book recycling contest for O’ahu schools. Open to any school on O’ahu, the contest will feature first place prize of $2,500 for the school that donates the most phone books. Second place will collect $1,000. Everyone is a winner in this contest because we’re eliminating waste from local landfills!
Participating schools collect phone books at their school and drop off to Hagadone, located at 274 Pu’uhale Road, Honolulu, HI, 96819.
Drop-offs will be accepted on the following days:
Saturday, February 11, from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Saturday, February 25, from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wednesday, February 29, from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Schools must register online for the contest. For more information about the contest please contact Ed Kobayashi or call (808) 852-6334.
One alternative to prevent further waste is by Opting Out of future deliveries. Here is a list of telephone directory and catalog opt-out direct links:
Mahalo to teachers, school staff, community volunteers and groups that include Americorps, Bank of Hawaii, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Aiea High School Science Club, Lutheran High School, West O’ahu Food Politics Class for coming out to support preparation of the school gardens for the spring ‘AINA In Schools garden lessons. Highlights included new garden beds and a garden sink built at Waikiki Elementary, new compost bins and a sheet mulch watermelon garden built at Kainalu Elementary. Kaiser Permanente presented KHF board members Kawika Kahiapo and Bryce Sprecher with a check to fund a school garden food safety pilot project and a statewide Farm to School conference this summer. In February, the Locations Foundation will sponsor the Waikiki Elementary Garden Party’s supplies with a grant which supports local children and families through volunteer efforts and monetary donations.
It’s not too late to join the fun! There are still two Spring Garden Parties this Saturday:
Waikiki Elementary, Saturday, February 4, 9:00-11:00 am
Aikahi Elementary, Saturday, February 4, 9:00-11:00 am
Kokua Hawaii Foundation is currently accepting applications from public elementary schools on O’ahu for participation in our ‘AINA In Schools program starting in the 2012-2013 school year. A limited number of schools will be selected as Participating ‘AINA Schools. Participating ‘AINA Schools will implement at least 2 of the 3 core components (Nutrition Education, Garden-Based Learning, and Healthy Food on Campus), and at least one other component (Agricultural Literacy, Waste Reduction, and Family & Community Outreach) during the 2012-2013 school year. Certain schools will be designated “Model” ‘AINA Schools, which are those schools successfully implementing at least 5 of 6 program components. For more information on the ‘AINA In Schools program and components please visit www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/aina. Applications are due no later than Friday, March 9, 2012. Click here to download the application.
Schools not selected at this time will remain eligible for Kokua Hawai’i Foundation resources including workshops, mini-grants, and resource guides. Individual teachers who would like to utilize ‘AINA IS lessons in their classrooms are encouraged to attend workshops and trainings and may learn more by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). All events and resources are listed on our website and announced regularly via our e-newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
Kokua Hawaii Foundation continues to bring the film “Bag It” to schools and public libraries throughout Hawaii through it’s Plastic Free Schools program. In-school screenings of “Bag It” continued during January at Makaha Elementary and Farrington High Schools.
Upcoming public screenings include:
Waialua High School, February 7 at 6:00 pm, U Building
Mililani High School, February 11 at 5:30 pm, Cafeteria
January was filled with wonderful events and special guests in conjunction with KHF’s Plastic Free programs. On MLK Day, 274 volunteers came out and collected 3,672 pounds of trash from James Campbell Wildlife Refuge at Kahuku Beach. A big mahalo to Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, Sea Life Park, BYU Hawaii’s Service Club, SIFE group, and Sustain BYUH, and Kahuku High School’s Student Council, AVID, Science, Environmental and Sustainability Clubs for their help with this extraordinary effort to remove marine debris from Hawaii’s Shorelines. Check out this video created by OiwiTV highlighting the event!
Kahuku High School kicked off the new year with a Sustainability Assembly which included a visit from Kahuku High School alumni and KHF co-founder Jack Johnson. Jack sang a few songs and spoke about KHF’s focus on Plastic Free initiatives.
Captain Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, was on O’ahu promoting his new book “Plastic Ocean” and spoke to students and guests at Kahuku High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Book signings and receptions at BookEnds and Indigo bookended his whirlwind visit.
Lastly, Joel Pascal of Sea of Change spent an afternoon on the campus of BYU Hawaii where he spoke to a group of students about his experiences sailing from California to Hawaii on the JUNKRaft, a boat made from 15,000 plastic bottles, to bring attention to the issue of plastic marine debris.
If your school is interested in guest speakers and more information on marine debris and plastic reduction email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
It was standing room only at the Sunset Beach Elementary School cafeteria during the January 6th Family Night screening of “Truck Farm”. School families and the community enjoyed Q and A with the film makers, visiting a real life truck farm from Windward Nazarene Academy, hands on activities from community organizations, raffle prizes, dinner from the Impossibles Pizza truck and ‘AINA In Schools bird’s nest salads. Check out the blog from the folks at “Truck Farm” and their Facebook page for more photos!
Over 200 people attended Keone’ula’s Elementary School’s 3R’s Family Night on January 18th. The evening included speakers from Blue Planet Foundation, Board of Water Supply, Hawaiian Electric Co., Schnitzer Steel and Kokua Hawaii Foundation. Students conducted tours and engaged the attendees in hands-on games and activities focused on waste reduction, recycling, and water and energy conservation, including a “Who Can Hang Their Laundry on the Line the Fastest” game. Each person went home with a craft hand-made from recycled material and tips to reducing waste at home.
The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project is hosting workshops on Maui, Oahu, and Hawaii islands. Classroom teachers (K-12) will have a unique opportunity to learn about energy and energy efficiency in a fun and exciting way at these upcoming workshops.
At the workshop, educators will be provided with:
School Energy Management Kit designed to teach students about energy consumption and conservation through hands-on projects.
Science of Energy Kit designed to teach the concepts of force, motion, light, sound, heat, electricity, magnetism and energy transformations.
We hope your holiday season was filled with fun, family and friends. It’s the start of a new year and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is excited about the events, projects and programs we are working on for 2012. We ask that you please consider the environment in your New Year Resolutions. May you have a peaceful and healthy “green” year!
In the first semester of the 2011-2012 school year the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation has reached thousands through our programs:
AINA In Schools: 12 elementary schools participate in ‘AINA In Schools. This semester 1,985 students participated in garden lessons and clubs, while nearly 1,300 took part in nutrition lessons. 287 parent and community volunteers supported the program by giving 2,483 hours. In addition to garden and nutrition lessons, four ‘AINA IS schools have salad bars, and four ‘AINA IS schools participate in a fresh fruit and vegetable snack program. 160 students visited farms on field trips and two waste audits took place at one ‘AINA IS school cafeteria. All that from August to December!
Environmental Education Field Trip Assistance Program: In the Fall of 2011, 3,247 students at 31 schools participated in field trips supported by Kokua Hawai’i Foundation. Field trip sites included Tin Roof Ranch, Ka’ala Farms, Waikalua Loko Fishpond, Lyon Arboretum, Ku’u Home Kulaiwi, and many others.
Environmental Education Mini-Grants: 3,404 students and 22 schools have received assistance for environmental education supplies, curricula, and workshops. Mini-grants this semester have funded waste audits, aquaponics, gardening and agriculture projects on school campuses throughout Hawaiʻi.
Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP): During the 2011-2012 school year, 2,539 students from 13 schools will participate in student-led environmental service learning projects. KEAP project titles include “Go Green, Be Plastic Free,” “Turn It Off,” and “From Field to Table.”
3R’s School Recycling: 32,500 students at 45 participating schools reduce, reuse, and recycle on campus. Several of these schools have started composting and vermicomposting food and green waste on campus and have conducted waste audits on their school campuses.
Plastic Free Hawaii & Plastic Free Schools: 100 educators attended this fall’s Service Learning Teacher Institute “Can You Be Plastic Free? Schools Reducing Single-use Plastic for Hawai’i's Health,” over 300 students and families have attended screenings of the film “Bag It,” and hundreds of volunteers have participated in Beach Cleanups at Hale’iwa, Kahuku, Kailua & La’ie beaches giving 1,100 hours to keeping our beaches plastic-free! To get involved contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Sunset Beach ‘AINA Family Night presents a FREE screening of the award winning documentary “Truck Farm” on Friday, January 6 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Sunset Beach Elementary School Cafeteria. There will be family friendly activities, food, door prizes, and a “real-life truck farm” from Windward Nazarene School. Meet the filmmakers Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis. PLUS, “Truck Farm” composer, Simon Beins will be playing music following the film!
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawai’i and Plastic Free Schools programs are pleased to announce a series of events to promote the publication of “Plastic Ocean” a new book by Captain Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Captain Moore will be on O’ahu January 16 & 17 and will be appearing at multiple locations speaking at schools, bookstores and more to share his findings about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and his quest to save the oceans.
Below is a full listing of Plastic Free events happening in conjunction with Captain Moore’s visit:
Monday, January 16
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Kōkua Hawai’i Foundation & Sustainable Coastlines Hawai’i Beach Cleanup at Kahuku Beach—James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge. Community invited! Please check in at Kahuku High School’s main entrance at 9:00 a.m.
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Captain Charles Moore at Bookends in Kailua
“Plastic Ocean” book signing & reception. Open to the public.
Tuesday, January 17
8:15 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Captain Charles Moore will speak at Kahuku High School, Choir Room.
Community invited!
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m Captain Charles Moore will be the keynote speaker at the Semester of Sustainability Kick-Off event at UH Mānoa Campus Center Ballroom. Sustainable UH is hosting the event in conjunction with the KYA Sustainability Studio, Sustainable UH, the Surfrider Foundation, UH Manoa Sustainability Corps, UH Ecology Club and the Kōkua Hawai’i Foundation. Open to the public.
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Joel Paschal, founder of Sea of Change and one of the two Algalita scientists who sailed the JUNKraft from California to Hawai’i in 2008 will speak at the BYU-Hawai’i Campus, Aloha Center Ballroom. Community invited!
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Captain Charles Moore at Indigo Restaurant
“Plastic Ocean” book signing & reception co-sponsored by Surfrider Foundation. Open to the public.
AINA In Schools Garden Party volunteers will work alongside school families to harvest and prepare the school gardens for the spring garden lessons. Garden Party Projects may include: loosening and amending the garden bed soil, mulching the perimeters of garden beds, weeding, creating garden artwork, watering and more. The general public and volunteer groups are invited. Please RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Spring Garden Party Dates: Kainalu Elementary School
Saturday, January 14
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Kailua
Ala Wai Elementary School
Saturday, January 21
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Honolulu
Sunset Beach Elementary School
Saturday, January 28
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
North Shore
Waialae Public Charter School
Saturday, January 28
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Honolulu
Ahuimanu Elementary School
Monday, January 30
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Kane’ohe
‘Aikahi Elementary School
Saturday, February 4
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Kailua
Waikiki Elementary School
Saturday, February 4
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Honolulu
Spring Nutrition Docents Training Dates: Windward Nutrition Docent Training
Monday, January 9
9:30a.m - 12:30 p.m.
Honolulu Nutrition Docent Training
Wednesday, January 11
9:30a.m - 12:30 p.m.
North Shore Nutrition Docent Training
Friday, January 13
9:30a.m - 12:30 p.m.
Spring Garden Docents Training Dates: Windward Garden Docent Training
Tuesday, February 7
9:00a.m - 12:00 p.m.
Honolulu Garden Docent Training
Wednesday, February 8
9:00a.m - 12:00 p.m.
North Shore Garden Docent Training
Thursday, February 9
9:00a.m - 12:00 p.m.
Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to learn more about the trainings or to become a ‘AINA In Schools volunteer. ‘AINA In Schools is a program of the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and seeks to connect children to their land, waters and food to grow a healthier Hawai’i.
This year’s Kokua Hawai’i Foundation calendar contest theme is How do you Kokua Hawai’i? The contest asks student artists to depict ways that they Kokua our island environment. Kokua is the Hawaiian word for help - How do you help Hawai’i's environment and your community?
Students should reflect on the ways they kokua the environment and use paint, crayons, pastels, fabric, collage, or mixed media from reused materials (even plastic) to put your vision on paper or canvas. The possibilities are endless! Deadline is February 11, 2012. Winning entries will be included in the 2012-13 school year Kokua Calendar.
Who can participate? Hawai’i school-aged children grades K-12. (May be submitted by a Teacher, Parent, or Organization).
Mail entries to:
Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation
P.O. Box 866
Haleiwa, HI 96712
Click here for more information and complete guidelines.
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!
Our 12 Days of a Green Holiday Guide has great ideas to help simplify your season and make a commitment to start a new tradition today! Here are a few of our favorites:
Give reusable or homemade gifts.
Reuse wrapping paper and bows or try repurposing newspapers, brown paper bags, maps, or artwork to make your own unique, eco-friendly packages. Reusable grocery bags are also a good gift-wrapping option, and then it’s a gift inside a gift.
Cut out pictures and messages from last year’s cards, and then put them together to create brand new cards for this year.
Consider giving the gift of a Kokua Hawai’i Foundation membership or making a donation to Kokua Hawai’i Foundation in the name of your friends and loved ones.
Give teachers, coworkers, and friends edible gifts, plants, or gift certificates instead of “stuff” that will get stuck in a drawer somewhere.
When buying a Christmas tree, consider live potted trees that you can keep. If you do get a cut tree, try to find one that’s locally grown instead of imported. Helemano Farms on Oahu offers locally grown Norfolk Pines. Sunset Beach Elementary School’s Student Farmer’s Market Club is selling Helemano Farms Christmas Tree vouchers to benefit their garden and snack program. Stop by the school office or the Haleiwa Farmer’s Market this Sunday to purchase your voucher. Remember to “treecycle” your tree with your green waste after Christmas.
School campuses are also abuzz preparing for the holidays. Classrooms filled with anxious children and teachers race to finish projects before the break. Check out KHF’s Green Holiday Educator Resource Guide full of tips and ideas that will help you green your classroom crafts and parties.
We would like to give The New American Dream credit for inspiring us to bring the Simplify the Holidays campaign to Hawai’i. Check out their website to take their Simplify The Holidays Challenge.
Kanu Hawai’i has launched the No Waste Challenge, running the entire month of December. The No Waste Challenge is a time to learn about the waste stream in Hawai’i and renew personal, household, and business commitments to reducing our waste footprint through out the year. Each week focuses on a different waste stream with the challenge culminating in a “One Week-One Bag” Challenge. Here’s the weekly run-down:
Week 1 (Nov 27-Dec 3): The State of Rubbish in Hawai’i - learn how much waste we produce and where it goes; do a “trash check” to see what waste your household is currently producing
Week 2 (Dec 4-10): The Dirt on Recycling - learn how/what to recycle, and why recycling should be a last resort when it comes to plastic
Week 3 (Dec 11-17): Green Gold - learn how to turn green waste into a valuable local resource
Week 4 (Dec 18-26): “One Week - One Bag” Challenge - limit your household waste to a single bag for the entire week (you determine the size of the bag, based on a significant reduction to your usual household waste)
Hawai’i will be among 34 states participating in the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools program, launched earlier this year to recognize schools taking a comprehensive approach to “greening” their school. The program recognizes public and private schools that show progress in minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, positively affecting student and staff health, and producing students who are environmentally and sustainability literate. The objective of the program is to identify and disseminate knowledge about best practices in these areas of environmental awareness.
The Hawai’i DOE will distribute application forms and other information to public and private schools interested in participating. Schools will apply to the Hawai’i DOE, which in turn will nominate four schools in the state for national recognition. The deadline for Hawai’i schools to submit applications is in February 2012. For more information visit the U.S. DOE website. To keep abreast of Green Ribbon Schools program information in Hawai’i, subscribe to KHF’s Hawai’i Educator’s Mailing List.
Kainalu Elementary and Sunset Beach Elementary in partnership with ‘AINA In Schools each hosted their own ‘AINA Family Nights highlighting ‘AINA IS practices at their schools. Kainalu students led their parents on garden tours, and Kainalu Parent Chef Rod Uyehara delighted families with a cooking demonstration for using Thanksgiving leftovers with his rendition of fresh garden spinach gnocchi and turkey bolognese.
Sunset Beach Elementary families munched on popcorn donated by North Shore Naturals while watching the thought provoking movie “Bag It”, followed by a presentation from the Method folks visiting from California, who upcycle marine debris plastics into soap bottles! ‘AINA IS Family Night fun at Sunset Beach Elementary included herb bouquet making, garden tours, reusable bags sewn from old t-shirts, and some family-friendly informational displays on packing healthy and waste free lunches from Plastic Free Schools. Thank you to Turtle Bay and Chef Hector Morales for donating pupus.
Mahalo to all the parents and school staff who volunteered their time to host these ‘AINA IS family evening events at school. Part of the family and outreach component of the ‘AINA In Schools program, these events increase awareness of ‘AINA IS initiatives at schools and encourage families to bring ‘AINA lessons home.
‘Aikahi Elementary School Plants a Fruit Orchard
On November 16, more than 500 students, teachers and volunteers participated in planting a Legacy Orchard at ‘Aikahi Elementary to commemorate the school’s focus on farm-to-school education. The Legacy Orchard is a partnership between Kaiser Permanente and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s ‘AINA in Schools program. Each grade level, K-6, at ‘Aikahi Elementary planted a tree to create the school’s Legacy Orchard, serving as a tangible symbol of the school community’s commitment to being a green school and providing a healthy, whole-child education that connects to the environment. The day’s activities also included a tour of the 16 on-campus ‘AINA in Schools garden beds, a Healthy Choice Salad Bar lunch, and a performance by KHF co-founder Jack Johnson.
Farm Field Trips
‘AINA IS school, Wai’alae Elementary PCS 3rd graders visited Nalo Farms, a farm that has been stewarded by the Okimoto family for over 60 years. Students tasted an assortment of fresh veggies and herbs including a Morimoto tomato, corn sprouts, basil, and thyme, as well as samples of the 13 different varieties of micro greens used to make Nalo Greens. While students tasted the peppery Mizuna and mellow arugula, the farmers explained the importance of producing safe food, and why buying and eating local is important. Farm fresh produce is often harvested and put to market the same day, creating a product that is picked at its peak when it’s most nutritious and delicious. Mahalo to Nalo Farms for sharing a day in the life of a farmer with ‘AINA students showing them where their food comes from and what it takes to get it to their plates. Check out the ‘AINA In Schools Farm Field Trips Resource Guide and book a Farm Filed Trip for your students TODAY!
On November 7, 2011, Grow Hawai’i and the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation brought a group of over 14 school food professionals from the Department of Education and the Hawai’i Association of Independent Schools together for the “School Chef’s Table.” Held at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific on the Kapi’olani Community College campus, the school chefs were priviledged to sharpen their culinary skills while mixing in some creative ways to serve healthy, locally sourced food with Chef Instructor and award-winning culinary competition manager Chef Alan Tsuchiyama. The evening included a tasting menu created by Chef Alan, a reminder on the benefits of sourcing local (freshness and taste) and a hands-on meal creation exercise in teams of two.
Currently there is no active professional association for school food professionals. This event was also a way to test the waters on the viability of creating a “chef’s table” for all school food professionals to develop themselves and their teams, creating a place for problem solving, and sharing best practices. The evening ended with a challenge to all the School Chefs to implement what they just learned during the upcoming spring semester, sourcing as much local produce and meats as possible.
4. ALWAYS take your reusable cloth bags for shopping!
Check out our Calendar for holiday themed events happening throughout the month! We highly encourage you to visit local Craft Fairs at your neighborhood school or community center, attend Do-It-Yourself workshops and focus on family time, creativity and community service during this time of the year.
Here is one of our favorite events that allows Hawai’i keiki to practice the 3R’s:
Keiki Swap Meet at the Hawai’i Children’s Discovery Center from 10:00am - 1:00pm.
There are two ways to participate. Children can register to sell items which costs $3 to register, or families can come and shop. There is no charge to shop. Click here for more information.
How to Throw a Zero Waste Party
Choose Reusable: dinnerware, cups and linens. Shop at thrift stores for an assortment of vintage dinnerware and fun fabrics to reuse as napkins and table clothes. Reuse jars for cups and have guest write their names in sharpie.
Shop at your local farmers market for farm fresh produce and cook up a close-to-the-source holiday meal! Or better yet, make it a pot-luck with an Eat Local theme.
Serve water and holiday punch in pitchers or coolers instead of serving bottled water, juices and spirits. Spice it up with some fun and refreshing infused water recipes!
After your party, compost your food waste and recycle any bottles and cans.
Over 100 educators gathered last week for the Punahou School Service Learning Teacher Institute presented by Luke Center for Public Service and Kokua Hawaii Foundation. “Can You Be Plastic Free? Schools Reducing Single-use Plastic for Hawai’i's Health,” featured classroom teachers from elementary, middle and high schools sharing classroom curriculum and real-life stories of the impact learning about plastic is having on their students. Attendees participated in a hands-on marine debris sorting activity and sent plastic waste to be upcycled by Method into new packaging products. Lianne Morita shared 1st grade student letters to parents. One student wrote, “Please use less plastic utensils. None would be better.” In keeping with the theme of the evening, dinner was served on ti leaves instead of plates and finger foods made utensils obsolete.
Key-note speakers included Joel Paschal, from Sea of Change who in 2009 sailed a boat made of plastic bottles from California to Hawaii, and Aulani Wilhelm, Superintendent of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, who shared in-depth the effects of plastic and marine debris on the animals who live on and around the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.
Closing out the evening was high school senior Kylie Courtney who shared how “plastic water bottles have become a ridiculous pandemic” on her school campus and that we are all responsible to make the change. Civil Beat was also in the house and wrote a very nice recap of the evening. All who attended walked away with an packet of information, lesson plans and resources that can be used to incorporate plastic free education into their teaching immediately.
A special thanks to Susan Scott, whose one-of-a-kind, marine debris art added a special touch to the event.
Also of note is the new book by Captain Charles Moore, “Plastic Ocean”. Captain Moore, founder of Algalita Marine Research Foundation, is the first scientist to document what has became known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vast area of marine debris and plastic pollution located in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Hawaii.
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and the O’ahu Master Gardeners recently presented a series of two School Garden Basics Workshops for Educators at the UH Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. Topics covered included: Introduction to School Garden Programs, Soils and Composting, Common Insects and Diseases, Hawai’i's Natural Environment, Basic Botany, and Crops for School Gardens.
Twenty-five students attended the workshop, which included teachers, parents, community volunteers, and even a librarian, a sustainability coordinator, and a vice principal. Participants came from public, private, and charter schools across O’ahu, representing preschool through 12th grade education. The response to the workshop was overwhelmingly positive! We look forward to a continued partnership with the O’ahu Master Gardeners in bringing garden-based learning to Hawai’i's schools, youth, and communities. Mahalo to the many dedicated staff, volunteers, and participants who made this event possible!
October is National Farm to School Month! The National Farm to School Network along with Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the Hawai’i Farm to School & School Garden Hui are encouraging schools to participate by hosting a farmer or chef visit to campus. Typical classroom visits include a discussion of the speaker’s life and career path, what a typical day is like on the farm or in the restaurant, a food tasting or cooking demonstration, and question and answer time. For ideas on arranging farmer and classroom visits, along with farm field trips, see our Agricultural Literacy Partners List and Farm Field Trip Resource Guide at www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/aina.
2008 Kokua Festival poster artist Heather Brown has created a series of iPhone cases with 15% of the purchase of one select case, the Ku’uipo, to benefit Kokua Hawaii Foundation.
Inspired by her love of the sea, surf and the beauty of Hawaii, Heather Brown has gained a worldwide reputation for spreading the Aloha Spirit. Her unique style of surf art puts a smile on your face and tells a story of happy times. Heather has been a long time supporter of Kokua Hawaii Foundation and designed our popular Plastic Free Haleiwa reusable bags and bottles. This special edition case is just as eco-savvy being made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic in Southern California.
Get your Heather Brown signature Ku’uipo case on the KHF online store and further support us!
On Oahu? Check out Heather Brown’s solo art exhibit titled “Life At Sea Level” opening at Mu’umu’u Heaven in Kailua on October 20th, with an artist’s reception from 5:00 - 8:00 pm. Heather will be on hand, food and refreshments will be served. “It’s going to be so much fun,” Brown commented. You can also pick up a Ku’uipo iPhone case at Muumuu Heaven!
What is a Kokua Earth Action Project?
A Kokua Earth Action Project (KEAP) is student-led environmental service learning initiative aimed at taking care of our islands and encouraging long-lasting change in your classrooms, schools or community. Past projects have included instituting a lunch waste composting program at school, leading a school recycling program, starting an on-campus garden, adopting a stream or beach, energy conservation and more. A great website to check out for inspiration is the Green Club at St. Anthony’s School.
How to Participate:
Start by choosing a KEAP and create a plan for how you’ll carry it out. Follow the proposal instructions and submit to the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation. Many projects may already be in place at your school, if so, please describe what you are doing in the appropriate areas of the application. Proposal registration forms are available online at www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org. The completed proposal must be submitted and postmarked by October 14, 2011. The KEAP committee will review each submission and send out confirmation emails to each group regarding documentation of projects.
Please direct any questions regarding KEAP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Presented annually by Luke Center for Public Service and Kokua Hawaii Foundation, the Service Learning Teacher Institute (SLTI) is a program for educators from both public and private schools. The goal of the Institute is to provide resources for teachers that help them develop curricula related to service learning, sustainability and social entrepreneurship in their classrooms. The Institute provides a collaborative learning environment where teachers learn from one another, as well as from experts in the field.
This year’s SLTI, “Can You Be Plastic Free? Schools Sharing Steps to Reduce Single-use Plastics for Hawai’i's Health,” will be held on Thursday, October 27, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM at Punahou School.
Teachers will learn how to create a waste-free classroom and school through lessons by elementary and high school teachers and students, hear presentations by Joel Paschal (Sea of Change) and Aulani Wilhelm (NOAA), participate in a marine debris sorting activity to collect data and deepen understanding of the impact of plastics on marine life, and experience inspirational marine debris art displays.
Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grant Program is now accepting online applications for school garden grants! In partnership with FoodCorps, Whole Kids Foundation will grant 1,000 schools $2,000 each to build or expand their school garden. The online application is due December 31. If you are an ‘AINA school please contact our School Garden Coordinator to apply for this grant as part of the ‘AINA In Schools proposal. 100% of funds awarded will be given to the ‘AINA schools who filled out their portion of the application. Disney Planet Challenge provides funding for 3rd-8th grade hands-on environmental science projects focused on water conservation and watershed protection, recycling, composting, restoring/creating community gardens and more!
Teachers here is how you apply! Use the same email address you use for your DonorsChoose.org account then complete the following three steps on the Disney Planet Challenge website:
1) Register on the site
2) Fill out your teacher profile
3) Add a team!
You will receive full funding for your DonorsChoose.org project within one week of completing the three steps above, and you’ll have until February 2012 to implement your project and complete the steps on Disney’s Planet Challenge.
For more grant opportunities check out KHF’s Green Grants for Schools.This listing includes national and local grants in the areas of gardens, nutrition education, alternative energy, recycling, waste management, and general environmental education grant opportunities.
Kanu Hawaii’s Eat Local Challenge was a tremendous success! Building upon the success of the previous two years’ Eat Local Challenge, the 2011 challenge was extended from one week to one month, with each week featuring a different focus: Education, Grow Your Own, Choose Local and Eat Strictly Local. There were lots of wonderful events, including the “Big, Hairy, Audacious Ideas for a Hawai’i Food Revolution” held at Kapi’olani Community College on September 20. The forum featured high-impact talks and an open table for discussions about how to make healthy, locally grown food accessible to everyone.
Speakers included, Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s School Food Coordinator Dexter Kishida, KHF Board Member Chef Ed Kenney, Mark Noguchi, Lisa Asagi, Ashley Lukens and Kamuela Enos.
Check out Chef Ed Kenney’s presentation as well as the rest of the presentations.
Interested in the “Politics of Food”? Check out Marion Nestle speaking about the entire food system and the links between agriculture, food, nutrition and public health. Nestle is chair of the Council on Nutrition Policy of the National Association for Public Health Policy, she writes the Food Matters column for The San Francisco Chronicle, and also writes for www.foodpolitics.com.
Twelve classmates and two co-directors of the Hawai’i Agricultural Leadership Program spent the week of September 18-24 in Washington D.C., voicing support at the national level for matters of importance relating to natural resources, agriculture, and education in Hawai’i. We met with staff from the USDA, the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union, and the four members of Hawai’i's congressional delegation: Mazie Hirono, Colleen Hanabusa, Daniel Akaka, and Daniel Inouye. We also visited the D.C. Central Kitchen, and met with staff from the First Lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative.
Our group is extremely grateful to the many partners that have made this experience possible, and to the countless leaders who work in their own way to make the world a better place. We greatly appreciate the long-term service of Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, their dedication to caring for Hawai’i's people, and their messages shared about the importance of discipline, patience, perseverance, and living with aloha.
On Saturday September 17, hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world participated in the 26th Annual International Coastal Clean-Up Day, hosted by the Ocean Conservancy. Over the past 25 years, this event has become the world’s largest volunteer events for ocean health.
KHF co-founder Jack Johnson, along with hundreds of volunteers here in Hawaii, joined together to help clean their local beaches as part of Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawaii beach cleanups. The goal was not just to remove trash, but to identify the sources of marine debris, and change the behaviors that allow it to reach the ocean in the first place. In 2009, results show that 60% of the debris collected consisted of single use, disposable items including 1.1 million plastic bags.
Later that evening, Patagonia and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation hosted a standing room only screening of the movie Bag It. An award winning documentary based on one man’s educational and sometimes humorous look into plastics and their effect on our oceans, waterways and health.
Here are some highlights from Plastic Free Hawaii cleanups by location:
Haleiwa Ali’i Beach Park: 324 lbs of trash collected with help from Mililiani High School, Waialua High School’s Surf Club, Waialua Hawaiian Civic Club, Hands In Helping Out (HIHO), Hoala School, Institute for Human Services Civic Engagement Program, and Plastic Free Haleiwa
Kailua Beach Park: 150 lbs collected. Mahalo Plastic Free Kailua, St. Anthony School Green Club, Hawaii ZTA Alumnae Chapter, and Hawaiian Island Twisters
Malaekahana Beach Park: 247 lbs collected. Thanks to students from Laie Elementary, Kahuku High & Intermediate School, BYU Hawaii Sustainability Club
Plastic from the Malaekahana Beach cleanup was also sent to Method to be upcycled and made into packaging. Check out this article to learn more about their efforts.
There are many simple things we can all do to reduce plastic waste:
Carry your own reusable bag and water bottle wherever you go.
Choose plastic free packaging and say no to bottled water.
Support legislation that reduces single use plastics.
Saturday, September 17th is the Ocean Conservancy’s 26th International Coastal Clean-up Day. Join Kokua Hawai’i Foundation at one of the three Plastic Free Hawai’i beach clean ups planned around the island:
Ali’i Beach Park at the Hale’iwa Surf Center, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Kailua Beach Park near the Canoe House, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Malaekahana Beach Park at the Kahuku end, 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Join us for a FREE screening of Bag It at Patagonia Haleiwa
When: Saturday, September 17
Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location:66-250 Kamehameha Hwy Haleiwa, HI 96712
Bag It is a touching and often flat-out-funny film about Jeb Berrier, an average American guy, who is admittedly not a “tree hugger.” Jeb makes a pledge to stop using plastic bags, and this simple act gets him thinking about all kinds of plastic as he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. When Jeb’s journey takes a personal twist, we see how our crazy-for-plastic world has finally caught up to us and what we can do about it. Today. Right now.
O’ahu educators and volunteers working directly with school gardens are invited to attend this two-day workshop on October 15 and 22 at the UH Urban Garden Center in Pearl City, presented by the O‘ahu Master Gardeners Association and the Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation.
Six workshop modules will be presented to help you get started or improve and strengthen your pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade school garden program.
The workshop will be taught by ‘AINA IS School Garden Coordinator Lydi Morgan Bernal and other O’ahu Master Gardeners. To learn more and register for the workshop, visit www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/workshops.
Kanu Hawaii’s third Eat Local Challenge calls on people across the islands to eat locally grown food in order to build a more sustainable, secure and healthy local food system. Building on the successes of the past two years, the 2011 Eat Local Challenge grows from one week to the entire month of September.
We invite everyone to make a commitment to take action in support of a healthy, sustainable, secure food system. Recipes, guides, and deals from Eat Local restaurant and market partners are available on Kanu’s website to help support challenge commitments. To join the Eat Local Challenge, Kanu Hawai’i suggests making a commitment at www.kanuhawaii.org/eatlocal.
Please join us as we celebrate Eat Local Month and launch the O’ahu Farm to School Network!
Waikiki Elementary School
Friday September 9, 2011
3:00 to 5:00 pm
Optional Locally Grown Dinner to Follow
Come for networking, garden tours, seed giveaways, and a talk story session with our special guests Arden Bucklin-Sporer & Rachel Kathleen Pringle, authors of the book “How to Grow a School Garden.” We’ll be focusing on the theme of “Starting & Maintaining a Successful School Garden” in order to improve student wellness, academic achievement, and our local food system. This FREE event is open to all educators and parents interested in school gardens. RSVP here to help us plan for attendance.
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s newest Resource Guide will give you tips for packing Healthy & Waste-Free Lunches for your keiki. See what your Waste-Free Lunch Kit should include and pack it with healthy lunches including foods that are fresh, local and close to the source! To view or download the Healthy & Waste-Free Lunches Resource Guide click here.
Mahalo for voting Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Best Green Organization in the Honolulu Weekly’s Best of Honolulu 2011! We look forward to growing healthy keiki, schools and communities for many years to come.
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s 2011-2012 School Year Calendar is now available. This edition features vibrant works of student art that follow the theme “Plastic Free Hawai’i.” Facts and tips found throughout the calendar offer helpful ways to minimize our consumption of single-use plastics. All proceeds from the sale of this calendar go to Kokua programs. Available now at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation online store. If on O’ahu, you can pick up your copy at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation booth at September 11 Hale’iwa Farmers’ Market or contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Local chef and restaurant owner Ed Kenney has joined the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Board of Directors. His restaurants, Town and Downtown, are lively gathering places guided by the mantra, “local first, organic whenever possible, with aloha always” and have received accolades in local and national press. Ed has been a member of the ‘AINA In Schools Steering Committee since 2006 and has participated on ‘AINA IS outreach events at Waikiki and Wai’alae Elementary Schools. We would like to thank Ed, and our entire board, Jack & Kim Johnson, Ruth Holberg, Kawika Kahiapo, Blake McElheny, Laura Moritz, Julie Rene and Bryce Sprecher, for their time, energy, wisdom and guidance.
The 2011- 12 school year is off to a running start! Garden Parties, nutrition and garden docent trainings, as well as “Taste of ‘AINA” orientations for teachers have filled the last several weeks at participating ‘AINA IS schools.
The Fall ‘AINA IS Garden Parties are an opportunity for families, schools, and community members to come together to prepare the school gardens for planting. Mahalo to all the parents, teachers, and friends of school gardens that supported this round of Garden Parties. Community groups included: Louis Vuitton, First Insurance Community Action Team, Waialua High School Surf Club, Hands in Helping Out, Aiea High School Key Club, BYUH, and Tokai University.
Fresh Choice Salad Bars are being served weekly at four ‘AINA IS schools, including ‘Aikahi, Kainalu, Wai’alae, and Sunset Beach Elementary Schools. This month nutrition and garden lessons will begin in the classroom giving students their first taste of ‘AINA.
‘AINA IS School Garden Coordinator Lydi Morgan Bernal is preparing to travel to Washington, DC and New Mexico as part of the Hawai’i Agricultural Leadership Program. The trip will include visits with Hawai’i's congressional delegation, the White House Kitchen Garden, and USDA national headquarters. In New Mexico, the group will visit Dreaming New Mexico (“Dreaming the Future Can Create the Future”) and many local farms, ranches, and food processing facilities, gaining a better understanding of how one state is developing a clearer and more sustainable vision for their local food system.
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is fundrasing to pay for Lydi’s tuition and travel costs for the trip. If you would like to make a contribution, click here donate online. You may also send a check to P.O. Box 866, Halei’iwa, HI 96712. Be sure to write “Staff Development” in our online form or on your check’s memo line.
A limited number of educator scholarships to cover the $30 registration fee are available through Kokua Hawai’i Foundation. To apply for this scholarship please fill out the application form. Following acceptance of your application, we will email you a fee waiver code to use when you register for the conference.
If you have any questions, write to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind at the start of this new school year:
1. Rethink your school supplies.
Before buying new, check out which supplies from last year are still usable.
Check out your local thrift store for gently used backpacks, lunch boxes, and other items that are on your school supplies list. Check out NewAmericanDream.org for more ideas.
Purchase earth-friendly school supplies like recycled paper, refillable pens and pencils, and durable supplies that will last for several years. Check out ReBinder’s Green School Supplies Kit.
2. Pack a smart lunch.
Use reusable containers, utensils, refillable bottles, and cloth napkins to pack a waste-free lunch of yummy local and/or organic products.
Whole fruits come in their own “wrapper” and are healthier than processed snacks!
Our programs and grants are valuable resources available to students and teachers across the state of Hawai’i.
‘AINA In Schools: Brings nutrition education, garden-based learning, agricultural literacy and healthy food choices to Hawai’i’s schools. For information on workshops, networking events and the latest farm to school news, sign up for our ‘AINA In Schools mailing list. Download a list of helpful farm to school resources here.
Environmental Field Trip Assistance: Brings students to outdoor sites where they can experience hands-on learning about Hawai’i's natural environment.
Kokua Earth Action Projects: Foster student-led environmental service learning initiatives that create lasting, positive change in their schools and communities.
3R’s School Recycling: Empowers student leaders and encourages reducing, reusing, and recycling on campus.
Plastic Free Schools: Provides resources, tools and trainings to educate school communities on the environmental and health benefits of going plastic free to minimize the consumption and pollution of plastics in our schools and islands. Check out the Plastic Free Educators Resource Guide for a list of websites, books, films, videos and more.
Other resources:
Green Grants for Schools: This listing includes national and local grants in the areas of gardens, nutrition education, alternative energy, recycling, waste management, and general environmental education grant opportunities.
Hawai’i Educator’s Mailing List: Keep informed of events, teacher institutes and workshops, and other educational resources by signing up for our periodical newsletter especially for teachers.
The Hawai‘i Environmental Education Alliance (HEEA) would like your assistance in reviewing the DRAFT Hawai‘i Environmental Literacy Plan (HELP). HEEA is working closely with the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai‘i Department of Education, and the public in developing the HELP. In order to create a plan that is appropriate and applicable in Hawaii’s communities, it is essential to involve environmental educators and all people interested in an environmentally literate Hawai‘i.
Because of the HELP’s link to the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in Congress, the plan is focused on public education. However, the plan recognizes importance of non-governmental environmental education organizations and independent/private schools.
For this draft, please focus on CONTENT rather than appearance or editing. Please provide your comments by August 15th via this site: surveymonkey.com. You are invited but not required to comment on each section of the plan. Your feedback will be considered carefully is much appreciated.
Thursday, September 8 - HAIS Schools of the Future Conference
The Hawai’i Community Foundation and HAIS Schools of the Future Conference featuring Alan November is presented in collaboration with Grow Hawai’i: A School Garden Project and Tech Corps Hawai’i. This conference is open to all educators, parents and students including heads of schools, principals, trustees, faculty and staff. Alan November’s keynote address will also be broadcast via video-stream to Hawai’i Preparatory Academy and Kamehameha Schools’ Hawai’i and Maui campuses. Click here for more info.
Saturday, September 10 - USGBC Hawaii Green Schools Symposium
The 3rd Hawai’i Green Schools Symposium at ‘Ewa Makai Middle School in ‘Ewa Beach, Hawai’i’s first LEED® Registered public school, is a six-hour exploration of the latest trends in school design, facilities management, and environmental education.
A limited number of educator scholarships will be available through Kokua Hawai’i Foundation
Saturday, September 24 - Discover Recycling!
The 7th annual Discover Recycling! Event for Teachers is FREE! With a focus on teachers and educators, the day will include a bus tour of O’ahu’s recycling processing facilities, followed by a delicious waste-free lunch and a showcase of professional recycling educators. For more details visit Discover Recycling Learning Center.
Mahalo nui loa to our ‘AINA IS staff and our partners at Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha, Makaha Elementary School, and The Kohala Center for hosting, organizing, and supporting the 2011 Hawai‘i School Garden Conference, held July 7-9 at Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha, and to each of the many dedicated individuals that made it all possible. The theme of this year’s conference was Planting Hope: Growing the Next Generation. Over 100 participants from five islands joined together to develop their understanding and experience of agriculture, education, peace, and sustainability in order to better serve Hawai’i's youth and our progress as a state. This year’s conference featured 24 different breakout sessions specially designed for garden educators, as well as presentations by inspiring community leaders, and a special gathering of school administrators and legislators to discuss the growing statewide Farm to School and School Garden movement. Check out the many local and national School Garden and Farm to School resources available online at kohalacenter.org, and stay tuned for information on next year’s conference!
The USDA in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Lets Move! campaign recently introduced MyPlate. It gives a visual reminder to fill half our plate with fruits and vegetables, and increase the amount of whole grains we eat. Along with the visual, the website houses a toolkit with nutrition information, healthy eating tips, and even a personal eating plan. While not all Hawai’i foods are in the database, check back for regular updates. Another great visual resource is Chef Ann Cooper’s meal wheel
With budget deficits affecting school districts across the country, “greening” your school is not only environmentally beneficial it is becoming a financial necessity. “Greening” is one of the quickest ways to save money (to the tune of thousands of dollars a year). The non-profit Global Green USA is hosting a Green School Makeover Competition to “green” the winning school. Here’s how it works: tell Global Green how you plan to green your school (make sure the principal and/or facilities manager signs off too) and follow the instructions for submitting an application from now through September 30, 2011.
The grand prize is $65,000 for school greening, plus an additional $65,000 of in-kind technical assistance. Four additional schools will each receive $2,500 towards their green school renovations.
It’s time to vote for the Honolulu Weekly’s Best of Issue. How about selecting Kokua Hawai’i Foundation as “your favorite environmental organization in Honolulu”? Help the Honolulu Weekly be green by signing up for their weekly Green e-newsletter.
This farm to school program aims to connect children to their land, waters and food in order to grow a healthier future for Hawai’i. ‘AINA IS brings nutrition education, garden-based learning, agricultural literacy, and healthy food choices to Hawai’i's schools.
12 elementary schools on O’ahu participate in our ‘AINA IS program. is year 1,800 students participated in garden lessons, while 1,300 took part in nutrition lessons. Five ‘AINA schools served a weekly Fresh Choice Salad Bar and six schools participated in the Hawaiian Harvest Snack pilot program. Both programs aim to serve more fresh, local produce on school campuses. Over 450 parent and community volunteers supported the program by giving 3,500 hours of service.
Kokua’s field trip assistance grants bring students to outdoor sites where they can experience hands-on learning about Hawai’i's natural environment.
5,946 students at 68 schools participated in Kokua-supported field trips. Field trip sites include Wai’opae Marine Life Conservation District, Waimea Valley, Honouliuli Wetlands, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and many others. An additional 3,350 children visited Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha’s educational farm, which receives Kokua funding to support their Ke Ala Learning Center.
Teachers from Hawai’i public schools can apply for mini-grants to help advance their environmental education goals.
11,500 students at 41 schools received assistance for environmental education supplies,
curricula, and workshops. Mini-grants supported vermicomposting workshops, garden supplies, aquaponics systems, and more this school year.
KEAP is an environmental service-learning initiative encouraging students to work toward creating lasting, positive change in their schools and communities.
During the 2010-2011 school year over 1,200 students from across the state completed KEAP projects. Projects included: “Green Schools Documentary,” “Our Garbage Isn’t Garbage Anymore,” and “Invasive Limu Eradication.”
Our 3 R’s Program encourages reducing, reusing, and recycling on campus by providing educational resources and recycling bins to participating schools
32,500 students at 45 participating schools reduce, reuse, and recycle on campus. Several of these schools have started composting and vermicomposting food and green waste on campus. Kokua sponsored a 3R’s School Recycling Drive at Kahuku High School and diverted over 8,000 lbs. of recyclables from the landfill.
Launched in March 2011, Plastic Free Schools aims to reduce single-use plastics on campuses. The program encourages students, faculty, and parents to make plastic free commitments like packing waste free lunches and carrying reusable bottles and tote bags. The program provides educational resources to make these commitments come to life.
40 students from 12 schools participated in our Student Ambassador Workshop at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference. Over 100 volunteers supported our co-sponsored beach clean up that removed an estimated 1.6 tons of marine debris in just 2 hours!
Plastic Free Hawai’i is a coalition of community members and business owners that strives to educate the stores, restaurants, schools, residents and visitors of Hawai’i on the environmental and health benefits of going plastic free to minimize the consumption and pollution of plastics in our islands
Currently over 60 businesses from Hale’iwa and Kailua towns have pledged to stop disbursing single-use plastics such as plastic bags, cups, and styrofoam containers.
Simplify the Holidays focuses on our traditional holiday dreams and ideals, while helping our local economy, environment and communities too.
Over 1,600 KHF members and friends pledged to give back to their environment and communities this past holiday season.
Educational Events allow us to share a variety of environmental issues with a broader community audience including parents, educators and school administrators
This year 500 people attended KHF-hosted film screenings and discussions, cooking demonstrations, school garden conferences and teacher institutes.
Our ‘AINA In Schools program is recruiting parent and community docents to teach nutrition lessons for grades 2 & 6, and garden lessons for Grades K, 1, and 5. No experience is necessary! Join us in educating the next generation about how to make healthy food choices and how to grow their own food at schools all over O’ahu. Must be available for monthly lessons and quarterly trainings beginning in August.
Nutrition Docent Training Dates::
Honolulu Schools: Monday, August 29th, 9:30 am - 12:30pm
Windward Schools: Wednesday, August 31st, 9:30am - 12:30pm
North Shore Schools: Thursday, September 1st, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Garden Docent Training Dates::
Honolulu Schools: Thursday, August 18th, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Windward Schools: Tuesday, August 23rd, 9:00am - 12:00pm
North Shore Schools: Thursday, August 25th, 9:00am - 12:00pm
A Kokua Earth Action Project is an environmental service learning initiative aimed at taking care of our islands and encouraging long-lasting change in your classrooms, schools or community. If your class or school is interested in starting a project to create positive change for our environment this upcoming school year or you already have an environmental project planned, we invite you to register. We want to recognize your work and share it with other schools. To participate, please download the K.E.A.P. registration form online and submit it by October 14, 2011. For more information please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Our 2011-2012 Environmental Field Trip & Mini-Grant applications are now available at kokuahawaiifoundation.org/schoolprograms. Please fill out your grant applications and submit now. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until March 1, 2012. We look forward to assisting your school in furthering your environmental education goals. For more information about our grant opportunities, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Thursday, July 7 Special Lunch and Workshop for School Administrators
School Administrators and Principals are invited to this special gathering to discuss the growing movement and the importance of Farm to School and School Garden Programs in the State of Hawai’i.
This workshop will be from 12:30pm - 3:30pm at Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha (next to Makaha Elementary School)
Saturday, July 9 “School Food Basics” and “School Garden Basics” Workshops
Start or strengthen your school’s health and wellness initiatives with these two informative workshops presented by the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation ‘AINA In Schools team.
This workshop will take place from 9:00am - 12:00pm at Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha (next to Makaha Elementary School)
The Kanu Hawai’i Energy Challenge calls us to cut our electric and gasoline bills by 25% during the month of July, and commit to lasting change that will carry these savings forward. Each week will feature a mini-challenge:
Week 1: Audit Challenge - We can’t manage what we don’t measure.
Week 2: Appliances Challenge - Learn to turn off | adjust appliances to use less energy.
Week 3: Transportation Challenge - Get out of the car & explore alternative transportation.
Week 4: Outreach Challenge - Share what you learned with others!
Join the Energy Challenge by making one or more commitments at KanuHawaii.org
The Patagonia Music Collective has teamed up with Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation founder and president, Jack Johnson, and past Kokua Festival artist, Jake Shimabukuro, to help environmental groups. When you purchase Johnson’s “To the Sea” and Shimabukuro’s “Less Cowbell, More Ukulele” you will help raise funds for Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation.
Get your exclusive tracks today at www.patagonia.com
Governor Neil Abercrombie’s “New Day Garden” was dedicated on Saturday, June 18 next to the Governor’s home, Hale Kia‘aina. The home sits on the grounds of the historic Washington Place, former home of Queen Lili‘uokalani. Abercrombie and his wife Dr. Nancie Caraway are the first “first family” in Hawaii’s history to plant a food garden and implement a composting system at Hale Kia‘aina, setting a great example of Aloha ‘Aina and increased access to fresh healthy foods.
This organic fruit, herb, and vegetable garden was made possible entirely by donations from local businesses, non-profits, and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, in a great example of public-private partnerships. The effort was headed by Jacqueline Kozak of the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council, who had originally submitted the idea through the Governor’s “New Day Hawai‘i” website.
Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation donated the materials and expertise for the implementation of a system to compost nearly all the yard and food wastes generated on the grounds at Washington Place. Students from the Kainalu Elementary ‘AINA In Schools Garden Club were in attendance during the dedication to plant seedlings, set up the compost system, and plant lemon and papaya trees. The Club also designed and painted the New Day Garden signs. A beautiful Hawaiian blessing was shared by Kahuna, and an ‘awa tree planted as an important symbol of Hawaiian culture and healing.
Mahalo to Governor Abercrombie and Dr. Caraway for their leadership and to the vast number of community partners for their Kokua in bringing a New Day to Hawai‘i!
In April, Kōkua Hawai’i Foundation staff honored the KHF extended ‘ohana with a Volunteer Appreciation Picnic under the shade of the monkey pod trees of Waimea Valley’s upper meadow. To start the day, families gardened together in Waimea Valley’s Children’s Garden. Lunch was locally sourced and included ‘ulu (breadfruit) and turkey burgers prepared by Hale Kealoha and dessert donated by Whole Foods Market. Many volunteers helped make this a zero waste event by bringing their own plates and utensils! After lunch, keiki danced in the meadow to the melodies of KHF board members Jack Johnson and Kawika Kahiapo, and KHF staff and Executive Director Kim Johnson expressed their appreciation for volunteer contributions to all of Kōkua’s programs.
Click here to see more photos of KHF volunteers in action.
Kōkua Hawai’i Foundation’s ‘AINA In Schools program has teamed up with the O’ahu Master Gardeners to provide a series of workshops for educators and volunteers on the basics of growing school gardens. The six workshop modules will cover a School Gardens Overview, Basic Botany, Soils (including composting), Ecology, Insects and Diseases, and Veggies, Fruits and Herbs. Stay tuned for more information on the workshops, taking place July through October at the Pearl City Urban Garden Center! For specific inquiries, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Kōkua Hawai’i Foundation is building our ‘AINA In Schools docent teams at each of the ‘AINA schools for the 2011-2012 school year. We are recruiting parent and community docents to teach monthly nutrition lessons for grades 2 & 6, and monthly garden lessons for Grades K, 1, and 5. No experience is necessary and times are flexible! Join us in educating the next generation about how to make healthy food choices and how to grow their own food at schools all over O’ahu.
After assisting with one of the ‘AINA IS garden lessons at ‘Aikahi Elementary School this spring, Punahou sophomore students Emily Hamocon and Malia Smith were inspired to do more in support of school gardens. Through donations received in exchange for their very own hand-made jewelry, Emily and Malia together raised over $700, which they generously presented to the Kōkua Hawai’i Foundation on May 21 at the ‘Aikahi Elementary School ‘AINA IS Garden Party. A huge mahalo goes out to these generous and entrepreneurial artisans and each of their supporters! Thanks also to the Punahou School Luke Center for Public Service for making the connection and inspiring the giving spirit.
Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea invites keiki to Sea Camp! Sea Campers, ages 8-10, will learn marine biology and conservation from a scientific and cultural perspective at the activity-filled, entertaininng and educational day camp. More info/registration at www.pupukeawaimea.org or call (808) 551-6712.
Mālama Learning Center partners with Hawaiʻi Nature Center for a week-long day camp for middle school students on climate change. Contact Hawaiʻi Nature Center at 808-955-0100 for more information.
On Hawai’i Island? Don’t miss the Green Power Heroes Clean Energy Adventure Camp. This fun and exciting day camp for 9-13 year-olds hosted at the Gateway Center at the Natural Energy Lab in Kona, Hawai’i. More info/registration at www.greenpowerheroes.com.
In its 19th year, the Hawai’i Conservation Conference (HCC) is the largest gathering of people actively involved in the protection and management of Hawai’i's natural environment. This year’s conference theme Island Ecosystems: Year of the Forest aligns with the United Nation’s International Year of the Forests and will feature symposia, forums and workshops.
Register now for this August 2 - 4 event at the Hawai’i Convention Center.
The Green Schools National Network presents the 2nd Annual Green Schools National Conference February 27 - 29, 2012 in Denver, Colorado.
Whether you are already implementing green and healthy practices or you are just getting started, there will be breakout sessions, exhibitors and networking opportunities for individuals from traditional public, public charter and private schools. Deadline for submission of presentation proposals is July 8, 2011. Early, early bird registration is now open. Go to Green Schools National Conference for more information.
This short movie by Kyle Thiermann of Surfing For Change, tracks a plastic bag from Santa Cruz, California all the way to the North Shore of Oahu, demonstrating both the destruction and solutions along the way. Kokua Hawai’i Foundation founder and president, Jack Johnson, Story of Stuff’s Annie Leonard, and Plastic Free Haleiwa’s Lee Roy are featured in this fast-paced journey to highlight the power we all have to end plastic pollution.
Check out Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s Plastic Free Schools program for resources and tools to help your school community go plastic free.
School Garden Educators from throughout the state are invited to learn, share, and grow together as this statewide conference comes to O’ahu for the first time. ‘AINA IS staff, along with several other school garden and farm to school practitioners will be offering a variety of hands-on workshops and networking opportunities for teachers.
The conference is being hosted by Gigi Cocquio and the Staff of Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha, The Kohala Center’s Hawai’i Island School Garden Network, and The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s ‘AINA In Schools Program.
School principals and vice principals are also invited to attend a special session for administrators on Thursday, July 7. Download an invitation to share with your school’s administrator.
As space is limited, we encourage you to apply to attend right away. In order to facilitate team building and the creation of sustainable school garden programs, preference will be given to pairs of teachers (over individual applicants) who apply together from the same school. To apply for the conference and learn more, go to kohalacenter.org. Applications are due by May 15.
We also have a limited number of travel scholarships available for neighbor island educators through Kokua’s Environmental Education Mini-grant Program. Scholarship applications are due by May 27.
On Saturday July 9, there will be morning workshops on School Food Basics and School Garden Basics presented by ‘AINA In Schools staff. If you cannot attend July 7-8, come and join us on Saturday July 9. Conference participants are encouraged to stay through Saturday for networking and collaboration with other school garden/class teachers from every island across the state. To RSVP, write to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Biking enhances our health and well being, and eases traffic congestion near schools. Get a group of students and parents together and start a Safe Routes to Schools Program, plan a bike to school event or create a Bicycle Train! In a fun way, you can improve our air quality and our overall quality of life!
Some Environmental Benefits of Bicycling:
Reduces Air Pollution
Reduces Noise Pollution
Reduces Energy Consumption
Reduces Demand for Parking Lots and Road Repair
Reduces Water Pollution - Bikes don’t drip brake fluid, anti-freeze and transmission fluid!
Safety Tips for Bicyclists:
ALWAYS wear a helmet!
Ride with traffic and follow the rules of the road
Don’t ride on the sidewalk
Ride on the trail, paved shoulder, bike lanes or bike route
Be predictable, visible and courteous
Watch for turning traffic
Watch for things on the road or trail that might make you fall or swerve
‘AINA In Schools Garden Party volunteers will work alongside ‘AINA IS students and families to harvest and prepare the school gardens for the summer—loosening and amending the soil, mulching bed perimeters, weeding, creating garden artwork, watering, and more.
As the ‘AINA In Schools program grows, we are seeking out additional partnerships with O’ahu elementary schools. New schools will be asked to commit, as an entire school, to focusing on at least 2 of 3 key program components: gardening, nutrition ed, and school food. If your elementary school is interested in participating in the ‘AINA In Schools program, please contact us to discuss the application process.
All Hawai’i schools are invited to take advantage of the resources on our website, apply for Kokua Hawai’i Foundation mini-grants, and participate in training opportunities. Please subscribe to the ‘AINA IS e-newsletter to stay connected with our ‘AINA community.
Neighbor island schools: We also encourage you to connect with the school garden network on your island.
‘AINA In Schools is a program of the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation that seeks to grow healthy keiki, schools, and communities by connecting kids to where their food comes from and fostering healthy food choices. To learn more, see our latest newsletter or visit www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/aina.
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s Plastic Free Schools program is pleased to announce free screenings of the film Bag It.
Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he navigates our plastic world. Jeb is not a radical environmentalist, but an average American who decides to take a closer look at our cultural love affair with plastics. Jeb’s journey in this documentary film starts with simple questions: Are plastic bags really necessary? What are plastic bags made from? What happens to plastic bags after they are discarded? What he learns quickly grows far beyond plastic bags.
The Hawai’i Green Collar Institute (HGCI) is recruiting educators from Leeward/West O’ahu to learn about environmental and climate change issues in their communities and future jobs in “green collar” careers. These career areas include, but are not limited to: forest, coastal and ocean conservation; native plant propagation; sustainable agriculture; alternative energy production; recycling and solid waste reduction; environmental health; and green design and architecture.
This program is designed to:
Encourage innovation in curriculum development using place-based and experiential learning
Identify career opportunities and training pathways in emerging green professions in Hawai’i
Increase your network of professionals in green industries
Expand your tool kit of curriculum resource materials
Dates and times of the program:
June 8, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
June 9, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
June 11, 8:00 AM- 3:30 PM
There is a registration fee of $20. All participants who complete the 3-day program will receive a $100 gift certificate to purchase green school supplies! Click here for more information.
Congratulations to the amazing school groups that completed Kokua Earth Action Project this year. This past fall school groups from around the state sent in KEAP proposals reflecting environmental initiatives and goals they planned to achieve on campus this school year.
Projects areas included: limu eradication, waste reduction awareness campaigns, gardening, composting, aquaponics and more. Congratulations to the following schools for completing their 2010-2011 Kokua Earth Action Projects:
5th International Marine Debris Conference and Punahou Sustainability Fair attendees viewed the artwork of the 27 Kokua Calendar finalists. Everyone had the opportunity to cast their vote for their favorite “Plastic Free Hawaii” calendar art. Congratulations to Kindergartner, Ikaika Padaca, whose artwork will be featured as the 2011-12 Kokua Calendar cover. To view a slideshow of all the finalists please click here.
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program. This program will be run by the Education Department with the support of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Preparing our children to be good environmental citizens is some of the most important work any of us can do,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “It’s work that will serve future generations and quite literally sustain our world.” Through the Green Ribbon Schools program, the Education Department, the EPA, and CEQ will recognize schools for energy conservation, creating healthy learning spaces, and teaching environmental literacy. The application for the program will be released later this year with the first group of “Green Ribbon Schools” to be announced in 2012.
The Hawaii Environmental Education Alliance (HEEA) is working with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaii Department of Education to develop an Environmental Literacy Plan. The Hawaii Environmental Literacy Plan (HELP) completed a series of community meetings on the four main Hawaiian islands in the month of March, with Hawaii Island providing the greatest response. If you were unable to attend the meetings and are interested in providing input on the Hawaii Environmental Literacy Plan, please go to the online survey. Your input is vital to this very important document. Responses to the survey are being checked regularly as we enter the writing process. Please encourage friends and colleges to submit their thoughts as well. It’s important for the community to be invested in this plan and know that their thoughts and concerns are valued.
The mission of the Hawaii Environemtnal Education Alliance (HEEA) is to promote and develop high quality Environmental Education by building relationships to improve networking and professionalism throughout Hawai’i. We encourage you to visit the HEEA website and register your school or organization.
For Earth Day we wanted to see how you put the 3R’s to the test. Contestants submitted photos of their Jack Johnson or Kokua Festival 3R’s ReFashioned garments on Jack’s Facebook page.
Here’s our picks for the Top 10 Creative Designs:
Congratulations to Jenny Allen, Alison Kiger Brennan, Sarah Lucia Cass, Seam Higgins, Brandi Lingruen, Dan Marsac, Natalie McKinney, and Monica Persma. Each winner will receive a Jack Johnson Merchandise pack. Drum roll please…. Our Grand Prize Winner is Monica Persma! Monica used her Jack Johnson Tour Tee and turned it into a cloth diaper. Monica has won the ultimate 3R’s package with a Jack Johnson autographed poster and merchandise pack complete with a reusable water bottle and tote bag.
Thanks to everyone who participated, Great work designers!
Although there is no Kokua Festival this year, we wanted to offer you the opportunity to purchase past Kokua Festival gear to sport for Earth Day. Throughout the entire month of April get 20% off ALL Kokua Festival merchandise. Sale ends April 30, so don’t miss out!
Governor Neil Abercrombie recently toured Sunset Beach Elementary School to learn more about the successes of school, parent, and community supported ‘AINA In Schools initiatives. Hosted by SBES students, the Governor met the parent volunteers preparing an Aina Kine healthy snack, delivered the apple banana snack to a class of third graders, and toured the school garden and orchard. Fifth graders who were participating in an ‘AINA IS garden lesson prepared fresh butter flavored with garden-grown herbs and served a sample to the Governor on locally made flax crackers.
The Governor was very impressed with the school’s food and sustainability education initiatives and in his weekly address to the state, he said “We need to do this in EVERY school!” He commended the students for their work, saying,“I am going to remember you folks as pioneers.”
To see more photos from Governor Abercrombie’s visit to SBES, click here.
Kokua Festival t-shirts refashioned into grocery bags / Jack concert shirts refashioned into skirts by Jenny Allen of Madrone Regenerated Clothing.
With Earth Day right around the corner we want to see how you can put the 3R’s to the test. Create your best designs for a refashioned T-shirt, or any Jack Johnson or Kokua Festival merch item, and use something “old” to make something “new”! Turn your old concert shirt into a skirt, or patchwork quilt, or maybe your favorite hoody becomes a tote bag. The creative part is up to you.
Here’s how the contest works: Submit a photo of your Jack Johnson or Kokua Festival 3R’s ReFashioned garment via Jack Johnson’s Facebook Page and be entered to win a prize.
One Grand Prize Winner will win the ultimate 3R’s package with a Jack Johnson autographed poster and merchandise pack complete with a reusable water bottle and tote bag.
The contest starts, April 1st, 2011 and ends on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2011. Winners will be announced in Jack’s May newsletter. Good luck designers…now get to work!
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation was proud to be a sponsor of the 5th International Marine Debris Conference (5IMDC) in Honolulu from March 20 - 25. Kokua staff, Jack Johnson, and Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye joined over 450 ocean minded educators, explorers, and experts from all parts of the world in Waikiki to share strategies and best practices in assessing, reducing, and preventing the impacts of marine debris.
Student videos from Huliau Foundation and Sunset Beach Elementary School were featured during 5IMDC Movie Night. These student filmmakers were rewarded with a day at Coconut Island, a marine research facility on Oahu.
40 student leaders from 10 Hawaii schools and three islands participated in the Student Ambassador Workshop during the conference hosted by Kokua Hawaii Foundation. These students had an educational day filled with hands-on activities, guest speakers, learning opportunities, art and exhibit galleries. The students were able to gain knowledge, feel inspired, and share in an opportunity that made them recognize their own importance in the issue of marine debris.
On display at 5IMDC were the finalists from the “Plastic Free Hawaii” Kokua Calendar art contest. Nearly 700 submissions were received and were narrowed down to 27 finalists. Conference participants were able to vote for their favorite. The display will also be featured at the Punahou School Sustainability Fair on April 21 where over 3,700 attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for the cover winner.
One 11th grade student, Kylie Courtney of Punahou School, said this about her experience at the workshop, “What I loved most about it was the emphasis it put on the fact that a single person can make a difference. If one person stopped buying plastic water bottles everyday and instead drank from a reusable one, that’s 365 bottles in a year. That’s 1,825 bottles in five years and 3,650 bottles in ten years. Those are all the bottles not tossed in the ocean by a single person making a simple choice, the choice of a cleaner, more beautiful future.” Kylie continued, “It’s not just for the next generation or the one after that. It is for all the generations that come after us. The earth is not passed down through the hands of our ancestors, but is borrowed from the hands of our children. Now it is my turn, my generation’s turn, to continue this work.”
At the closing ceremonies, Jack shared the stage with Kylie Courtney and a group of 4th grade Student Ambassadors from Jefferson Elementary School who cheered their new Plastic Free Schools slogan, “Be Fantastic, Don’t Use Plastic!” giving us all a tip on what we can do to prevent marine debris.
The perfect capstone to 5IMDC was a beach clean-up on Saturday, March 26th! Over 100 volunteers helped to clean up Kahuku Beach on Oahu’s North Shore. An estimated 1.6 tons of marine debris was removed in just 2 hours. This debris was then sorted, counted and catalogued. It was an awesome effort hosted by Kahuku High School’s AVID Club, BYUH Sustainability Club, Tangora Blue, Sustainable Coastlines, Waitemata Harbor Clean Up Trust and Kokua Hawaii Foundation.
Kahuku High School’s AVID Club will continue it’s 3R’s Awareness Campaign with these events:
March 30 3R’s Campus Wide Advisory Lesson
April 4 - 8 Campus Wide Waste Audits
April 6 “Sort It Out” play presented by Honolulu City & County
The Marine Debris Awareness Student Art Project Display is an initiative by Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai`i (B.E.A.C.H.) engaging K-12 students in learning about the impacts of marine debris. Students created paintings and drawings to bring awareness to these issues in the community. Art is on display at the Hawai`i State Capitol, now through April 28. Entry is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit the B.E.A.C.H. website or call (808) 393 2168.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program would like to know how marine debris impacts you and what you are doing about it. The winning artwork will be showcased in a 2012 calendar that will help in raising awareness about the global problem of marine debris. Additionally, the winners will be featured on the Program’s website and in their newsletter, reaching over 200,000 people each month! Open to students grades K-8. Entries must be postmarked by April 16th. Click here for more information and to download the application.
Salad Bars: Waikiki Elementary was recently granted a complete set of salad bar equipment from the Whole Foods Market & Chef Ann Cooper’s Great American Salad Bar Project. The school is currently raising funds to add fresh, local produce to the school’s lunch menu. ‘Aikahi, Sunset Beach, and Wai’alae Elementary Schools currently run salad bars that range from once per week to daily. For more information on ‘AINA In Schools and how to get involved, email us.
Fresh Choice Hawaiian Harvest Snacks: Five ‘AINA schools took part in the pilot phase of the Fresh Choice Hawaiian Harvest snack program in March. A grant from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation funded the purchase of the food and ‘AINA staff prepared educational materials to accompany each snack. The fresh locally grown foods that students tasted and learned about during the program are: papaya, apple banana, grape tomato, and pineapple. We are currently developing a Fresh Choice Hawaiian Harvest toolkit that will be made available to schools participating in the federally funded Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program, as well as to those utilizing private funds for their snack programs.
An offshoot of Plastic Free Hawaii, the Plastic Free Schools program provides resources, tools and trainings to educate school communities on the environmental and health benefits of going plastic free to minimize the consumption and pollution of plastics in our schools and islands.
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s Plastic Free Schools program aims to reduce single use plastics on school campuses. The program encourages students, faculty, and parents to make plastic free commitments to use waste free lunches, reusable bottles and tote bags and provides educational resources to make these commitments come to life.
To learn more and become a Plastic Free School, register here
After hosting six successful Kokua Festival events, we are taking 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 community. Please stay a part of the Kokua family by becoming a member of the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. The Kokua Hawaii Foundation continues to support environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i. We will be using the time that we would have dedicated to planning the festival to strengthen and expand our Kokua Hawaii Foundation programs. To learn more about our programs please visit our site, www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org.
This hands-on workshop will feature examples of lessons related to energy and waste reduction that teachers can use in any classroom. It is an opportunity to learn and share with other educators from Hawai’i.
Space is limited. Registration deadline: February 3.
For more information and to register online, go to: http://www.punahou.edu/SLTI
Please note that space will be reserved upon receipt of payment.
This year’s Kokua Hawai’i Foundation calendar contest theme is Plastic Free Hawaii. Explore the topics of single-use plastics and plastic pollution, and reflect on the important connections of reducing, reusing and recycling this waste. What habit changes can people make to live a more plastic free lifestyle? Think about your home, school, neighborhood, ocean, beaches, parks, and streams. Reflect on the effects of plastics in our environment, wildlife and ourselves and explore solutions to create your vision of a Plastic Free Hawaii. Winning entries will be included in the 2011/2012 school year Kokua Calendar.
Plastic Free Schools Educators Resource Guide is available featuring websites, books, videos and other resources that you can use as a guide to explore plastic pollution issues and plastic free solutions with your students.
Media: Use paint, crayons, pastels, fabric, collage, or mixed media from reused materials (even plastic) to put your vision on paper. The possibilities are endless!
Guidelines:
• Who can participate? School-aged children grades K-12. (May be submitted by a Teacher, Organization, or Parent)
• Format: 2-dimensional, on 8.5 x 11” paper, oriented horizontally (“landscape”)
• Description: Include 2-3 sentences that describe your vision on the back.
• Information: The following information must also be printed on the back of each entry: Student’s Name; Age; Grade; Teacher; School, Organization or Family Name; Contact Phone Number; and Email Address (For notification purposes).
• Criteria: Artwork will be judged on theme, visual appeal, originality, and creativity.
• Deadline: All artwork needs to be submitted via mail to: Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, P.O. Box 866 Hale’iwa, HI 96712, by February 25, 2011.
Winning entries will be included in the 2011/2012 school year Kokua Calendar. Each winning artist will receive an award certificate and a Kokua Hawaii Foundation reusable tote bag complete with a copy of the 2011-2012 Kokua calendar, a reusable water bottle, sticker, and pencil inside.
In the first semester of the 2010-2011 school year the Kokua Hawaii Foundation has reached thousands through our programs:
3R’s School Recycling: 29,457 students at 43 participating schools reduce, reuse, and recycle on campus.
‘AINA In Schools: 12 elementary schools participate in ‘AINA IS. This semester 1,580 students participated in garden lessons and clubs, while nearly 1,300 took part in nutrition lessons. Over 175 parent and community volunteers supported the program by giving 2,004 hours from August to December.
Environmental Education Mini-Grants: 2,032 students and 19 schools have received assistance for environmental education supplies, curricula, and workshops.
Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP): During the 2010-2011 school year, 1,200 students from 16 schools will participate in 20 student-led environmental service learning projects.
Plastic Free Hawaii: Over 60 businesses from Hale’iwa and Kailua towns have become members and pledged to stop disbursing single-use plastics such as plastic bags and Styrofoam containers. Over 1,500 community members support Plastic Free initiatives with their plastic free commitments and actions. To get involved contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Simplify the Holidays: 400 people have pledged to give back to their environment and communities this holiday season. Participants shared their experiences and ideas in over 100 online journals.
Some of our members created their own Chritsmas tree out of fallen wood, driftwood, or other reused or natural items. Others chose potted Christmas trees this year, which is wonderful since you can either keep them in their pots for next year or start a family tradition of planting your tree after the holidays. If you chose a tree that needs to be composted and haven’t done so already, please Treecycle:
On O’ahu, recycle your trees curbside on your regular twice-per-month green waste collection day. Trim branches to three feet or less and place in your greenwaste cart. For households in the bag pickup system, cut the tree into lengths of up to three feet and place at curb.
You can also drop off whole trees at any of the City’s Refuse and Recycling Convenience Centers around the island or at the composting facilities in Kailua and Campbell Industrial Park. Find locations and more details.
Precycle for Next Year: Create a holiday storage box and fill it with salvaged items from your holiday festivities. Ribbons, wrapping paper, gift bags, Christmas cards, tablecloths, ornaments, and even things that seem to be broken can provide great raw materials for the next season’s projects. By doing this you’ll have all the materials you need to start the holidays without buying anything new. It’s like starting a holiday piggy bank. You’ll be glad you did it next year.
As we kick off 2011, we are continuing to build our ‘AINA IS (Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture In Schools) teams. We are recruiting parent and community docents to teach monthly nutrition lessons for grades 2 & 6, and garden lessons for Grades K, 1, and 5. No experience necessary! Join us in educating the next generation about how to make healthy food choices and how to grow their own food. For more information or to RSVP, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Nutrition Docent Training Dates for Lessons 5 and 6:
Windward Schools: Tuesday, Jan. 4th, 9am-12pm
Honolulu Schools: Thursday, Jan. 6th, 9am-12pm
North Shore Schools: Tuesday, Jan. 11th, 9am-12pm
Garden Docent Training Dates for Lessons 5 and 6:
Windward Schools: Wednesday, Jan. 19th, 9am-12pm
Honolulu Schools: Thursday, Jan. 20th, 9am-12pm
North Shore Schools: Friday, Jan. 21st, 9am-12pm
‘AINA In Schools Garden Parties
‘AINA IS Garden Party volunteers will work alongside ‘AINA In School teachers and families to harvest and prepare the school gardens for the spring garden lessons. Garden Party Projects may include: loosening and amending the garden bed soil, composting, and mulching the perimeters of up to 9 garden raised garden beds, weeding, creating garden artwork, watering and more. The general public and volunteer groups are invited. Please RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Ahuimanu Elementary School
Friday, January 14
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Kaneohe, Oahu
Ala Wai Elementary School
Saturday, January 15
9 am - 11 am
Honolulu, O’ahu
Waikiki Elementary School
Saturday, January 15
3 pm - 5 pm
Honolulu, O’ahu
Sunset Beach Elementary School
Friday, January 21
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Sunset Beach, O’ahu
‘Aikahi Elementary School
Saturday, January 22
9 am - 11 am
Kailua, O’ahu
Waialua Elementary School
Saturday, January 22
2 pm - 4 pm
Waialua, O’ahu
Kainalu Elementary School
Friday, January 28
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Kailua, O’ahu
Wai’alae Public Charter School
Saturday, January 29
9 am - 11 am
Honolulu, O’ahu
‘AINA In Schools is a program of the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and seeks to connect kids to their land, waters and food to grow a healthier Hawaii. To learn more, visit www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/aina.
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s Plastic Free Hawai’i assisted with the greening efforts of the Gubernatorial Inauguration on December 6, 2010. The event was plastic water bottle free! Kokua Hawai’i Foundation staff and volunteers set up water stations throughout both the inauguration ceremony and luau grounds at the Capitol. Mahalo to our dedicated volunteers who assisted with the greening efforts and educated attendees on the effects of single-use plastics on the environment! Look for Plastic Free Hawai’i outreach events and opportunities throughout 2011!
Mahalo to the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation for their generous $10,000 donation! This gift will help the ‘AINA In Schools program and the O’ahu Master Gardeners to grow healthier keiki, schools, and communities together by supporting school gardens and garden educators. We also thank the Rotary Club of Pearlridge, who assisted in securing this grant.
In honor of his 10th world championship title, surfer Kelly Slater chose Kokua Hawai’i Foundation as one of ten non-profits to receive a $10,000 donation from the Quiksilver Foundation. These funds will be used to further connect children to nature in Hawaii. Mahalo Kelly and the Quiksilver Foundation!
All will receive Brushfire Records This Warm December, Vol. 1autographed by Jack Johnson and also be entered to win the grand prize Eat Local Package. Mahalo for committing to the Simplify the Holidays campaign and inspiring others!
You could be here next week. Make a commitment to the campaign, then click “Journal” and share what you’re doing to Simplify the Holidays. We’re picking five new winners every week through December 31.
During the holiday season the most rewarding gift of all is giving back to your community. Did you know the average person will spend $530 on gifts and $90 on greeting cards this Holiday Season? That’s a combined $560 million spent on gifts and greeting cards in Hawaii over the Holidays. If each of us took one out of every 10 gifts we buy, and made a donation on behalf of a friend instead, together we’d give $56 million to local charities. That’s enough to fund the average Hawaii nonprofit for 50 years. It’s also more than the combined budgets of all environmental nonprofits in the state.
Consider giving the gift of a Kokua Hawaii Foundation membership or making a donation to Kokua Hawaii Foundation in the name of your friends and loved ones.
Another way to support Kokua Hawaii Foundation this holiday season is to purchase advanced-sale Helemano Farms Christmas Tree Vouchers online for $40 from us!
$10 of that sale will be donated to Kokua Hawai’i Founation to support environmental education in Hawai’i schools and communities.
Support from people like you makes our work possible.
Simplify the Holidays: Commit, Journal and Win!
Make at least one Simplify the Holidays commitment, post an online journal about how you are simplifying your holidays and be entered to win This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1 autographed by Jack Johnson! Five winners will be selected each week until Dec 31, 2010 (a total of 30 winners). A single grand prize winner will get a special “eat local” package including 3-month subscriptions to local vegetable delivery from O’ahu Fresh, local egg subscription from Maili Moa Farm, Gift Certificates to Town Restaurant and Tamashiro Market, and a “DASH of Aloha” cookbook!
Congratulations to this weeks winning Simplify the Holidays journals:
Photo Credit: Jenn Johnson, Captured Love Photography
Students at Sunset Beach Elementary School will be enjoying farm fresh grape tomatoes twice this week. Yesterday, as part of their ‘Aina Kine Healthy Snack program, students tasted sweet, juicy grape tomatoes grown just a few miles away at Ho Farms in Kahuku. One student remarked, “I didn’t think I liked tomatoes, but these are good! I like them!” Tomorrow, the flavorful fruits will be featured in the school’s Fresh Choices Salad Bar. These tastings are part of the Healthy Food on Campus component of Kokua’s ‘AINA In Schools program, which encourages schools to increase the amount of fresh, locally produced food served to students through snacks, lunch, and fundraisers on campus. Mahalo to Ho Farms, the parent volunteers who prepared and served the snacks and accompanying educational materials, and to School Food Services for their support of this project.
Congratulations to 3R’s School Recycling Program’s Jefferson Elementary School and Sunset Beach Elementary School, who participated in America Recycles Day.
Student leaders from both schools created presentations which included information on why recycling is important, instructions on sorting correctly and the benefits of recycling. The students then presented to their entire schools! All students were invited to sign the America Recycles Day Petition, pledging to make a commitment to recycle on campus. At Sunset Beach Elementary School students were treated to a book reading of “Michael Recycles” with images from the book projected on a large screen. At Jefferson Elementary School nearby Waikiki Beach Mariott Hotel donated recyclables collected from the hotel and Tyrone Crockwell, Environmental Engenieer, spoke to the student council about what the hotel is doing to educate their employees and guests about recycling. Mahalo to Ms. Danelle Cheng and Ms. Laura Cummings and their students for leading the charge. America Recycles Day was a tremendous success!
America Recycles Day, November 15, is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States.
In preparation for the upcoming West Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meetings in Hawaii on December 6-10th, Greenpeace is coordinating a kids art project for the oceans, school visits and a presentation of student artwork to the delegates. Starting this week, Greenpeace is inviting elementary school groups to submit art projects that show their concerns for healthy oceans and robust fish populations. Participating school groups will have the opportunity to have Greenpeace volunteers visit their school to explain about the WCPFC, discuss the need for marine reserves, and why this is important to the future of pacific island communities. Participating school groups will also be invited to the opening ceremonies of the WCPFC on the morning of Monday Dec 6th to give their artwork directly to the delegates.
If you are an educator interested in participating in this exciting project or to learn more, please contact Phil Kline, Greenpeace Senior Oceans Campaigner.
Great news from Washington DC! The US House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 1655 recognizing October as National Farm to School Month.
Rep. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Rep. Thompson (R-PA), and Rep. Holt (D-NJ) gave amazing floor speeches supporting Farm to School and encouraging the House to pass the Child Nutrition Act this legislative session.
In her floor speech Hawaii Rep. Maize Hirono recognized ‘AINA In Schools as influential in this movement. Rep. Hirono shared “I have had the privilege to visit several of Hawaii’s growing number of Farm-to-School programs to see their impact firsthand…Last year I went to a Garden Party at Aikahi Elementary, put on by the Kokua (Hawaii) Foundation. The Kokua (Hawaii) Foundation’s ‘AINA (IS) program stands for Actively Integrat(ing) Nutrition and Agriculture In Schools. The program works to foster healthy eating habits, improve children’s health, and encourage environmental stewardship.” Mahalo Maize!
Kokua Hawaii Foundation is looking forward to next October to celebrate National Farm to School Month! Click here for a list of farm to school resources or to learn more about ‘AINA In Schools.
2009 Local Hero Award Winner - Best Farm/Farmer in Hawaii - MA’O Farms
Join Edible Communities in celebrating the heroes of our local food communities! Click here to cast a vote for your favorite farmer, restaurant/chef, food artisan, beverage artisan and non-profit for the Edible Hawaiian Islands Local Hero Awards! Not in Hawaii? Find your local Edible Communities publication here.
This year’s winners will be announced in January 2011 at the Edible Communities annual publisher’s dinner in Santa Barbara, CA and then will be announced to the local community in the Edible Communities spring 2011 issues. Voting deadline in December 3.
Join the Simplify the Holidays Campaign! Make at least one commitment to cut waste and boost the aloha this holiday season, post an online journal about how you are simplifying your holidays, and qualify to win This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1autographed by Jack Johnson! Five winners will be selected each week until Dec 31, 2010 (a total of 30 winners). A single grand prize winner will get a special “Eat Local” package including 3-month subscriptions to local vegetable delivery from O’ahu Fresh (priced at $135) and local eggs from Maili Moa Farm, Gift Certificates to Town Restaurant and Tamashiro Market, and a “DASH of Aloha” cookbook! How to Play:
Step 1. Commit to at least one way you’ll Simplify the Holidays at KanuHawaii.org
(if not already a Kanu Hawai’i member, you’ll be asked to register and log in).
Step 2. While logged in at KanuHawaii.org, click the orange “Journal” button and post a short text entry, picture or video explaining how you are simplifying your holidays.
Pau! You’re automatically entered to win.
Rules & Judging Criteria:
1. Five (5) journal posts will be selected at random each Friday from Nov 26 to Dec 31.
2. Eligible journal entries must explain how the entrant is putting their Simplify the Holidays commitments into action.
3. Previous winners will not be entered for the drawing in subsequent weeks.
4. Winners will be notified by e-mail every Tuesday. If a winner cannot be contacted within seven (7) days after the first attempt, an alternate entrant will be selected in his or her place from all eligible entries.
5. A single entry will be selected from among all weekly winners for a “grand prize” by the Simplify the Holidays volunteer steering committee. The grand prize will be awarded to an entrant whose journal entry or entries is most inspiring, and best promotes the spirit of the Simplify the Holidays campaign.
6. Prizes will be sent to winners by regular postal mail.
Prize & Recognition: Weekly Winners will:
Receive This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1 album signed by Jack Johnson (30 total will be given away).
Have their journal entries featured on the front page of KanuHawaii.org and in Kanu Hawai’i & Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s e-newsletters during the week following their award.
Grand Prize Winner will receive:
Maili Moa Eggs subscription - 60-egg subscription (pick up as many as you want weekly from farmers’ market locations).
O’ahu Fresh subscription - 3 month subscription to bi-weekly delivery of a box of locally grown vegetables.
$20.00 Gift Certificate to Town Restaurant
$20.00 Gift Certificate to Tamashiro Market
“A DASH of Aloha - Healthy Hawaiian Cuisine and Lifestyle,” cookbook published by Kapiolani Community College
Their journal entry featured on the front page of KanuHawaii.org and in Kanu Hawai’i & Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s e-newsletters during the week following their award.
From now through November 24, 2010, Kokua Hawaii Foundation would like teachers to share their unique but simple holiday activities, student work, crafts and gift ideas.
By sharing your outstanding ideas for Simplifying the Holidays your class may be the recipient of a Kokua Hawaii Foundation mini-grant of $250, $150 or $50.
Please submit photos, videos or stories to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by November 24. Selected submissions will be posted on the Kokua Hawaii Foundation website and shared with our newsletter subscribers.
Although plastic trees are reusable from year to year, real trees are the more sustainable choice. Plastic trees are made of petroleum products (PVC), and use up resources in both the manufacture and shipping. While artificial trees theoretically last forever, research shows that they are typically discarded when repeated use makes them less attractive. Discarded artificial trees are then sent to landfills, where their plastic content makes them last forever.
Live trees, on the other hand, are a renewable resource grown on tree farms, that are replanted regularly. They contribute to air quality while growing, and almost ninety percent are recycled into mulch. Live trees are usually locally grown and sold, saving both transportation costs and added air pollution.
Live on Oahu? Live locally grown trees are grown in Central Oahu at Helemano Farms. Helemano Farms is a family farm in Central O’ahu that offers locally grown Christmas trees that you pick and they cut! They also have wreaths available. They will be open for tree sales starting the day after Thanksgiving.
Want to support Kokua Hawai’i Foundation? Purchase advanced-sale Helemano Farms Christmas Tree Tickets online for $40 from us! $10 of that sale will be donated to Kokua Hawai’i Foundation to support environmental education in Hawai’i schools and communities.
Did you know you can save money by switching to LED Holiday lights?
LED lights use 90 percent less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season!
If all households in the United States alone switched to LED holiday lights, $410 million in electricity savings could be achieved. Do your part and use LED lights this holiday season. LED holiday lights can be found at your local hardware store and most major retailers.
Home Depot Christmas Light Recycling Event:
Bring in up to 5 sets of your old working or non-working lights and get $3 off an energy efficient LED light set per old set you donate. The recycling and coupon redemption station is located at the front of the store. This special is on now! Visit HomeDepot.com for more info.
The holiday season is upon us! As we plan our upcoming festivities and gift giving, Kokua Hawaii Foundation is teaming up with Kanu Hawaii and asking you to consider Simplifying the Holidays.
From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons - it all adds up to an additional one million tons a week to our landfills.
This year our health, 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: celebrating with a locally grown or potted Christmas tree and throwing a zero waste holiday party.
Nearly 1,500 KHF members and friends pledged to give back to their environment and communities during the 2009 holiday season.
Over the coming weeks we will be bringing you fun tips to make your holidays more meaningful. We will also be asking you to share your stories. Click on 12 Days to a Green Holidays guide and make a commitment to simplify your holiday season.
School campuses are also preparing for the holidays. Classrooms filled with anxious children and teachers race to finish holiday projects before the break.
Use the Green Holiday Educator Resource Guide for more ideas to help simplify your season. The guide includes tips to help green classroom holiday parties, eco-holiday crafts, gift ideas and children’s books.
Kokua Hawaii Foundation and Monday Movie Cafe at BambuVenue present No Impact Man, a funny and informative documentary that chronicles a New York family’s adventures as they go “off the grid” for an entire year.
No car. No subway. No elevators. No TV, no air conditioning, no newspapers or magazines, no shopping for new clothes, no disposable diapers, only food produced within 250 miles of their home, and a worm-filled compost box in the kitchen.
Monday, November 15 at 7:00 PM
1146 Bethel Street at The Venue
Tickets $10 at the door $2 discount for Kokua Hawaii Foundation members
On November 15, America Recycles Day, people young and old will be involved in positively bringing recycling awareness and education to their communities.
Support these Hawaii schools who are participating in America Recycles Day:
St. Patrick’s School: Telephone Book Drive, November 8 - November 15
Waianae Elementary School: Recycling Drive, November 15, 8am - 5pm
Sunset Beach Elementary fifth and sixth graders are investigating lunch waste at their school and recently performed the first of a two-part “trash check.” Sixth graders helped their schoolmates to sort trash by type: compostable food, non-compostable food, recyclable containers, lunch trays, etc. Fifth graders measured the weight and volume of each waste type and all students will have a hand in analyzing their data. Next steps are creating a plan for reducing lunch waste and sharing it with the entire school. We look forward to reporting their results in a spring newsletter.
Waste audits are an important component of Kokua’s ‘AINA In Schools and 3R’s programs. In the next few months we’ll be developing a waste audit “how-to” kit for Hawai’i schools. If you’ve done a waste audit at your school, please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) your successes and lessons learned with us.
Whole Foods Market is partnering with Chef Ann Cooper to provide healthy salad bars to schools across the country. Any school participating in the National School Lunch Program and located within 50 miles of a Whole Foods Market store is eligible to apply. Applications must be received no later that November 15, 2010.
More grants! Green Grants for Schools is an extensive listing of national and local grants that support opportunities in Hawaii and beyond. This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you have any grants to add please let us know: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Please tell your legislators to strengthen the Child Nutrition Act. Slow Food USA offers a simple way to ask your representatives to invest in healthier food, strengthen nutrition standards and link schools to local farms.
The Hawai’i School Garden Network is working together to grow the school garden and farm to school movement in Hawai’i. Be on the lookout for workshops and updates from the Network in the coming months. For resources and ideas, contact your island representative:
Kaua’i School Garden Network: Malama Kaua’i, Tiana Kamen, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation (JOCF), Jack Johnson’s new charity, is matching every dollar contributed to Slow Food USA between now and October 15, 2010 (up to $2500). Please make a contribution now and your money will be doubled by JOCF. Click here to donate.
17,000 lucky fans got to see this year’s Kokua Festival live in concert at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, HI. Jack, Ziggy Marley, Taj Mahal and more lit up the stage and over 50 organizations engaged festival-goers in a variety environmental issues. All proceeds from the Kokua Festival benefit Kokua Hawaii Foundation. If you weren’t able to attend the festival, or if you just want to relive it, check out several songs from Jack’s Kokua set with all the awesome sit-ins on Vevo.
Kokua Hawaii Foundation was honored to receive a Hero of Agriculture Award from the Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawaii at the 2010 Hawaii Agriculture Conference. Here’s what they had to say about us:
“KHF has a huge heart! Founded by Jack and Kim Johnson and run by a small dedicated and energetic staff with the support of hundreds of volunteers, KHF is helping to raise the next generation of healthy and caring citizens for Hawai’i. Their programs focus on health, fresh local foods in schools, school gardening and nutrition education, farm field trips, farmer and chef visits to schools, waste reduction, community outreach, and more!”
Congratulations to all the 2010 award recipients! See them here
As part of the conference, KHF hosted a session entitled “The Next Crop: Educating Youth to Become Farmers and Ag-literate Citizens.” Educators from across the state shared current activities and future plans for addressing the need to grow the next generation of Hawai’i's farmers and a citizenry supportive of sustainable local agriculture.
As a kick off to the Eat Local Challenge, 9 year old Duke Kenney and his assistant, Chef Ed Kenney, demonstrated how to prepare a 100% locally sourced meal that the entire family can make at home. Families from the entire Kalani complex converged at Waialae School’s dining hall to watch Duke prepare steak from Maui Cattle Co., pa’i'ai from Mana ‘ai, and lomi tomato from Ho Farms. Seasonings included Hawaiian sea salt, Frankie’s Waimanalo Peppercorn, Naked Cow Dairy butter and Oils of Aloha macadamia nut oil.
The event was also streamed live with 95 visitors logging in to watch Duke cook, one from as far as New York. Following the demo the audience got to taste Duke’s creation and was engaged in a lively Q & A with Duke and the children in the audience.
Mahalo to Whole Foods Market, Wai’alae School, Kanu Hawaii, Hawaii: In Real Life and the entire Kenney ‘Ohana!
WHAT: A challenge to attempt to eat strictly local for the week, and participate in actions that support our local food system, such as shopping at farmers’ and fish markets, buying local produce, working at local farms, dining at restaurants serving Hawai’i-grown meals, and hosting eat local pot lucks, etc.
WHERE: Across the State of Hawai’i at farms, homes, restaurants, food stores, and everywhere else that food and the resources we need to produce it exist.
WHY: To get thousands of islanders involved in the effort to create more sustainable, secure, local food systems in Hawai’i.
WHEN: Sunday, September 26 to Saturday, October 2.
Get more info at www.kanuhawaii.org/eatlocal to make your commitment and for resources to help your family Eat Local.
Tips for the Eat Local Challenge
At School:
Take a field trip to a farmers’ market for a morning scavenger hunt. Many are within walking distance of schools.
Have a tasting of one local fruit or vegetable each day of the week. Have students journal about each food item.
Ask each student to bring one locally grown fruit or vegetable and, as a class, make a salad and dressing. It’s a great opportunity for young children to discover texture, color and shape. Local food can also be an excellent research project for older students.
Instead of pencils, pens, or stickers as class prizes, give seeds to encourage students to grow their own food at home.
Start a garden so students can Eat Local year-round.
If the school already has a garden, prepare a snack with garden produce. Send home garden-fresh herbs as a way to encourage families to prepare a locally sourced meal.
At Home:
Shop for the week and get to know local growers by visiting a farmers’ market . Be sure to ask the vendor where the produce is from, as a few farmers’ markets also sell imported produce. Bring a reusable bag and buy your produce loose rather than prepackaged in plastic.
To keep things simple you could replace just one imported item each day with a local one. Instead of regular potato salad, try replacing it with Okinawan sweet potato (locally grown of course)!
Plant something edible. You may not be able to eat it in time for the challenge, but there’s nothing more satisfying than eating something from your own backyard or lanai.
Kid Chef Cooking Local
On September 22, as a kickoff to Kanu Hawai’i’s Eat Local Challenge, 9 year old Duke Kenney and his assistant, Chef Ed Kenney, will be demonstrating how to prepare a wonderful locally-sourced meal that your family can make at home.
This ‘AINA In Schools family event is hosted by Wai’alae Elementary Public Charter School with support from Whole Foods Market Kahala.
It will be an educational and fun evening as we discover the joys of cooking and enjoy the tastes and smells of a local meal cooked up by Chef Duke.
If you would like to attend please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more info.
This event will be streamed LIVE starting at 6:00 PM HST at Hawaii: In Real Life
Launched in Fall 2003 at Sunset Beach Elementary School, our 3 R’s School Recycling Program introduces the value of recycling to O’ahu’s schools. The 3R’s School Recycling Program brings together the school’s administration, students and community to engage in learning and working together on recycling. The 3R’s School Recycling Program is provided to O’ahu public schools free of charge. We provide recycling bins, educational resources and trainings, and assistance with recycling pickups and drives.
This August, we delivered over 500 recycling bins to schools across O’ahu who are excited to implement the 3R’s School Recycling Program on their campuses. Please join us in welcoming the following new schools to the program:
Campbell High School
Huakailani School
Jefferson Elementary School
Kalani High School
Makaha Elementary School
St. Michael’s School
Mahalo to the following partners who assist Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and continue to make this program possible:
Access Management
City & County of Honolulu Recycling Department
Evans Construction
Environmental Manufacturing
T & N Recycling
For more information on the 3R’s School Recycling Program or to see a complete list of participating schools click here.
Mahalo to the many volunteers who joined us in preparing the ‘AINA In Schools garden beds for our fall garden lessons. In August, over 100 individuals contributed more than 200 hours weeding the gardens and loosening and amending soils with compost, vermicast tea, and mulch. In addition to the individuals and families who assisted in the gardens, the following organizations lent their support: Hands In Helping Out, Kintetsu Travel Agency, MOA, and Students of Tokai College.
August was also a big month for docent workshops. ‘AINA In Schools School Garden Coordinator Lydi Morgan-Bernal trained 42 enthusiastic garden docents to teach the first two garden lessons of the school year. ‘AINA In Schools Nutrition Education Coordinator Deanna Moncrief prepared 69 nutrition docents to get our nutrition lessons off to a running start.
This assortment of talented ‘AINA IS docents includes people from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life: parents (stay at home and working), Master Gardeners, dietitians, personal trainers, graduate students, farmers, event planners, teachers, small business owners, a waitress, a professor, a chef, a physical therapist, and a nurse. All share a common goal: supporting ‘AINA In Schools in connecting kids to where their food comes from so they can make healthy food choice for their bodies and the environment.
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind at the start of this new school year:
1. Rethink your school supplies.
Before buying new, check out which supplies from last year are still usable.
Shop at your local thrift store for gently used backpacks, lunch boxes and other items that are on your school supplies list. Check out NewAmericanDream.org for more ideas.
Purchase earth-friendly school supplies like recycled paper, refillable pens and pencils, and durable supplies that will last for several years.
2. Pack a smart lunch.
Use reusable containers, utensils, refillable bottles, and cloth napkins to pack a waste-free lunch of yummy local and/or organic products.
Whole fruits come in their own “wrapper” and are healthier than processed snacks!
We are building our ‘AINA In Schools (Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture In Schools) teams at each of the ‘AINA schools for the 2010-2011 school year. We are recruiting parent and community docents to teach monthly nutrition lessons for grades 2nd & 6th, and garden lessons for Grades K, 1st, 5th. No experience necessary, and times are flexible! Join us in educating the next generation about how to make healthy food choices and how to grow their own food.
Garden Docent Training Dates:
Honolulu Schools (Waikiki, Waialae, Ala Wai): Monday, August 16th, Ala Wai Elementary School gardens 9-12pm
Windward Schools (Ahuimanu, Aikahi, Kamakau): Thursday, August 19th, Ahuimanu Elementary School gardens 2:15-5:15pm
North Shore Schools (Sunset, Waialua): Wednesday, August 18th, Sunset Beach Elementary School gardens 9-12pm
Nutrition Docent Training Dates:
Honolulu Schools (Waikiki, Waialae, Ala Wai): Tuesday, August 24th, Wai’alae PCS Elementary 9-12pm
North Shore Schools (Sunset, Waialua): Monday, August 30th, Sunset Beach Elementary 9-12pm
AINA In Schools invites individual or group volunteers to work alongside the ‘AINA In Schools Team, to open our school gardens by amending the soil, adding compost, and mulching pathways in preparation for the Fall ‘AINA garden lessons.
Fall Garden Parties Dates:
Saturday, Aug. 7th Ala Wai Elementary 9-11am
Saturday, Aug. 7th Waikiki Elementary 2-4 pm
Saturday, Aug. 14th Aikahi Elementary 9-11 am
Saturday, Aug. 14th Ahuimanu Elementary 1-3 pm
Saturday, Aug. 21st Sunset Beach Elementary 9-11 am
Saturday, Aug. 28th Wai’alae Elementary 9-11 am
If interested in any of the above volunteer opportunities, please save the date and RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
3,180 students at 46 schools participated in Kokua-supported field trips. Field trip sites include Bishop Museum, Paepae O He’eia, Camp Erdman, Lyon Arboretum, Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo, and many others.
An additional 4,450 children visited Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha’s educational farm, which receives Kokua funding for their Ke Ala Learning Center.
This farm to school program aims to connect children to their land, waters and food in order to grow a healthier future for Hawai’i. ‘ĀINA IS brings nutrition education, garden-based learning, agricultural literacy, and healthy food choices to Hawai’i's schools.
10 elementary schools on O’ahu participated in our ‘ĀINA IS program. This year 1,500 students participated in garden lessons, while 1,200 took part in nutrition lessons. Over 400 parent and community volunteers supported the program by giving 1,831 hours.
3R’s School Recycling Program
Our Our 3 R’s School Recycling Program encourages reducing, reusing, and recycling on campus by providing educational resources and recycling bins to participating schools.
20,800 students at 40 participating schools reduce, reuse, and recycle on campus. Several of these schools have started composting and vermicomposting food and green waste on campus.
Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP)
KEAP is an environmental service-learning initiative encouraging students to work toward creating lasting, positive change in their schools and communities. KEAP groups are recognized for their achievements at the annual Keiki Kokua Day.
During the 2009-2010 school year over 600 students from across the state developed KEAP projects. “Greening Your Campus,” “Compost Start-Up on Campus,” “Renew and Reuse Clothing” and “Container Gardening” are a few examples of this year’s projects.
Plastic Free Hawai’i is a coalition of community members and business owners that strives to educate the stores, restaurants, schools, residents and visitors of Hawai’i on the environmental and health benefits of going plastic free to minimize the consumption and pollution of plastics in our islands.
Currently over 55 businesses have pledged to stop disbursing single-use plastics such as plastic bags and styrofoam containers.
Simplify the Holidays is a campaign that focuses on our traditional holiday dreams and ideals, while helping our local economy, environment and communities too.
Over 1,300 KHF members and friends pledged to give back to their environment and communities this past holiday season.
Those commitments translated to 13.3 tons of waste avoided, 9 tons of paper saved and 888 hours volunteered!
Film Screenings & Discussions allow us to share a variety of environmental issues with a broader community audience.
Over 600 people attended screenings of the film Food, Inc. and Time for Lunch campaign events advocating for healthier and fresher school lunches.
200 watched the film Tapped during World Water week.
What better place to have a gathering of the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation volunteers than the Hawai’i Nature Center. Volunteers make it possible for us to support environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i and the Hawai’i Nature Center is a favorite environmental education field trip site for O’ahu schools.
Volunteers gathered for an afternoon of picnicing with their families, stream explorations, hiking, and talking story. KHF staff happily hosted an afternoon of honoring the individuals and groups that enable us to expand and strengthen our programs year after year.
For information on how you can become a volunteer email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Guava Shop, the North Shore’s beachy chic boutique and Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition member, will be teaming up once again with the Kokua Hawaii Foundation for another highly requested community clothing swap.
The clothing swap will take place at Guava Shop on Saturday, June 26, 2010, from 10:00am to 3:00pm.
This is how the clothing swap works: Starting Tuesday, June 1, 2010 and every day until 6:00pm the night before the event June 25, 2010, anyone can bring their swappable clothes to Guava Shop to receive swap tickets. These swap tickets can be used to ‘purchase’ clothing on the event day.
The amount of swap tickets you are given will depend on the ‘value’ of the clothing you bring in. The value will be determined at the discretion of the Guava Shop owners or the Kokua Hawaii Foundation volunteers and depends on the cleanliness, quality, style, and brand of the clothing items. For example, bringing in a great dress in perfect condition may get you five swap tickets. While a skirt that’s out of style and has holes in it may only get you one ticket.
Swappable items include quality wardrobe items that you’d typically consign or share with a friend—Clothing that others would be happy to wear. Items must be CLEAN (freshly laundered) and in very good condition. All unclaimed items are donated to various local non-profits that provide clothing to people in need. Out of respect for fellow swappers and your community, please do not bring ripped, dirty, stained items or those with broken zippers, etc. Remember: If everybody brings in great clothes, this swap will be a success and possibly a tradition.
Guava Shop is rewarding participants by offering a 10% discount on all purchases the day of the event. In addition, all Green-themed merchandise will be 20% off.
*Swap tickets can also be purchased for $3 per ticket on the day of the event.
We are already building our ‘AINA IS (Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture In Schools) teams at each of the ‘AINA schools for the 2010-2011 school year. We are recruiting parent and community docents to teach monthly nutrition lessons for grades 2nd & 6th, and garden lessons for Grades K, 1st, 5th. No experience necessary, and times are flexible! Join us in educating the next generation about how to make healthy food choices and how to grow their own food.
A Kokua Earth Action Project (KEAP) is an environmental service learning initiative aimed at taking care of our islands and encouraging long-lasting change in your classrooms, schools or community. If your class or school is interested in starting a project to create positive change for our environment this upcoming school year, please submit what you’re doing by completing Kokua Earth Action Proposal application. You may already have an environmental project planned for this upcoming school year, so we invite you to participate. We want to recognize your work and share it with other schools.
Please fill out your grant applications and submit now.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until March 1, 2011. We look forward to assisting your school in furthering your environmental education goals.
Come join us on Saturday, June 19th at Waikiki Elementary School for Kanu Hawaii’s Live Aloha Day, where we will be working on two major projects: completing the plant nursery and building an aquaponics system. Other gardening jobs will include weeding, raking, mulching, and watering in one of our many gardens and fruit tree orchards. Waikiki Elementary School students will conduct a garden tour for interested volunteers, and provide information about organic gardening and seed starting. They will also hold a plant sale and Student Farmer’s Market.
The Waikiki Elementary School garden program is a 3200-square foot “Food Farm” that includes organic heirloom tomatoes, fruit trees, ‘outdoor-classroom’ plant nursery, and Kokua Hawaii Foundation ‘AINA In Schools teaching gardens. Everything was built by community volunteers with donations and grants.
By growing food directly on campus, students learn first-hand about the knowledge and hard work required to produce what we eat.
Please bring any tools you may have, a water bottle, sunscreen, and pack a dish for three to share for a potluck lunch. We will provide cold water for refill.
The 2010 Kokua Festival was a huge success! Mahalo to all of our dedicated volunteers, partners, and crew who worked tirelessly all weekend. Also, mahalo to our amazing line-up: Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, Taj Mahal and the Hula Blues Band, Jake Shimabukuro and Anuhea and the Green. You guys ROCK! Kokua Village was bustling with learning and sharing of green initiatives and products. There was record breaking interest and participation in the Kokua Festival Greening Measures! Over 8,000 plastic water bottles were diverted from the waste stream by fans who used the Menehune Water Refill station, 300 cars were taken off the road by fans who rode their bikes and parked at the Kokua Festival Bike Valet, and over 1,500 fans made Earth Day Resolutions at the Kanu Hawaii Solar Powered Photo Booths.
Passport Winners
1,900 Kokua fans turned in their Festival Passports and completed a minimum of three greening actions, which means over 5,700 collective actions were taken! A few lucky winners walked away with great prizes including pit seats, a Pono Ko’olau Ukulele signed by Kokua Festival artists, a Globe bicycle and an Everpaddle stand up paddle.
Got your 2010 Kokua Festival Shirt?
What’s left of the Eco-Friendly 2010 Kokua Festival Merchandise is now available for sale on the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation online store. So get your exclusive Kokua Festival water bottle, reusable tote bag, beach towel or t-shirt now!
Mahalo nui loa for another amazing year!
Congratulations to this year’s K.E.A.P. recipients that attended our 2010 Keiki Kokua Day event. The Kokua Hawaii Foundation, Bill Healy Foundation, RevoluSun, Stretch Island Fruit, Inc. and Simple came together with environmental organizations to celebrate the efforts made by students to make positive environmental change on their campus and communities.
This day of reward for students grades K-12 included an awards presentation, engaging educational activities, goody bags for all keiki to take home and dancing to a performance by Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley and Zach Gill.
This year’s Keiki Kokua Day was so much fun and we look forward to more schools joining us next year. Teachers and administrators please spend some time on our website to learn how you can submit a Kokua Earth Action Project proposal for 2010-2011. Hope to see you at next year’s Keiki Kokua Day.
Kokua Calendar Cover Art Winner Keiki Kokua Day and Kokua Festival participants viewed the artwork of the thirteen Kokua Calendar finalists. Everyone had the opportunity to cast their vote for their favorite “Be Energy and Water Wise” calendar art. Congratulations to first grader, Xander Amatore, whose artwork will be featured as the 2010-11 Kokua Calendar cover.
Attention all educators! Our 2010-2011 Environmental Field Trip & Mini-Grant applications are now available at www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/schoolprograms. Please fill out your grant applications and submit now. The deadline for all grant applications for the 2010-2011 school year is March 1, 2011. We look forward to assisting your school in furthering your environmental education goals. For more information about our grant opportunities, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Fruit Trees for Wheeler Elementary! The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation and Stretch Island Fruit Company recently brought the “Fruit Tree 101” program to ‘AINA IS school Wheeler Elementary. The program donates and plants fruit trees and shrubs to schools nationwide in order to address important issues such as caring for the environment and proper nutrition. Volunteers and students planted over 40 trees including avocado, starfruit, jaboticaba, tangerine, banana and more. As the trees mature, they will provide Wheeler students and staff with tasty and nutritious snacks as well as more shade and fresher air on campus. Mahalo to all who helped with the planting.
Join ‘AINA In Schools: During the next school year, we will be adding up to three more elementary schools on O’ahu to the ‘AINA In Schools ‘ohana. Interested schools should email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for an application packet. Applications will be accepted until May 15, with school “AINA Team” interviews to follow. (If your school’s not yet ready to apply, don’t fret—we’re developing lots of helpful resources that will be available to any school as well as individual teachers!)
‘AINA In Schools Seeks Volunteers: We are recruiting volunteer docents to teach both gardening and nutrition lessons in the upcoming school year. Trainings for the first set of lessons will take place on the island of O’ahu in August. Get more information on these and other volunteer roles by emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
May ‘AINA In Schools Garden Party Dates:
Sunset Elem. Tues. May 4th at 2:30 p.m.
Wai’alae Elem. Sat. May 8th 9:00 a.m.
Waikiki Elem. Sat. May 8th 9:00 a.m.
Aikahi Elem. Mon. May 17th 2:30 p.m.
RSVP to Kelly Perry at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
5/1 Sat. 8am-11:30am Waianae Farmers Market
Waianae High School at 85-251 Farrington Highway in Waianae, Hawaii
5/1 Sat. 2pm-5pm Hoa Aina O Makaha and Makaha Elementary School Annual Farm Open House
A special celebration of the Nine Ahupua’a of Waianae. Experience the farm. The children will offer stories, songs, food, crafts, dances and more.
84-766 Lahaina Street, Waianae, 96792
5/8 Sat. 9am-noon Waimea Garden Tour by The Mala ‘ai Culinary Garden of the Waimea Middle School
RSVP to Amanda Rieux at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
5/15 Sat. 10am-3pm 12th Annual “E Malama I Ke Kai” Ocean Awareness Festival
Kapiolani Park and Bandstand
5/22 Sat. 9am-1pm Makeke O Maunalua Farmers Market Grand Opening at Kaiser High School, Lunalilo Home Road, Hawaii Kai For more info: 808-388-9696
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Kokua Hawaii Foundation presents the Earth Day Resolution Campaign.
Through the entire month of April we are encouraging everyone to make an Earth Day Resolution and commit to reducing their eco-footprint. All Earth Day Resolutions collected will be quantified by Kanu Hawaii in order to track our collective positive impact on the environment.
Earth Day Resolution commitment cards are available at Local Partner stores on Oahu. Going to the Kokua Festival? Look for the traveling Kokua camera crew and the solar-powered photo booths located in the Kokua Village to make your Earth Day Resolution.
Click on the widget on the left to make your Earth Day Resolution now. Make a commitment to celebrate Earth Day everyday!
Kokua Festival Fan Passport and Greening Actions
April is here and the Kokua Festival is back on Earth Day weekend, April 23rd and 24th, at the Waikiki Shell with eco-friendly activities, tasty food, and, of course, great music.
To help you gear up for the Kokua Festival, we are sharing our favorite Greening tips and causes. During the month of April, in celebration of Earth Day and the 6th Kokua Festival, you can sign up for the Kokua Festival mailing list to receive our weekly eco-tips and other festival information.
Back by popular demand, the Kokua Festival Fan Passport! The passport is your guide and keepsake for the 2010 Kokua Festival and will be available for Kokua Shuttle* riders or upon entry to the venue. When you take at least three actions and receive passport stamps you can enter to win great prizes, including a pair of orchestra pit seats or an autographed ukulele!
Passport stamp actions include:
Utilize the zero-waste stations at the venue by composting, creating piggy food with your food scrapes, and recycling your trash
Bring your own reuseable water bottle to the show and fill up for free at the on-site water station
Bike and park at the bike valet, ride the Kokua Shuttle*, take the bus, or carpool to the show
Curb climate change by purchasing a CO2 offset sticker, with 100% of proceeds benefiting local renewable energy projects
Connect with the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, along with other non-profit organizations and eco-businesses, in the Kokua Village
Kokua Festival Shuttles
NEW for 2010! In order to keep more cars off the road and lesson our carbon footprint, the Kokua Festival is excited to announce the Kokua Festival Shuttles! Grab your friends and catch a ride to the Festival instead of driving and be entered to win VIP passes! These passes are good for entrance to the private Kokua VIP reception within the Festival grounds. In addition to being entered for VIP passes, all shuttle riders will receive their first stamp in the Kokua Festival Fan Passport. After taking two more actions you will be entered to win more fantastic prizes!
For more information on the Kokua Festival Shuttles, click here.
April 2010 marks the 3rd year we are celebrating environmental initiatives led by Hawaii’s students, grades K-12, at the annual Keiki Kokua Day. Together with Keiki Kokua Day partners Bill Healy Foundation, RevoluSun, Simple Shoes and Stretch Island Fruit Co, we’ve created a special day to recognize the work these students have done to malama (care for) our islands. Groups that submitted outstanding Kokua Earth Action Projects KEAP proposals are invited to this year’s Keiki Kokua Day recognition festivities. A few of the student project proposals submitted included topics such as: starting a garden, reducing energy use on their campus, composting at school, initiating an after-school recycling club and more. A few of the highlights planned for this year’s Keiki Kokua Day celebration include:
Presentation of Certificates of Achievement to Each Student Group
Performances by Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, Jake Shimabukuro
Sharing and Exchange of Videos and Experiences Among KEAP Groups
Interacting with Keiki Kokua Day partners and other non-prifts at their booths in the Kokua Village
Students Receive Kokua Festival reusable tote bags filled with a special edition EcoUsable brand water bottle, healthy snacks, and other educational materials donated by Keiki Kokua Day Sponsors
We extend our sincere gratitude to the teachers and administrators who have and continue to support Hawaii’s students in moving these environmental initiatives forward. We invite more schools to submit a Kokua Earth Action Proposal next year and join us at Keiki Kokua Day 2011.
Come join in on the fun at the Kokua Festival/STAR 101.9 Recycling Drive. The top 10 recyclers win a pair of tickets to the Kokua Festival, and access to an exclusive Jack Johnson Soundcheck Party at The Waikiki Shell. All recycling proceeds will be donated to the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation.
Date: April 10, 2010
Time: 11:00 AM -1:00 PM
Location:
Ala Moana Reynolds Recycling Center
1391 Kapiolani Blvd.
Former JN Chevrolet
What you can recycle?
aluminum cans
plastic bottles
glass bottles
electronics: laptops and cell phones ONLY (via T&N Recycling)
Contest Details:
What day of the Kokua Festival will I win tickets for? Tickets will be randomly selected.
How many winners are chosen? 10 people who collect the greatest amount of recyclables (by dollar value).
How do we win? First, redeem your recyclables at Ala Moana Reynolds Recycling Center between 11:00 AM -1:00 PM on April 10, 2010. A representative will be there to document the amount you’ve raised for the Kokua Hawaii Foundation and to collect your contact information.
When will winners be chosen? The 10 winners will be announced on-site, around 1:00 PM, or contacted by phone/email.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. None of our efforts would be possible without kind and generous assistance from them.
Whether it be:
delivering recycle bins to 3R’s schools
training, shopping for, and teaching ‘AINA IS nutrition lessons
tagging Plastic Free Haleiwa bags
building, planting and tending ‘AINA IS gardens
manning Zero Waste Stations at KHF events
wrapping gifts from reusable materials or making newspaper pots with families
tabling our booths at film screenings and other outreach events
helping to spread the Kokua message far and wide
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Volunteers are the best! We thank all those volunteers for their time, energy, skills, and enthusiasm over the years.
Kokua Festival Premium Seat Auction
ENDS April 2nd at 3:00 PM HST
Click here to bid
Nature-Inspired Art
Saturday, April 10th
9:30am-noon
At Kapolei High School
Cost: $7 per person or $15 for families of up to 3 people
To register and for more information please e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 542-9107.
Plastic Free Hale’iwa
Sunday, April 11th
9am-1pm
At Hale’iwa Farmers Market
Nominations Invited for Garden Crusader Awards
A cash award and a gift certificate to Gardener’s Supply in the amount of $2,500 will be given to individuals in the United States who are using gardening to improve their communities….
Deadline: June 1, 2010 Garden Crusader Awards
Bid now on premium seats to the Sold Out Kokua Festival! This is your last chance to score tickets and get some great swag! Each charity auction package includes:
-2 Premium orchestra pit seats within the first 3 rows
-1 Autographed “Jack Johnson: En Concerte” Cd/DVD Pack
-Kokua Festival poster, water bottle, towel, and tote bag!
View trailer here
Tickets:
$5 General Admission
$3 UHM Students & Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Members
Directions to Spalding Auditorium:
Proceed north on University Avenue two stoplights past Dole St. (Maile Way). Make a right onto the campus. 400 yards past the guard gate, park in the lot on the right at the corner of Maile Way and Farrington Rd. Walk through passage way to the front of the building. Auditorium is on the first floor.
The 2010 Kokua Festival on April 23rd and 24th is sold out! We want to extend a big mahalo to all of our KHF members, beach clean-up participants, and Hawaii residents who support our efforts. We look forward to a great festival on Earth Day weekend. See you there!
Growing ‘AINA IS
During the next school year, we will be adding more schools to the ‘AINA IS ‘ohana. If you know of a Hawai’i school that is interested in applying to becoming an ‘AINA IS program school, have them contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). In the next few months we will also be launching an ‘AINA IS website with tools you can use at home and at school!
Chef Ann Cooper
‘AINA IS recently hosted “Renegade Lunch Lady” Chef Ann Cooper to speak with local school food advocates on how school lunch can be improved throughout the country and how we can implement a statewide farm to school network. One huge issue the group identified is money. Chef Ann, along with Slow Food USA, is launching a campaign to ask congress to invest one more dollar in every kid’s school lunch. To voice your support, visit www.LunchBoxAdvocates.org. Also while in Hawai’i, leaders from the Hawai’i State Legislature presented Chef Ann with a certificate of commendation recognizing her achievements in bringing better food and nutrition to our kids nationally and in Hawai’i.
A recent University of Hawai’i feasibility study highlighted various options for advancing farm to school in Hawai’i: launching a pilot program; extend efforts beyond the lunchroom; serving locally grown snacks after school; providing nutrition lessons and more. Organizations throughout the state are building upon the reports outcomes to determine how we can best get our Hawai’i grown food to our Hawai’i grown keiki.
This year the children & families who visit our Keiki Kokua Day or Keiki Corner will be making wrist/head bands and musical instruments. We’ll need bottle caps, cardboard rolls (paper towel, toilet or wrapping paper), large and small yogurt lids, and cereal boxes. Another fun activity will be the transformation of t-shirts into bags and capes. We are accepting donations of t-shirts or any of the other items mentioned.
Drop off at Hale’iwa Farmers Market (Plastic Free Haleiwa Booth) - 3.14 & 4.11
Keiki Kokua Day – School groups completing outstanding Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP) this school year have been invited to the Keiki Kokua Day. This keiki (kids)-only celebration will recognize student efforts to malama (care for) our islands with entertainment by Jack Johnson and other Kokua Festival artists, educational activities, videos and exchanges from participating KEAP school groups.
Keiki Corner - The Keiki Corner located in the Hula Amphitheatre will feature live performances on the Keiki Stage, interactive games and activities for the kids by The Green House.
KHF Grant Deadline
Environmental Education Field Trip and Mini-Grant applications for the 2009-2010 school year will be accepted until Wednesday, March 31. KHF Program Info
Earth Hour
Sat, 3.27
8:30 pm, local time
Participation is easy. By flipping off your light switch on March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time you will be casting your vote for action on climate change. Use this website to find out what else you can do to get involved including leading the Earth Hour movement in your community.
Recycling Grant Program
Recycling bin grant program from Coca-Cola and Keep America Beautiful. Grant recipients will receive actual recycling bins instead of funding. The grant program is open to governments, civic organizations, schools, non-profit groups. Applications are available only on-line. The deadline to submit an application is March 12, 2010.
National Wildlife Week
March 15 - 21
Celebrate National Wildlife Week by going outdoors to have fun! Surf, climb trees, chase butterflies, dig in the dirt and celebrate nature. You’ll become healthier, happier and more connected to the world around you.
Kanu Hawaii has honored Jack and Kim Johnson with a “Kuleana Award”! “Kuleana Awards” are given to individuals who have inspired change in others and in their community through their own demonstrations of Kuleana (Kuleana being the Hawaiian value of personal responsibility and accountability).
Kanu issued the following statement about Jack and Kim today:
“As a team, Jack and Kim model stewardship, compassion, and living lightly on the earth. They live a simple lifestyle, eat from their own garden, and devote lots of quality time to their children and their North Shore community. Jack’s music has introduced people around the world to island values of environmental stewardship and aloha, and profits from his tours support local and global environmental work. Kim has worked tirelessly to build the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation into a local institution that is committed, as she is, to positive, empowering approaches that educate keiki and build a more eco-conscious community.”
Click Here to read the full Honolulu Advertiser article
The Kokua Festival and STAR 101.9 joined forces this past weekend by offering pre-sale ticket purchase opportunities and mobilizing over 1000 residents to help clean Hawaii’s beaches! All participants earned a pre-sale code good for purchasing two Kokua Festival tickets during the Beach Clean-up Pre-sale. They were also entered in a raffle where, along with other great prizes, two winners from each clean-up received a pair of free Kokua Festival tickets!
Four Beach Clean-ups took place on Oahu and Maui this past Saturday, February 13th. Locations included Sand Island Beach Park, Kea’au Beach Park, Malaekahana Beach Park, and Kahului Harbor Maui. The Kokua Festival team would like to thank STAR 101.9, BYU-SIFE, Kanu Hawaii, the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, Rep. Maile Shimaburkuro, Maui Time Weekly, and Surfrider Oahu for their efforts to promote and coordinate the clean-ups.
Sand Island Beach Park: Surfrider Oahu partnered with STAR 101.9 and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation in gathering approximately 350 volunteers to participate in their “Love Your Beach” beach clean-up on the eve of Valentine’s Day. More than 500 pounds of trash and recycling was collected. Sunetric’s Watt Wheels and the band Die Trying motivated the crowd with a solar-powered performance.
Kea’au Beach Park: Kanu Hawaii & Rep. Maile Shimabukuro co-sponsored the beach clean-up with STAR 101.9 and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation at Kea`au Beach. Other supporters included Nani `O Wai`anae, Schnitzer Steel, Roll-Offs HI, Interstate Batteries, Penske, City & County of Honolulu & Wai`anae Community Outreach. Over 200 volunteers, including several of the Kea`au houseless, gathered approximately 700 bags of trash, container-sized truckloads each of bulky items and metal, 25 batteries, and over 200 tires!
Malaekahana Beach Park: Over 400 community volunteers from Mokulei’a to Hawai’i Kai descended upon Malaekahana Beach Park in Lai’e where BYUH SIFE, STAR 101.9, Surfrider and the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation partnered ridding the beach of large and heavy marine debris such as fishing nets and ropes, to the smallest nurdles (small plastic pieces, often ingested by marine wildlife) hand picked and sifted from the sand by children. Bulky household, automotive, and boating/fishing related debris were added to the mountain of trash that was picked up, while volunteers busily sorted glass and plastic recyclables. Over 3 miles of beach was left sparkling.
Kahului Harbor, Maui: Maui Time Weekly, Community Work Day, and organizer Matt Lane joined forces with STAR 101.9 and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation for the Kahului Beach Cleanup. 100 people attended and fanned out to clean from Kahului Harbor to Waiehu Beach. 2,600 pounds of trash collected, 3 trailer loads of netting and fishing debris, and numerous tires.
For those that missed out on the beach clean-ups and pre-sale, Kokua Festival tickets will be going on-sale this weekend. Kokua Festival tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 800-745-3000.
Hawaii-Only Sale*: Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 9am Hawaii Time
General Sale: Sunday, February 21, 2020 at 9am Hawaii Time
*Hawai’i Only Ticket Sales:
All Hawai’i zip codes are valid—-including neighbor islands.
To buy on-line/by phone, you must have a credit card with a Hawai’i zip code as the address to pay for the tickets.
If you do not have a credit card with a Hawai’i mailing address——tickets can be purchased in person from any of the outlets on O’ahu—-Blaisdell Box Office, Macy’s Ala Moana, Macy’s Pearl Ridge or Sports Gear at Windward Mall.
The Kokua Festival and STAR 101.9 are once again offering the chance to purchase pre-sale tickets by helping to clean Hawaii’s beaches! Everyone is invited to come out, malama ‘aina, and earn a pre-sale code that is good for purchasing two Kokua Festival tickets. All participants will also be entered in a drawing to win two free tickets to the Kokua Festival and other great prizes.
All clean-ups will take place simultaneously on February 13th, 9:00a.m. - 11:30a.m.
Three on Oahu:
BYUH-SIFE North Shore Clean-Up *A special thanks to Surfrider Oahu for assisting in the planning of the Malaekahana Clean-up!
Beach: Malaekahana and Kahuku Golf Course, Seventh Hole Beach
Meeting Place: Malaekahana Beach Park (by Goat Island, look for signs!)
Contact: Megan Neal, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Surfrider Oahu South Shore Clean-Up
*The South Shore Clean-up will only be available to the first 250 participants due to the size of the park.
Beach: Sand Island State Park Beach
Meeting Place: 3rd beach parking lot, at the very end of Sand Island Access Road
Contact: Steve Mazur, Beach Cleanup Coordinator, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Supplies:
We encourage participants to help us make this a zero waste event by bringing their own reusable water bottles that can be refilled at our water stations, a pair of gardening gloves, a sifter (if you have one) for small pieces of plastic, sunscreen, and any plastic shopping bags you might have under your sink!
Kokua Festival STAR 101.9 Pre-Sale
All participants will receive a unique code that will allow them access to the STAR 101.9 Pre-Sale.
Pre-sale will begin on Sunday, February 14th at 9:00 a.m. and will end on Monday, February 15th at 11:59 p.m.
After taking a year off, the Kokua Festival is back in 2010. Hawaii’s own Jack Johnson is proud to host the 6th Kokua Festival and share the stage with Ziggy Marley and the legendary Taj Mahal on Earth Day weekend - Friday, April 23rd and Saturday, April 24th – at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, Hawai’i. In addition to full band performances by Jack Johnson and Taj Mahal, and a solo acoustic set by Ziggy Marley, this year’s incredible line-up will be rounded out by ukulele extraordinaire, Jake Shimabukuro, and Maui-based songstress, Anuhea.
Back for its third consecutive year, the Keiki Kokua Day will take place the day before the festival and will recognize Hawai’i school groups who have completed outstanding Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP). KEAP, another school program of the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, guides environmental service learning initiatives lead by student groups to create long lasting change in classrooms, schools or communities. The Keiki Kokua Day event celebrates these student leaders who malama (care for) our islands with entertainment by Jack Johnson and other Kokua Festival artists, educational activities, videos and exchanges from participating KEAP school groups.
In addition to the eclectic mix of live music, the Kokua Village features over 50 booths including eco-friendly clothing from Patagonia, all natural food from Kashi, and organic yogurt from Stonyfield Farm. Kokua Festival attendees can try local food and beverages, learn about products and services from green companies, view alternative energy demonstrations, participate in interactive games and crafts for kids, and get information about environmentally active groups from around the islands.
Since its start in 2004, the Kokua Festival has raised the bar on environmentally friendly concert production both locally and globally. Some of the innovative greening measures include:
Zero Waste collection sites where recyclables, food waste and compostables are separated by students from local schools
A bike valet service, electric trolley, and carpool incentives
Promoting the use of reusable water bottles and providing free water stations
Running festival generators and vehicles on locally made biodiesel
Using biodegradable concession-ware
Offering eco-friendly merchandise such as reusable tote bags, bottles, and organic cotton clothing
Offsetting the remaining emissions with clean energy development in Hawai’i
Tickets are $40 for general admission/lawn, $50 for reserved seats, $125 in the seated pit area, and $20 general admission for children 3-12. Children under 3 are free. Online ticket purchasers will also have the option to add on a $2 carbon credit to offset their personal travel to the show.
Tickets for Hawai’i residents will go on sale Saturday, February 20th at all Hawai’i Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets for the general public will be available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000 starting on Sunday, February 21st. On February 13th, STAR 101.9 listeners will be offered pre-sale opportunities by participating in beach clean-ups around Oahu and on Maui. Visit www.star1019.com for more details on the beach clean-up locations and times.
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation thanks Presenting Partners Kashi, Patagonia, and Stonyfield Farm as well as many other like-minded companies and organizations for their support! The Kokua Festival is produced locally by the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, with additional coordination by MusicMatters, a division of Effect Partners, and Pau Hana Productions.
ONO - Out-of-the-Box Nutritious Options: A sampling of innovative ways to bring healthy and locally grown foods into the classroom
Presented by Luke Center for Public Service and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation
Thursday, February 25, 2010
4 – 8 pm
Fee: $15.00
Dinner featuring locally grown food
Kuaihelani Learning Center, Case Middle School, Punahou School
This hands-on workshop will feature examples of lessons related to food that teachers can use in any classroom. It is an opportunity to learn and to share with other educators from Hawai’i.
Register online by February 16. Space will be reserved upon receipt of payment.
Be Energy and Water Wise
In ancient times, Native Hawaiians drew their water supplies from fresh water springs, streams and shallow wells. Incredibly, a population that may have reached a million people thrived on the Hawaiian islands through wise management of their lands and water resources.
In the United States, generating power consumes 3 percent of our nation’s water annually and 13 percent of the energy produced in this country is used to treat, transport and heat our water. Conserving water saves energy, and vice versa. The water-energy connection is complex, but it provides an excellent opportunity to get students thinking about the interconnection of ecological and environmental concerns.
This year’s Kokua Hawai’i Foundation calendar contest theme is Be Water and Energy Wise. While exploring the topics of water and energy conservation, we also encourage you and your students/children to reflect on the important connections between water and energy.
Think about your home, school, office building, neighborhood, garden, farm, park, etc. Reflect on traditional Native Hawaiian knowledge, practices, and innovations to visualize what it means to Be Water and Energy Wise. Use paint, crayons, pastels, fabric, collage, or mixed media to put your vision on paper. The possibilities are endless!
Many schools continue to profit from healthy and environmentally friendly fundraising activities. In January, we compiled a list of some of our favorite ideas and passed them on to Hawai’i school administrators and PCNC staff. Here’s what one enthusiastic school staff had to say, “I just received your flyer in the mail today on different ideas on ‘green’ fundraising. Thank you very much for considering our school and sending this very informative flyer to us…I hope that there will be some programs to use the different ideas you have in the flyer as they are all excellent ideas.”
Art auctions are a a fun and creative way to raise funds! This month, Sunset Beach Elementary School is having their 1st annual Celebrating the Arts Day and Auction. Parent and community volunteers are organizing this event to raise funds for the Art and Music programs for the school. Attendees will enjoy an evening of live music, food & drinks, silent & live auction, and raffle. In conjunction with the auction, students of Sunset Beach Elementary will be enriched by the visual art of local artists who will visit each class and lead an art project. The Art Day and Auction is on Friday, 2.26 from 6-10 pm at Waimea Valley Pikake Pavilion, $10 at the door. For more info, or if you’d like to make a donation, please call 638-8777.
Another fundraising idea worth mentioning is the Honu Guide. The Honu Guide features well written articles on sustainability issues in Hawaii, and has a coupon book and resource directory that links people to green goods, services and organizations. Organizations, including schools can sell the guide to raise funds.
For ‘AINA In Schools, January is a time of renewal for school gardens. In preparation for the ‘AINA IS spring garden lessons, school, family, and community volunteers reinvigorated garden soils with compost donated by Kokua Kalihi Valley and made with schools’ own green waste. Children added vermicast tea to each garden bed to add extra nutrients, and the fruit trees on campus benefitted from the weed preventing and moisture retaining properties of mulch.
Waikiki Elementary school hosted over 200 Kaiser Permanente staff who, in celebration of the Hawai’i Permanente Medical Group’s 50 year anniversary, turned out in force to create new garden areas at the school and erect a shade house to protect the school’s heirloom tomato crop from birds.
Ala Wai, Sunset and Wai’alae elementary schools utilized the enthusiastic help of 4th and 5th graders during their after school programs. Volunteers from HIHO (Hands in Helping Out), a community volunteer group that regularly supports ‘AINA IS garden projects, and Leeward Community College students also prepared gardens and fruit orchards for new growth.
Thank you to the parents, teachers, and community members who showed up for our weekend and afterschool ‘AINA IS garden parties this month.
World Wetlands Day 2010
Sat, 2.6
8:30 am -2:00 pm
Guided tours by Chuck “Doc” Burrows and Dr. Paul Brennan of the marsh complex.
Walking tours of the Hamakua wetland every hour from 9-1. Meet at the Division of Forestry and Wildlife booth.
This event is free and open to the public
For more information please contact: Nicole Galase at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 586-0915.
Raised Bed Gardening Workshop
Sat, 2.20
9:30am-12
at Kapolei High School
Cost: $7
Join the Malama Learning Center and Olomana Gardens to be part of nature’s miracle, and become more self-sufficient by growing your own food. To register and for further information, please contact Janice Staab at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 542-9107.
4th Annual Hawai’i Avocado Festival
Sat, 2.20
9 am - 5 pm
at Amy B.H. Greenwell Garden
More info at ManakeaSanctuary.org or call (808) 936-5233
Sunset Beach Elementary School Kids Art Day & Auction Fundraiser
Fri, 2.26
6 - 10 pm
at Waimea Valley Pikake Pavilion
$10 at the door
Prize for Young Heroes
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes seeks nominations for its 2010 awards. The Barron Prize honors young people between the ages of 8 and 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet.
Kokua Festival Important Dates
2.12 & 2.13 - Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Members Pre-sale
2.13 - Kokua Festival and STAR 101.9 Beach Clean-Ups
2.14 & 2.15 - Beach Clean-Ups Pre-Sale
2.20 - Hawai’i Residents ONLY Kokua Festival Tickets On Sale
2.21 - General Kokua Festival Tickets On Sale
4.23 & 4.24 -2010 KOKUA FESTIVAL!
If you are only a subscriber to our e-newsletter, we invite you to become a KHF Member.
We hope that all of you had a wonderful Holiday Season filled with fun, family and friends. It’s the start of the a new year and everyone here at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is excited about the events, projects and programs we are working on for 2010. We ask that you please consider the environment in your New Year resolutions. May you have a peaceful and healthy “green” year!
If you are only a subscriber to our e-newsletter, we invite you to become a KHF Member. KEAP Students. Photo credit: Red Heart Photography
Thank you for your support!
In the first semester of the 2009-2010 school year we have been able to reach thousands through our programs:
3R’s School Recycling: 18,300 students at 35 participating schools reduce, reuse, and recycle on campus. Several of these schools have started composting and vermicomposting food and green waste on campus.
‘AINA In Schools: 10 elementary schools participate in our ‘AINA IS programs. This semester 1,200 students participated in garden lessons, while 1,000 took part in nutrition lessons. Over 400 parent and community volunteers supported the program by giving 863 hours from August to December.
Environmental Education Mini-Grants: 1,300 students and 8 schools have received assistance for environmental education supplies, curricula, and workshops.
Environmental Education Field Trip Assistance Program: In the Fall of 2009, 1,800 students at 23 schools participated in field trips supported by Kokua Hawaii Foundation. Field trip sites include Bishop Museum, Paepae O He’eia, Camp Erdman, Lyon Arboretum, Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo, and many others.
Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP): During the 2008-2009 school year 1400 students from across the state developed KEAP projects. For the 2009-2010 school year, over 600 students will participate. Greening Your Campus, Compost Start-Up on Campus, Renew and Reuse Clothing and Container Gardening are some of the projects students are working on.
Community Programs and Campaigns:
Plastic Free Hale’iwa: Over 55 businesses have become members and pledged to stop disbursing single-use plastics such as plastic bags and Styrofoam containers.
Film Screenings: Over 600 community members have attended our film screenings and discussions.
Simplify the Holidays: Over 1,300 people pledged to give back to their environment and communities this holiday season.
The Simplify the Holidays has two main goals:
1. To offer tips on how to make the holidays more meaningful and relation-focused instead of consumer focused.
2. To offer ways to cut down on the enormous amount of garbage and wast that we create every holiday season.
We exceeded our goal of 1,000 people committing to Simplify the Holidays by well over 300 and the numbers are still growing! Commitments were made from people throughout Hawaii and across the US, from Florida to Maine and Montana to Washington states.
Those commitments translate to the following:
12.5 tons of waste avoided
7.8 tons of co2 avoided
8.4 tons of paper saved, the equivalent of 203 trees
To be the first to receive the 2010 lineup and ticket links, please sign up for our mailing list and connect with us on the Kokua Festival Facebook, Twitter & MySpace.
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. Green Fundraising Ideas for Schools is a simple guide with lots of options and resources. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
Garden Parties
Mon 1/18 Waikiki Elementary
Tues 1/26 Sunset Beach Elementary
Wed 1/27 Waialae Elementary
Sat 1/30 Aikahi Elementary
Please RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
School Garden Funding Program
In partnership with Scholastic, Welch’s will support school garden programs through Welch’s Harvest Grants. Submit an application for your opportunity to win a valuable garden for your school. Deadline for submission is February 6, 2010.
5th annual Discover Recycling 2010
Sat. 1/16
Kapolei Hale More info.
Cooking with Locally Grown Foods
Sat 1/16
Join Mālama Learning Center and Macrobiotic Hawaii to learn how to cook tasty dishes using locally grown vegetables.
Kapolei High School
Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 542-9107
Green Advantage Commercial/Residential Workshops
Honolulu Community College’s Continuing Education and Training Program
For more information on the class, click on the direct link to the brochure
Mahalo for choosing to ‘Simplify the Holidays’ with the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Kanu Hawai’i. We hope you had an enjoyable holiday season and will continue to choose ways throughout the year to help our environment and simplify your life!
We would love to see pictures of how you simplified your holiday season. Please send your pics to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and share your story with us! Treecycle! Many of our members chose potted Christmas trees this year, which is wonderful since you can either keep them in their pots for next year or start a family tradition of planting your tree after the holidays. If you chose a tree that needs to be composted and haven’t done so already, please Treecycle:
On O’ahu, recycle your trees curbside on your regular twice-per-month green waste collection day. Trim branches to three feet or less and place in your greenwaste cart. For households in the bag pickup system, cut the tree into lengths of up to three feet and place at curb.
You can also drop off whole trees at any of the City’s Refuse and Recycling Convenience Centers around the island or at the composting facilities in Kailua and Campbell Industrial Park. Find locations and more details.
For treecycling on neighbor islands, click for more info: Hawaii Island, Maui County, and Kauai.
Precycle for Next Year: Create a holiday storage box and fill it with salvaged items from your holiday festivities. Ribbons, paper, gift bags, tablecloths, ornaments, and even things that seem to be broken can provide great raw materials for the next season’s projects. By doing this you’ll have all the materials you need to start the holidays without buying anything new. It’s like starting a holiday piggy bank. You’ll be glad you did it next year.
Happy Holidays from your friends at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Kanu Hawai’i!
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 to a Green Christmas Guide available for download and at all Foodland and Sack N Save stores in Hawaii. Get yours at the Customer Service counter.
Come Visit a Simplify the Holidays Event This Saturday, 12.05:
Kanu Hawai’i Simplify the Holidays Gift Making Gathering, Punahou Luke Center, 10-2 pm Recycle old clothes into new stylish items and make reusable gift wrapping and cards.
For details visit www.KanuHawaii.org
Guava Shop Clothes Swap, Guava Shop Hale’iwa, 10-6 pm
Bring in gently used clothing items to the Guava Shop from now through Saturday and receive a 10% store coupon, your “swap tickets”, and early entrance into the swap. Come back on Saturday with your swap tickets and shop through your friends and neighbors’ contributed items in the Swap Tent in front of the Guava Shop. No clothes to swap, no worries… swap tickets can be purchased for $5/ticket the day of the event.
For more info email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Green Community Fair, Church of the Crossroads, 10-2 pm
The Green Market offers alternatives for your holiday shopping; from native plants to local and organic foods, to buying Green Gifts. There will also be keiki activities and greening demonstrations throughout the day.
Check out Simplify the Holidays for more information on how you can make your commitment!
The holidays are a time of celebration with family, friends, and the community. School campuses are also abuzz preparing for the holidays. Classrooms filled with anxious children and teachers race to finish projects before the break. As part of the Simplify the Holiday campaign, Kokua is offering a Green Holiday Educator Resource Guide. Download the PDF for tips and ideas that will help you green your classroom crafts and parties.
Parents and students at Voyager Charter School turned a Furlough Friday in to a fun day of wreath making using recycled materials. Students collected materials from home and school, then turned their found treasure into beautiful holiday wreaths. Check out the images for some great ideas that include collecting, sorting, and creating!
Many of you came to the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation screening of Food Inc. over Labor Day weekend as part of Slow Food USA’s National Eat In. The film brings up many issues and can be used as a great teaching tool for high school students. The Food Inc. 102-page discussion guide, developed by the Center for Ecoliteracy, provides questions and activities about the film’s themes, including health, sustainability, animal welfare, and workers’ rights.
It is designed to help high school students make more thoughtful choices about food and participate in a meaningful dialogue about food and food systems. The guide suggests questions to promote critical thinking and understanding of complex issues. Rather than present specific points of view, the discussion questions are designed to help students explore the issues through a deeper exploration of their own thinking. Guide for high school teachers available as free download.
The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little For years he would voluntarily put his life on the line to experience these brief moments of bliss. Luckily for the rest of us, someone put a camera in his hand. -Jack Johnson
Waimea Shorebreak surfer, turned art photographer, Clark Little, has included a collection of his popular photos as well as new images each of which capture the power and beauty of ‘Oahu’s North Shore waves from the inside out. Anyone, who appreciates and enjoys a one-of-a-kind ocean vista with a close-up clarity and perspective seldom seen even by the most experienced surfer, will delight in this unique (and safe) experience. “The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little” includes forwards by Jack Johnson and Kelly Slater.
$1 from the sale of each book will be donated to the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation.
For more info and to get a peek at some of Little’s work check out his website.
information. Consider this opportunity to partake in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) by subscribing to Meleana’s Farm. CSA programs help you, farmers, our community and the earth alike. You get fresh from the farm goods, farmers save money by direct marketing, some culture is returned to agriculture and all involved are reminded to Malama ‘Aina, to protect the land on which we depend.
Your ecologically grown produce will be bagged, labeled and stored in the farm fridge for your convenient pick up on the North Shore or Manoa.
“My Hawai’i Story Project” Celebration & Fundraiser
Sat, 12.12
ING DIRECT Cafe
“My Hawai’i” Fair - 12 pm
“My Hawai’i” student authors and reception 4:30-6:30 pm
A silent auction featuring books, art, special nature tours, hotel packages, and other special offers will be on display and open for bidding at the ING DIRECT Cafe from December 7, 2009. Funds raised will support the 2010 writing contest.
Click here for more info on the “My Hawai’i” Story Project.
$5,000 Award for Outstanding High School Teachers
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) seeks outstanding high school teachers who have successfully integrated environmental education into daily curriculum. The Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award recognized educators who serve as an inspiration for students and model for other teachers. Winners receive a $5,000 award to continue their work in environmental education. Apply today. Deadline: January 15, 2010.
Hosting a holiday party this season? Planning a holiday party can often feel overwhelming, stressful, and leave you wondering if it’s possible to carve out a little quality time with family. The secret to a meaningful party or gathering is creating traditions that shift the focus away from fancy decor, gifts, or catered food and instead focus on what the holidays mean for your family and friends. For instance, baking bread with friends and homemade ornament exchanges are just some of the ways you can have enjoyable, meaningful holiday celebrations with memories that are treasured far more than anything left under the tree.
Make it your holiday tradition to serve a locally grown or produced menu. Locally grown foods provide fresher taste, support our local farmers, and cut down on the pollution created when food is shipped in to our islands. Martha Cheng of Share Your Table shares a delicious local Thanksgiving menu here.
Simplify the Holidays Reduce waste by choosing reusable plates, forks, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, etc., instead of single-use materials. If supply is a problem, ask guests to contribute. For example, ask your guests to make cloth napkins out of old Christmas tablecloths or sheets and bring them to the party. They make any table look festive and provide fun holiday memories to share.
Thirsty merrymakers at your party? Consider using large pitchers for water and your favorite punch with reusable glasses instead of bottled drinks. For other bottles and cans, be sure to place recycling bins in plain sight for your guests!
The Salvation Army and Goodwill stores are great sources for reused plates, glasses, cups, and silverware.
If you have to go with single-use items, check into biodegradable and compostable options such as bagasse plates and corn starch cups.
For those people whose holiday celebrations include a Christmas tree, there is often no substitute for the real thing. Entering the room and seeing your tree can evoke happy memories from childhood and the excitement of the season. Having a real tree also links us with people throughout history who brought boughs inside to celebrate religious or celestial events. Thousands of years ago Egyptians brought palms and hollies indoors to enliven their homes during winter. Keeping this custom alive with our Christmas trees connects us through cultures and time.
Unfortunately, for those of us living in Hawai’i, imported trees can bring invasive species, and take a toll on the environment with emissions from shipping and trucking. Each year, 50 million Christmas trees are purchased in the U.S. Of those, about 30 million go to the landfill. Fortunately, we have alternatives!
Buy a live potted Christmas tree that you can keep. On Maui? Check out Plant a Wish’s “Planting Christmas” project where you can buy a potted native tree, decorate it for the holidays and plant it afterwards. They even offer planting assistance and a place to plant your tree if you can’t do it at home. Visit them online at Planting Christmas or call to reserve a tree at (808) 250-1469.
If you do get a cut tree, Simplify the Holidays consider buying a local tree from Helemano Farms. Locally grown Norfolk pine trees stay green longer, don’t shed needles, are specially cut to grow back, and avoid invasive species. Helemano Farmsis a family farm in Central O’ahu that offers locally grown Christmas trees that you pick and they cut! They also have wreaths available. They will be open for tree sales starting the day after Thanksgiving.
Want to support Kokua Hawai’i Foundation? Purchase advanced-sale Helemano Farms Christmas Tree Tickets for $40 from us! $10 of that sale will be donated to Kokua Hawai’i Foundation to support environmental education in Hawai’i schools and communities. Visit us at any of the below outreach events for tickets or more email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
As we ponder how to manage our upcoming festivities and gift giving Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, in partnership with Kanu Hawai’i, is asking all of us to consider simplifying the holidays.
From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons - it all adds up to an additional one million tons a week to our landfills.
Let’s use this time of both great hope and great challenges to refocus on the season’s deeper values of joy, peace and ‘ohana by making holiday choices that support and nurture our homes, our communities, our planet - and family budgets, too!
Over the coming weeks we will be bringing you fun tips to make your holidays more meaningful. Click on our 12 Days to a Green Holiday and make a commitment to simplify your holiday season.
Trips to the Store
When shopping for holiday food and gifts, try to plan ahead and consolidate trips in order to save fuel and reduce pollution. If each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon (about twenty miles), we’d reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons. That could be one or two trips to the store!
Also, don’t forget to take along your reusable shopping bags to use instead of the disposable ones!
The world uses over 1.2 trillion plastic bags a year. That averages about 300 bags for each adult on the planet and over one million bags being used per minute.
A reusable bag can eliminate hundreds to thousands of disposable bags over its lifetime. Reusable bags also make great green gifts!
Simplify the Holidays with Recycled and Gently Used Gifts!
The average American spends $800 on gifts over the holiday season. According to a national survey, 70% of Americans would welcome less emphasis on gift giving and spending.
Gently used items are a great way to be kind to the earth and your wallet! Local thrift stores offer unique items, but if you don’t see what you are looking for, Craigslist and Freecycle have opened a world of opportunity when it comes to gently used items.
Give gifts of time like gift certificates for a massage or child care. Treat a loved one to ‘ukulele lessons, membership to Kokua Hawaii Foundation or tickets to a sporting or cultural event.
Or, try checking out your local library for used book sales which will help you find a great gift as well as support a great cause.
Recommended Simplify the Holidays Events
Sunset Beach Elementary School Annual Christmas Craft Fair
Saturday November 21, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunset Beach Elementary School Cafeteria Hand made crafts and food items from local artisans.
Simplify the Holidays Craft Parties
Hawai’i Island: Saturday, November 28 at 1:00 pm Holualoa, Hawai’i
O’ahu: Saturday, December 5 at 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Punahou School Luke Center, Honolulu
Recycle old clothes into new stylish items and make reusable gift wrapping.
For details contact Nova Lee: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The 6th Annual Green Community Fair (formerly the Green Market Fair) Saturday, December 5, 10:00 am -2:00 pm
The Church of the Cross Roads, 1212 University Avenue, Honolulu
Find gifts made of recycled materials, gifts of service certificates, eco-friendly gifts, crafts for the kids, and greening demonstrations! www.thegreenhousehawaii.com
Clothes Swap at Guava Shop, 66-165 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa
Saturday, December 5, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Bring in gently used clothing items to swap. Each swappable item will be featured in the outside mini-store. You will be able to do a one for one swap in the mini-store.
For more info email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Happy Holidays from your friends at Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Kanu Hawai’i!
In celebration of his En Concert live DVD and CD release, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation co-founder, Jack Johnson, will screen the documentary film, and play acoustic performances on two nights, November 13th and 14th alongside band member and solo artist, Zach Gill, at the legendary Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu.
All proceeds from these shows will benefit the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation. In addition, Jack Johnson has donated 50% of the net proceeds from the sale of his new live album, En Concert, to the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation to further support environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawai’i.
For more information scroll down this page after November Highlights and/or visit www.jackjohnsonmusic.com.
Kokua Earth Action Project (KEAP) proposal deadline for the 2009-2010 school year has been extended to December 18, 2009.
Each year, we invite Hawai’i schools to start a Kokua Earth Action Project. This is the first year middle and high school students are invited to participate! Groups submitting outstanding Kokua Earth Action Project proposals will be invited to participate in Keiki Kokua Day event. All completed projects will be honored and showcased on our website. Please download a proposal from this page.
On September 5, 2009 Kokua Hawai’i Foundation hosted an Eat-In at BYU Hawaii as part of Slow Food USA’s Time for Lunch campaign. Over 150 people attended this event to start conversations about school lunch and the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. More than 300 Eat-Ins were organized and attended nationally including Eat-Ins on Maui and Hawaii Island.
The reauthorization of child nutrition programs was supposed to happen in September, but health insurance reform has delayed the process. Congress passed a temporary extension and they’re now expected to focus on school lunch in early 2010. That gives us more time to give kids the school lunch they deserve. What can you do?
The holiday season is upon us! As we ponder how to manage our upcoming festivities and gift giving, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is teaming up Kanu Hawai’i and asking to consider ‘simplifying the holidays’. Let’s use this time to refocus on the season’s deeper values of joy, peace, and ohana by making holiday choices that support and nurture our homes, our communities, our planet—and family budgets, too!
Nearly 900 KHF members and friends pledged to give back to their environment and communities during the 2008 holiday season.
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: celebrating with a locally grown or potted Christmas tree and picking up litter when caroling.
As the Thanksgiving and winter holidays approach, go to 12 Days to a Green Holiday and make a commitment to simplify your holiday season.
Arbor Day Hawai’i
Fri, 11/6
Most of the Arbor Day celebrations and tree giveaways across the state will take place on Saturday, November 7. Check out ArborDayHawaii.org for locations & times.
Love Your Veggies School Grant Program
Deadline - Fri, 11/6 by 5:00 pm EST
See Grant Guildelines for more info.
Jack Johnson Hawai’i Theatre Show Tickets Now Available On-Line
Hawai’i fans asked to be first in-line for Jack Johnson En Concert, and he delivered! The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Member Pre-sale and Hawai’i Theatre Box Office-only sale of Jack Johnson En Concert and live acoustic show proved to be a big success!
‘We were so excited to have the opportunity to buy tickets in person,’ remarked a fan that got in-line at 6am Saturday morning, ‘it really increased our chances of getting the seats we wanted and of getting tickets at all!’
If you weren’t one of the die-hard fans who woke up early and stood in line this weekend to get your seat to the Jack Johnson show, you’re still in luck. Tickets to Johnson’s intimate Hawai’i Theatre performances on November 13th and 14th are still available but are expected to go fast once they open up for sale online starting Tuesday, October 27th, at 9am.
These shows are Johnson’s only appearances in support of his En Concert live DVD and CD release, which also hits stores Tuesday, October 27th. En Concert chronicles the special visual and musical moments from Jack Johnson’s 2008 Sleep Through The Static world tour. The live CD features collaborations with Hawaii’s own Paula Fuga and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder in addition to select tracks from the 2008 Kokua Festival.
News recently came out that SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 contained BPA in their liner. SIGG bottles manufactured since Aug. 2008 contain SIGG’s new EcoCare liner - independently tested to be free of BPA, BADGE, phthalates and other harmful chemicals. While BPA is present in the old bottle liner, test results down to 2ppb sensitivity show no leaching. Contrary to rumors, this is not a recall, because the bottles are not unsafe, but voluntary exchange programs are being offered by SIGG and other retailers like ReusableBags.com and Whole Foods. Click here for more info on their exchange programs
As a result, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation has partnered with reusable bottle company, EcoUsable®, to trade SIGG bottles for new EcoUsable® stainless steel bottles.
EcoUsable® invents, produces and markets reusable water bottle products with the mission of helping the environment and people’s health, affordably.
Beginning October 1 through November 15, 2009 EcoUsable® will be offering a trade of any SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 for new EcoUsable bottles.
Receive one (1) Stainless Steel EcoUsable® bottle in exchange for any SIGG bottle traded to EcoUsable®. There is no limit to how many bottles you can exchange.
Got a Kokua branded bottle? Trade your Kokua branded SIGG bottle and receive a new Kokua branded EcoUsable® bottle.
To exchange your bottle(s) with EcoUsable please print the Return Form and Label and send to Ecousable Inc. 500 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #106 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Replacement bottles will be shipped to you free of charge in the US only from EcoUsable® during the month of November.
Bottles collected by EcoUsable® will be “upcycled” or converted into something usable.
Please direct questions regarding the EcoUsable bottle trade to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Stay posted for more exciting aspects of the EcoUsable and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation partnership, including our new Plastic Free Schools program and EcoUsable’s EcoRaising Program for schools.
Kokua Earth Action Projects (KEAP) is a student-led environmental service learning initiative aimed at taking care of our islands and encouraging long-lasting change in our classrooms, schools or community. Student groups from Hawai’i schools create and execute their own projects. Some Kokua Earth Action Projects include: instituting a program to compost lunch waste, starting an on-campus garden, setting up a recycling or water catchment program, adopting a beach, energy conservation and more.
Each year, we invite Hawai’i elementary schools to start a Kokua Earth Action Project. This is the first year middle and high school students are invited to participate! Groups submitting outstanding Kokua Earth Action Project proposals will be invited to participate in a Keiki Kokua Day event. All completed projects will be honored and showcased on our website. Proposals for the 2009-2010 school year are due December 18, 2009. Please download a proposal from this page.
Calling on all students and teachers in Hawai’i to create innovative projects for energy conservation and climate change! Kokua has partnered with the Department of Education and several other local organizations to launch the Hawai’i School Conservation Awards to promote behavior change and advocacy to conserve energy and resources in Hawai’i.
There are two award categories schools can enter:
Energy Conservation Award
This award goes to the top three DOE schools with the greatest decrease in energy consumption (by percentage) in the Fall 2009 semester compared to each school’s 2003-2006 baseline usage. (All DOE public schools are automatically entered!)
Conservation Advocates Award
This award encourages student to be advocates for energy conservation and awareness at their respective schools. Student campaigns should employ multi-media and activism components to elicit positive school-wide awareness and behavior change in the area of energy conservation. A panel of judges from the Hawai’i School Conservation Challenge Committee will select the top three projects. (Any Hawai’i public or private school group, club, or class is eligible to enter.)
Prizes: The top three projects will win a variety of Prizes.
Who is Eligible? Any Hawai’i public or private school group, club, or class may enter.
How to Enter: Applications will be processed through the Kokua Earth Action Projects Program. Student groups should develop a service learning project with an energy conservation theme. Applications are posted at the KHF website. Deadline is 12/18/09.
Explore www.HawaiiSchoolConservationAwards.org, to learn more about the awards, prizes and how to enter. The site also has a variety of educational resources available to your school, including Energy Detective Kits students can use to quantify and minimize classroom energy use.
Blue Line Project
Blue Planet Foundation is working with schools and other community partners to highlight the threat of climate change on Hawai’i and other Pacific islands.
The project, which will take place at locations statewide on Saturday, October 24, is part of a larger international effort on that day coordinated by an organization called “350.org.” The 350.org campaign is intended to raise awareness for the most important number for the Earth’s future, 350, which represents a “safe” target for the concentration of carbon dioxide in our
atmosphere in parts per million (ppm).
While anyone is welcome to participate in the blue line chalking activity, the project’s focus is on students. The Blue Planet Foundation is providing schools a “Blue Line Package” that will include gifts, materials, educational information, sea level rise maps, and—of course—blue chalk for the campaign.
Stone Soup—the book and the broth—brought students, families, ‘AINA IS, and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapi’olani Community College together for an evening at Ala Wai Elementary that provided one and all with an educational cooking demonstration and a delicious fresh, local meal. The cooking demonstration was provided by Chef Sharon Kobayashi, coauthor of Dash of Aloha. Chef Sharon, along with her sous chefs Kyoko Tanaka, a culinary student at KCC, and Daniel Leung, Educational Specialist at KCC’s Culinary Arts Department, created an amazing meal based on the story Stone Soup by Jon Muth. Two Ala Wai Elementary students read the book to an audience of 100+ family and community members.
According to Chef Sharon, “You can’t go wrong with a soup recipe if you follow some simple guidelines…” The soup, which was made with local, fresh ingredients included kalamungay flowers and leaves, hyotan, wood ear and shiitake mushrooms, and long rice noodles, brought families back for seconds and thirds.
Chef Sharon deliciously illustrated unique ways to use locally grown ingredients that may not be familiar to everyone in their next pot of soup!
‘AINA In Schools School Food Coordinator, Dexter Kishida, partnered with Ala Wai Elementary and KCC to provide a night of literacy and fresh, local cooking and eating. ‘AINA In Schools supports these community and family outreach events to spread the message of the ‘AINA IS program. Kishida stated, “Our goal is to support schools in providing fresh, local foods on campus, and to give students the information, tools and experiences that will help them make healthy food choices going forward.”
Sign up for the ‘AINA In Schools newsletter to receive the most recent updates.
CALENDAR OF GRANTS AVAILABLE TO SCHOOL GARDENS
1. 2009 Healthy Sprouts Awards, deadline 10/17/09
2. Fruit Tree 101 Plants schoolyard orchards, creating a source of tasty, nutritious snacks for decades to come. Ongoing - no deadline.
3. 2010 Youth Garden Grants Program, deadline 11/2/09
4. Love Your Veggies, deadline 11/6/09 Ten grants of $10,000 each to elementary schools in support of programs that provide students with increased access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Non-profit responds to community need prompted by public school furloughs by providing educational day camp on furlough Fridays. The Hawai’i Nature Center plans to announce a series of day camps targeting O’ahu & Maui families of elementary-aged children displaced by the Department of Education’s decision to furlough teachers through the 2009-2010 school year.
The outcomes of the science-based, experiential learning programs offered by the Nature Center will correlate to statewide standards and offer families solutions for childcare that also provide high value opportunities for learning and enrichment. The day camps will immerse learners in the dynamic natural setting on state forest, riparian habitats and restored kalo fields in Makiki Valley on O’ahu & Iao Valley on Maui. The programs will be facilitated by the Nature Center’s corps of professional educators with specialized training in facilitated learning, outdoor leadership skills and content expertise about Hawaii’s natural and cultural history.
Registration for these day camps will be open to elementary-aged students, ages 6-11, on a first-come, space-available basis for the entire 17-day series or by mini-series packages. For additional information about the Hawai’i Nature Center contact Casey Carmichael, Director of O’ahu Operations at (808) 955-0100 ext. 26, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Chef Ann Cooper’s TheLunchBox.org has launched! Check out this website for helpful information on how to transform your school lunchroom, practical resources to make it easier for you to make great, wholesome food to keep our kids fueled for learning and living and much more.
A big mahalo to school families and staff, and community volunteers who contributed many hours of sweat equity hauling mulch, amending soil and harvesting our summer soil cover crop to prepare the ‘AINA In Schools gardens for hands on learning! Highlights included Ala Wai, Waikiki and Wai’alae Elementary schools, adding more garden beds to their campuses, and special guest Congresswoman Maize Hirono working alongside families at Aikahi Elementary’s Garden Party, and Representative Scott Nishimoto attending his 3rd ‘AINA IS garden party in his district at Ala Wai Elementary School, both are very supportive of farm to school programs in Hawai’i. We appreciate these groups that volunteered at our August Garden Parties: Iolani high school students, MOA, and Hands in Helping Out.
This year’s Kokua Calendar Art integrated an element of service to the community. Contestants were asked to organize a beach clean up and use the objects they found to create a piece of art. The beautiful artwork in this calendar raises awareness of how much trash is on our beaches. Marine debris does not fall from the sky, it falls from our hands - and we have the power to stop it. Working together, we can solve the marine debris problem.
Plastic is not biodegradable—it photodegrades and breaks down into smaller pieces. As a consequence, microscopic particles can enter the food chain, harming both animal and human health.
The solutions to marine debris include everyone - business, government, community groups, families and individuals - all working together. Picking up trash on one day each year is not the whole answer, because trash in our ocean and waterways is an on-going, year-round problem. Working together, we can change behaviors that lead to trash in our ocean, we can change laws to better govern litter and ocean dumping, and we can change to more ocean-friendly products through new technologies.
Join Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Slow Food O’ahu on Labor Day Weekend as we gather to support local and wholesome food in schools and in our broader community! Time for Lunch is a national movement organized by Slow Food USA asking parents, teachers and every citizen to speak up and tell our leaders that change can’t wait: It’s time to provide our children with more local, fresh, and healthy food in schools—in Hawai’i and across the US.
On O’ahu, we have several events celebrating Time for Lunch:
Time for Lunch Eat-In Potluck
Saturday, 9/5, 12:30 to 2 p.m. at BYU Hawai’i Cafeteria Lawn, La’ie
* All are invited! Bring your picnic blankets and and a home-cooked dish to share!
* Add your voice to those supporting more local, fresh, and healthy food in schools
* See what local elementary schools and BYUH are doing with school gardens and food programs
* Reduce waste by bringing your own reusable plates, forks, and cups.
Screenings of the Film Food, Inc. and Discussion with Local Farmers and Food Advocates
Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma), Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. See the trailer at www.foodincmovie.com. *Due to some graphic factory farming scenes, this film may not be appropriate for young children under the age of 12. Parental discretion is advised.
Join us to:
* See the film that everyone’s talking about
* Hear from local farmers and food advocates about Hawai’i's most pressing food issues
* Discuss actions we can take locally and nationally to improve our food system
Saturday, 9/5, 2:30 p.m. Food, Inc. Screening at the BYU Hawai’i Auditorium, La’ie
Stay after the Eat-In to see the film and take part in a lively discussion. A keiki-friendly film and activity will be provided nearby during the film screening.
Monday, 9/7, 4:00 p.m. Food, Inc. Screening at Punahou School’s Thurston Memorial Chapel, Honolulu
Wrap up your holiday weekend with this great film that will start off with a food tasting provided by Town Restaurant’s Ed Kenney. *Seating is limited
Not on O’ahu? There are three other Time for Lunch Eat-Ins planned for Hawai’i on Labor Day—two on Hawai’i Island and one on Maui.
To show support, sign the Time for Lunch petition, read the Time for Lunch platform for updating the National School Lunch Program, or to find the locations of other Eat-Ins in Hawai’i and the US, visit www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch.
For more information about these Time For Lunch and Food, Inc. events, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Warm weather, farm fresh fruit, iced beverages, and the sounds of children running about all day are sure indicators that it has been a great summer! As the end of our great summer adventures merge with the start of a new school year, families are gearing their children up for their new learning experiences. Back-to-School shopping is a ritual ripe for reconsideration. We can send our children off to school with supplies that keep them and our world safe and healthy by brushing up on our purchase choices. Steer clear from advertisements pushing new versions of the same product you have from last year. Here are some thoughts for making your back to-to-school experience as sustainable as it is educational:
You may not need to buy at all. Consider just how much new stuff you really need to buy, chances are it’s less than you think! Reuse supplies from previous years, or find a new purpose for something old. New American Dream offers a Back to School Reality Check that can help you assess your needs.
Check your local thrift store or other sources for recycled items.
If you buy, buy smart. Be a Conscious Consumer by eliminating hazardous products and replacing them with healthier alternatives. Also check out the Green School Buying Guide offered by the Green Schools Initiative.
New or used, beware of products made from soft vinyl plastics (PVC), including notebooks, pencil cases, backpacks, and lunchboxes. The production of PVC involves the use of cancer-causing chemicals that contaminate the air and water of surrounding communities. These harmful chemicals include phthalates, lead, and cadmium which may be toxic to your child’s health. Check out The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice’s (CHEJ) downloadable PDF* Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies*This is the newest version posted by CHEJ, 8.4.09
Test for lead in lunchboxes. The Center for Environmental Health offers some helpful tips to Test for Lead.
Bottle your child’s daily beverage in stainless steel water bottles or BPA-free containers. Bisphenol-A or BPA can leach out of materials that contain it and is an endocrine disruptor. Visit our Plastic Free Hale’iwa sourcelist for ideas.
Avoid disposable supplies and look for sustainable options like refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, dispenser-less tape, and similar items.
Buy in bulk to save money and choose products that use the least amount of packaging.
Attention Hawai’i DOE teachers! Funds available for Environmental Education Field Trips and Mini-Grants now. The application deadline for the 2009-2010 school year is March 31, 2010.
Food, Inc. Opens in Honolulu on Friday, 7/31 at the Kahala 8 Theatres
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. View the trailer and learn more about issues the film address at www.FoodIncMovie.com.
Join Kanu Hawaii’s Eat Local Challenge
Kanu Hawaii is challenging everyone to eat local during the week of August 8 to 15. Join the Campaign by committing to eat entirely locally grown food for a day or the whole week. Gather with friends and throw an Eat Local party on August 15! Visit KanuHawaii.org to become part of the action.
Sign the Time For Lunch Petition and Join us for an Eat-In
Slow Food USA’s Time For Lunch campaign asks parents, teachers and every responsible citizen to speak up and tell our nation’s leaders that change can’t wait: It’s time to provide our children with REAL FOOD at school. On Labor Day, thousands of people will gather in their communities for “Eat-Ins” to show their support for better school food. Kokua and Slow Food O’ahu will be hosting an Eat-In in Honolulu (more details coming soon!). Join us for a potluck gathering of people who want fresher, more local options in school lunches across the US. Visit www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch to sign the Time For Lunch petition, find other Eat-Ins, learn how to organize an Eat-In in your community, and find other ways to get involved.
This July 4th, we’re asking our nation’s first families not only to lead by example but to eat by example by sourcing their holiday meals as locally, deliciously, and sustainably as possible.
Send a message to Governor Lingle and her counterparts to support our local farmers! The petition reads: “As residents of your states and by our signatures below, we pledge to join you in this celebration of edible independence by eating healthy and delicious foods from our own local farms, gardens and communities.”
Did you know that about 85 percent of Hawai’i's food comes from outside sources? As with energy, we are sending our hard-earned cash out of state and hoping that those supply lines don’t close. Use your voice and buying power! As a consumer, you vote how supermarkets should stock their shelves every time you purchase a product. By choosing foods that are locally grown, you are casting a vote of support for local farmers, families, the economy, and the environment. Be a conscious consumer by choosing foods that support local systems.
Some Friendly Tips to Zero Waste your July 4th Celebrations:
Choose locally grown food
Choose food & supplies with less packaging
Fill containers with water rather than buying bottled water
Choose reusable dinnerware, cups, and linens
For large gatherings, choose biodegradable plates, cutlery, cups, & napkins
Compost raw food scraps and biodegradable ware
Remember to leave the area you celebrated cleaner than you found it!
With the support of over 2000 members and 505 volunteers, we were able to reach over 20,000 Hawai’i students and countless families during the last year. Here are just a few numbers from our school and community programs:
Environmental Education Field Trip Assistance: 5,904 students at 56 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.
Environmental Education Mini-Grants: 2,470 students and 58 teachers at 15 schools have benefited from assistance for environmental education supplies, curricula, and workshops.
‘AINA In Schools: 10 elementary schools representing 4,700 students participate in ‘AINA IS programs. This year 800 students participated in garden lessons, while 600 took part in nutrition lessons. 116 educators from over 60 public and private schools in Hawai’i attended school garden workshops presented by ‘AINA IS. Get more updates by downloading our ‘AINA IS newsletters.
3R’s Program: 13,000 students at 30 participating schools reduced, reused, and recycled on campus. Several of these schools have started composting and vermicomposting food and green waste on campus. In Fall 2008, 6,300 students saw “The Trash Heap,” a play co-produced by Kokua and the Department of Health.
Kokua Earth Action Projects: Over 800 students from 14 schools across the state developed KEAP environmental service learning projects. School gardens, energy conservation, and waste reduction were some of the issues students addressed with their projects.
Plastic Free Haleiwa: 52 businesses have pledged to minimize their use of single-use plastic such as plastic bags and styrofoam containers. Several other communities have been inspired to start similar programs.
Simplify the Holidays: Nearly 900 KHF members and friends pledged to give back to their environment and communities during the 2008 holiday season.
We’re excited to be moving into another year of supporting environmental education in Hawai’i. In the next few months we’ll be announcing a few of our newest initiatives as well as plans for our current programs. To help us, please become a member (or renew!), make a donation, or find out how you can volunteer for Kokua.
Hale’iwa Farmers’ Market
While at the market, visit us at the Plastic Free Hale’iwa booth
Sunday, July 12, 9 am to 1 pm
Don’t forget to bring your reusable bags and water bottles! Information about the Hale’iwa Farmers’ Market
Hawai’i State Farm Fair at Bishop Museum
We’ll see you at our ‘AINA In Schools booth!
Saturday, July 18, 9 am to 8 pm; Sunday, July 19, 9 am to 5 pm
$5 Adults, $3 children 4-12 years of age
Free admission for Hawai’i Farm Bureau and Bishop Museum Members
Admission includes entry into all museum attractions! Click here for more info.
Hale’iwa Arts Festival
Check us out in the community tent! Bring your reusable water bottle—we’ll have a water station there for refills.
Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19 at Hale’iwa Beach Park
Green Market in Downtown Honolulu
We’ll be sharing a tent with Slow Food O’ahu Chapter and will have news about the “Time for Lunch” campaign.
Friday July 24, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm at Fort Street Mall
Friday, June 26th at 6:30 pm
$10 Admission Blaisdell Concert Hall
Tickets on sale at Blaisdell Box Office, Macy’s, Ticeketmaster charge by phone 1-800-745-3000, via online at Ticketmaster.com.
All seats are reserved.
VIP “After Party” at Chef Kenney’s Restaurant DOWNTOWN with special guests Josh Tickell, Director of FUEL, Jeff Mikulina, Exec. Dir. Blue Planet Foundation, and Henk Rogers, Founder Blue Planet Foundation.
Come early (4:30 - 6:30 pm) Meet Green & Sustainable vendors. Bring you old telephone books and glossy magazines for recycling (truck courtesy of Hagadone Printing).
Make sure to buy your tickets early for this great film! 10% of proceeds go to the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation! See the FUEL poster for more info.
As the school year comes to an end, please remember to sort through your supplies to see if any can be reused next year. Before you head for the trash, check which supplies can be used at home, recycled, or donated. Melt your old and broken crayons in to fun new shapes by using a candy mold and a solar oven!
June is Outdoors Month, get out and play! Spend at least one hour a day outside. Here are some fun ideas for friends and families: Make a list of things to look for on a hike, park, or your own backyard then find them on a Nature Scavenger Hunt, Go to the farmer’s market and have a picnic, Bike to the beach find objects to sort. Get more ideas at GreenHour.org
Mahalo for your continued support of the Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition! If you haven’t already, please visit our Plastic Free Commitment page and make your commitments to go plastic free today!
Hale’iwa residents and visitors can also make commitments by visiting select Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition businesses and filling out a commitment card. Several coalition stores already have PFH Commitment cards and boxes including Deep Ecology, Growing Keiki, Global Creations, Guava Shop and Kai Ku Hale. For a complete list of our Coalition businesses please click here.
All commitments will be tracked online and our collective impact will be measured. Check back soon to see how you can post our Plastic Free widget on your webpage or Facebook profile. Kokua Hawai’i Foundation also has a Plastic Free Hale’iwa Facebook page and Kanu group, so stay in touch.
Come visit us at our Plastic Free Haleiwa booth at these upcoming Events: Hale’iwa Farmer’s Market: June 7, July12, August: 9 & 30 Hale’iwa Arts Festival: July 18, 19 at Hale’iwa Beach Park
If you have any ideas, questions or would like to host an outreach event, please contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
And don’t forget to sign up for our Plastic Free mailing list.
There are several garden, food and sustainability conferences and workshops happening this summer….
‘AINA In Schools School Garden Basics Teacher Trainings
During the summer of 2009, Kokua and The Green House will host workshops for teachers that take you through the basics of gardening and show you how to get one started at your school. They’ll also offer overviews of the ‘AINA In Schools gardening curriculum. Get details here.
Hoea Ea: Return to Freedom Food Sovereignty Conference
Community Strengthening Through Sustainability
June 10-14, Keaukaha, Hawai’i
‘Aina Ho’ola o Ma’ilikukahi Food Sovereignty Conference
June 11-13 O’ahu residents: Make sure to check out this conference hosted by MA’O Organic Farms.
Highlights include field trips to Oahu-island farms, workshops, and panels. Kokua has sponsored scholarships for sixty of the conference’s youth participants and will participate in a panel on school lunches.
Click here for more info.
Hawai’i Island School Garden Network Summer Garden Conference for Educators This conference is for Hawai’i Island educators only. Mahalo!
Specifically designed to address school garden teachers’ professional development and the growing needs of a school garden program.
June 26-28
For news, updates, and info, visit the HISGN blog.
This July 4th, let’s declare our food independence by sourcing the ingredients for our holiday meals as locally, sustainably and deliciously as possible and let’s ask our nation’s governors to do the same.
You may recall the Kitchen Gardeners International 15 month Eat the View campaign. The Obama’s were petitioned, and over 100,000 signatures were gathered in favor of a White House garden. We need your help in asking our governors to lead and eat by example this July 4th. Please sign the petition and also make your own commitment to claim your Food Independence on the 4th of July.
Here’s a simple local recipe for Lemongrass Iced Tea with Mint! It’s a refreshing favorite we always enjoy by Farmer Gigi Cocquio and our friends at Hoa ‘Aina o Makaha Farm:
Boil a bunch of fresh lemongrass to make a very thick tea.
Let it cool and place in the refrigerator over night.
To drink, add tea to a cooler and mix with water and ice.
Add some honey or raw sugar and some lemon or lime juice to taste.
Serve with mint!
A Classroom Garden, Rain Barrels, Banning Styrofoam Lunch Trays, Recycled Fashion and more! These projects are just a few of the creative environmental Kokua Earth Action Projects that were recognized at this year’s Keiki Kokua Day.
Elementary school groups from around the island submitted Kokua Earth Action Project (KEAP) proposals in response to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation’s call for positive action. Kokua Earth Action Projects are student-led environmental service learning initiatives aimed at taking care of our islands and encouraging long-lasting change in local classrooms, schools and communities.
photo credits (L-R): Kizzy O’Neal, K. Johnson, Red Heart Photo
Students have been working for months on these projects and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation honored them with a day of fun and celebration. Over 800 students, parents and teachers from 13 school groups spent the morning at the Polynesian Cultural Center participating in hands-on environmental activities, viewing slideshows of each other’s Kokua projects, tasting local foods and healthy snacks, and visiting interactive booths.
The event culminated with a private concert for the students by Kokua Hawai’i Foundation co- founder Jack Johnson. Johnson was joined on stage by fellow Kokua board member, Kawika Kahiapo, and musical friends Zach Gill and the Banana Slug String Band.
photo credits: Kizzy ONeal (L), Red Heart Photo, (R)
Hawaii educators interested in participating in the Keiki Kokua Day next year can visit About KEAP to learn more about the Kokua Earth Action Projects for the 2009-2010 school year.
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Benefit Auction started on Earth Day, April 22nd, and ends TOMORROW, May 2nd. Bid on numerous collectible items and concert opportunities from past Kokua Festival artists, as well as fun eco-themed experiences and gift certificate packages from friends of the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. Check out the special items from Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson, Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, G Love, Matt Costa, Paula Fuga, Ozomatli, and more. All proceeds support Kokua Hawai’i Foundation programs... so don’t be shy! Make the final bids on your favorite items by visiting KokuaHawaiiFoundation.org/Auction/2009.
Share Your Thoughts: Attention parents, school staff, and others involved in our ‘AINA IS program! Please share your ideas, feedback, and stories of how ‘AINA IS has impacted your family. Help us to improve the program by filling out our short online survey. If you’d like a paper copy, please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Family Night and Screening of “Message In the Waves” at Sunset Beach Elementary: Wednesday, May 6, 6 p.m. Learn about the new ‘Aina Kine Kids Farmer’s Market and Snack Program at SBES; sample locally grown snacks; meet voyagers from the JUNK Raft and see what they found in the North Pacific Gyre, or “Garbage Patch;” and see the award-winning film “Message In The Waves.” Locally sourced lemonade from Food For Thought Hawai’i and Big Wave Tomato Pizza from North Shore Farms will be available for sale. Please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
More Gardens for ‘AINA IS Teachers: Are you interested integrating gardening into your teaching? Gardens are a great way to provide hands-on learning in a variety of subject areas. If you are a teacher of any grade level at any ‘AINA IS School, you may be eligible to receive a 4’ x 8’ raised garden bed to use with your students. Please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.
What do Willie Nelson’s sneakers, Jack’s Johnson’s guitar, and tickets to a Dave Matthews Band concert all have in common? ...They are just three of the over twenty one-of-a-kind items available exclusively at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Benefit Auction this month. Bid on numerous collectible items and concert opportunities from past Kokua Festival artists, as well as fun eco-themed experiences and gift certificate packages from friends of the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation. Check out the rest of the special items from Dave Matthews, G Love, Matt Costa, Paula Fuga and more by visiting KokuaHawaiiFoundation.org/Auction/2009.
The first annual Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Benefit Auction begins on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22nd and bidding continues thru May 1st. All proceeds support Kokua Hawai’i Foundation programs….so don’t be shy and have fun bidding on your favorite items!
Also to celebrate Earth Month, reward our Kokua supporters and gain new members we will be offering all Kokua members who have a current membership during the month of April, with free exclusive Kokua Festival live music downloads. Simply visit KokuaHawaiiFoundation.org/Membership to join, renew or check your membership status and follow the special instructions to download your complimentary tunes. Gift memberships are also available. Please tell your friends, renew or become a member and rock out to some free tunes from Kokua this month!
Our Program Director and Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator for ‘AINA In Schools just returned from a great conference: Going the Distance & Shortening It, the 4th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Portland, Oregon. They got to meet farm to school advocates from throughout the U.S., along with representatives from Canada. On their first day, they toured Abernathy Elementary School’s gardens and ate a delicious school lunch made entirely from scratch. They also participated in trainings on program evaluation, workshops on school gardens and using online social networking, and more.
As state-level representatives to the national farm to school network, our Kokua staff presented an update of progress on farm to school in Hawai’i and got to hear about what’s happening in other western states as well. Oregon has some big news—last year the state passed legislation to start a state farm to school program and have a full-time position in the Department of Education focused on farm to school!
One of the highlights of the conference was meeting Dr. Susan Rubin, founder of Better School Food. She provides resources to parents seeking to improve school food for their children. We know that’s a hot topic for many of you, so check out her site!
To learn more about the national farm to school movement and get access to excellent resources on farm to school, go to www.FarmToSchool.org.
First Lady Michelle Obama has emphasized the need for fresh, unprocessed, locally grown food; on the Vernal Equinox, those words were put to action. Schoolchildren from Washington D.C.‘s Bancroft Elementary joined the First Lady and helped her dig up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot plot. The last time a victory garden was planted at the White House was by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1943. The organic garden’s most important role, Mrs. Obama told The New York Times, is to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern. Here are some of the fresh items the Obamas will have growing: cilantro, tomatillos, hot peppers, a variety of lettuce, spinach, chard, collards, black kale, and berries. There will also be honey! Check out a map of the garden to see what else is growing on!
Last month we asked you to support an Organic Garden at the White House. Thank you! We also asked you to identify a landscape near and transform your own yard, community, or schoolyard. Our call to action still stands. This month, we encourage you to dig your hands into the earth, plant a small garden or expand on an existing garden to commemorate this monumental event!
In January, we announced our annual Kokua Calendar contest. This year’s contest added an element of service to the community. Contestants were asked to organize a beach clean up and use the found objects to create a piece of art! Mahalo to the following groups who pitched in to rid our beaches of plastic and trash:
• Iroquois Point Elementary, Ms. Lariscy’s & Ms. Rahaim’s classes – gr. 6
• Kamehemeha Pre School, Aunty Tanya’s class – Hale’iwa
• Keone’ula Elementary, Ms. Coffin’s class – gr. 6
• Kohala High School, National Honor Society
• Mironesco-McHale Family
• Mokapu Elementary, Ms. Johnson’s class – gr. 2
• Sunset Beach Elementary, Ms. Burke, Ms.Johnson, & Ms. Keohohou – K
The Kokua Festival is the major fundraiser for Kokua Hawai’i Foundation programs. Hosted by Jack Johnson, the Kokua Festival brings together environmental organizations, eco-friendly businesses, musicians, artists, teachers, and community leaders to support environmental educaiton in Hawai’i. All festival proceeds benefit the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation. For more information visit KokuaFestival.com.
If you are unsure if HDnet is available in your area, check here .
Students of ‘Aikahi Elementary Garden Club, parents, & community volunteers held an herb sale on Saturday, February 7th. The kids were very proud and worked hard harvesting the herbs from the school garden, bagging, and labeling their products. Colorful painted signs and the enthusiasm to sell set the tone for a sure success! The students greeted customers and also served as cashiers. Garden Club Advisor Wendy Rosen reports that it was a fun time for everyone. The funds raised were donated to the school’s Playground Fund. Way to go ‘Aikahi!
Perusing the first Student Farmer’s Market at Sunset Elementary, one could find a colorful assortment of fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, flowers, and lots of excitement!
Students and parents alike asked their peers questions about the produce and their market. By the looks on people’s faces, everyone was pleased. Children, teachers, parents, & community volunteers planned & worked together to kick off the first ‘Aina Kine Market on Friday, February 20th. School families and community members donated produce and flowers from their backyard gardens or farms to help the group raise funds for wellness programs at the school. Great work Sunset!
In starting a student farmers market, one thing that is very important is hygiene and food safety. Take a look at this publication from UC Davis for ideas.
Have you ever wanted to get more out of your garden? You can, by landscaping with edible plants. Edible landscaping, especially when paired with organic gardening practices, enhances any yard, garden or landscape.
Let’s take a step together to promote healthy food systems! Plan, create, and eat edible landscapes. You can:
1. Identify a landscape near you that can be transformed. Start with your own yard, community, or schoolyard.
2. Join and support an effort to plant an organic garden on the White House lawn. “Eat the View!” is a campaign to urge the Obamas to replant a large organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries.
The month of January marked the one year anniversary of the Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition. Over 55 of the businesses in Hale’iwa are loyal partners in the movement and have been making the great choice to go plastic free. We are excited to now offer Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles along with our very popular reusable bags! They are available online at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation store and in Hale’iwa at Food For Thought, The Growing Keiki, Kai Ku Hale, and many other Plastic Free Hale’iwa businesses.
Click here to make your Plastic Free Commitment! The site will track all of our commitments and measure their impacts. You can also fill out a commitment card in person at one of our Coalition members stores or restaurants and be entered to win great prizes!
Remember to bring your own bag to the store…and now your own bottle too.
Several farm to school bills have been introduced at the Hawai’i State Legislature. Here’s a list of related bills and links to their status. For now, let your representatives and senators know that you support farm to school in Hawai’i!
SB1179 and HB1434: Directs the University of Hawaii, in cooperation with other public and private entities, to study the feasibility of introducing the farm to school program in Hawaii’s public schools.
HB992: Establishes a farm-to-school nutrition program in the public schools.
SB507 and HB1416: Establishes the farm-to-school program in the department of education to increase the procurement of locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Establishes the Hawaii-grown fresh fruit and vegetable program to increase schoolchildren’s access to Hawaii produce. Establishes the farmers to food banks program.
SB803 and HB794: Requires the department of health, in collaboration with the department of agriculture, department of education, and Hawaii school food service, to develop nutritionally-sound public school menu plans that give students the option of a vegetarian school lunch meal.
SB813 and HB797: Requires public school cafeterias to serve fresh local produce at lunch at least once each week.
SB829 and HB1101: To expand and modify the Hawaii products preferences to create a class IV preference for agricultural products raised, grown, or harvested in the State.
Another Bill for Healthier Schools: HB1538 Requires public schools to use environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products. Directs the department of health to establish guidelines and specifications for the products. Requires the state procurement office to maintain a list of vendors who produce, manufacture, or sell environmentally-sensitive products.
Clean Up a Beach and Create a Masterpiece! Organize a beach clean up to help Hawai’i become Plastic Free! Use the found objects to create a piece of art! Integrate paint, crayons, pastels, fabric, collage, or mixed media for your creation. You can even include words or photos* in your artwork—the possibilities are endless!
Guidelines: Who can participate? This contest is open to Hawai’i public, private, & home school children grades K-12 (This includes Hawai’i school groups, home schools, clubs, individuals, and families)
Format: Collage. Pieces cannot exceed 8.5 x 11 inches, but can have depth to them.
Entries should include:
A 1-2 paragraph explanation of your collage and beach cleanup
A digital photo of your collage (max 300 KB)
1-2 digital photos of your beach cleanup* (optional)
Artist Information: Student’s Name; Grade; Teacher; School, Group or Family Name; Contact Phone Number; and Email address.
Deadline: All collage submissions must be photographed and submitted (300 KB) via email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by February 20, 2009.
Late submissions and/or files larger than 300 KB will not be accepted.
Criteria: Artwork will be judged on theme, beach clean-up summary, visual appeal, originality, and creativity.
January was a month of renewal for the ‘AINA In Schools Gardens. The garden parties were accomplishments thanks to school families and volunteers from the community who showed up to help in honor of Martin Luther King Day, and the National Day Of Service. Students used tools bigger than themselves to mix compost and fertilizer into the garden beds. Small fingers removed the delicate seeds from spent flower heads, and load after load of mulch were placed around the gardens to create a weed free barrier. Soon Kindergarteners, first graders and 5th graders will be planting their Spring edible gardens. Mahalo to the volunteers who help keep our gardens growing!
(Clockwise from Top Left: Wai’alae volunteers collecting & saving seeds, ‘Aikahi volunteers after a successful garden party, Sunset volunteers taking steps to keep the weeds out, Ala Wai volunteers prepare beds for replanting.
We hope each of you continue to find ways to help your communities throughout the year. For more information on volunteer opportunities with Kokua, visit our website and keep reading our newsletters!
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation took part in one of over 13,000 service projects organized for the Day of Service. Families, teachers, college students, and kids of all ages weeded, harvested, composted, and planted at the educational farm HYPERLINK “http://www.hoa-aina.org/” Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha [http://www.hoa-aina.org/]. We worked alongside Mr. Gigi, Sunny, Kumu and other Hoa ‘Aina regulars whose love and sweat keep Hoa ‘Aina flourishing year-round.
One of the highlights of the project was helping to prepare a garden especially for Makaha Elementary School’s teachers. It will be a place where they can garden, harvest vegetables, and enjoy their lunch—a sanctuary in the shade for these hard working educators. The “Built With Our Own Two Hands” garden was built by Makaha Elementary’s 6th graders and dedicated to Jack & Kim Johnson in 2007. The Johnsons and Kokua ‘ohana are excited that this garden will be a place for the teachers to enjoy, relax, and be inspired to do their very important work!
Make Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a “day on” rather than a “day off” by joining thousands of people across Hawai’i and the U.S. in service to our communities. President-Elect Obama is encouraging people throughout the U.S to get involved in service this weekend and year-round. Visit www.usaservice.org to search for an opportunity near you.
Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha and Kokua Hawai’i Foundation invite you to join us at Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha’s farm. We’ll be weeding, planting, and enjoying each other’s company as we celebrate peace and community.
Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha Volunteer Day
Monday, January 19, 2009
9 -11 a.m.
Next to Makaha Elementary School: 84-200 Ala Na’auao Place
Bring sun protection and water and prepare to get dirty!
Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to RSVP.
Please call Gigi if you have any questions: (808) 695-9730
Other Service Events Happening this Weekend:
Saturday, 1/17. Help prepare the ‘AINA In Schools garden beds at Ala Wai Elementary (8:30 a.m.) and ‘Aikahi Elementary (3 p.m.). Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to RSVP.
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!
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.
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 Programsand 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.
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:
Tuesday 12/23/2008 at 9:35 PM
Thursday 12/25/2008 at 10:00 AM
Friday 12/26/2008 at 10:35 AM
Sunday 12/28/2008 at 3:35 PM
Sunday 12/28/2008 at 2:00 AM
You can also visit KokuaFestival.com and enjoy scenes from the past five years of the Kokua Festival.
Check out the Green Market Gift Fair on December 6 for something extra special for your Secret Santa! The Green Market offers alternatives for your holiday shopping; from native plants to the culinary swap meet, to buying a Gift of Service in your loved ones name. There will also be keiki activities and greening demonstrations throughout the day. The Kokua Hawaii Foundation will be selling reusable water bottles, reusable tote bags, seeds, and Gifts of Service in the form of garden lessons. Bring a white shirt for a tie-dye gift! Come join us!
Church of the Crossroads, 1212 University Avenue, Honolulu
Saturday, 12/6, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There is some parking at the Church; if it is full, there is parking at the Old Varsity Theater parking lot for $3
Click here to see how you can make your commitment to Simplify the Holidays!
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.
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
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.
KCC Culinary Institute-trained Chef Nina Beatty visited Waialua and Sunset Beach Elementary Schools’ 3rd graders in October. Chef Nina prepared two easy “close to the source” snacks for the students to sample: guacamole and banana sorbet. These visits were part of the Agricultural Literacy component of the ‘AINA IS program. Students learned about locally grown foods and that cooking can be fun and tasty! Mahalo, Nina!
To receive future updates about the ‘AINA In Schools program, click here.
“The Trash Heap” premieres on Oct. 13 The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is partnering with the Department of Health’s HI-5 Recycling Program and Kahilu Theatre to bring “The Trash Heap” to Hawai’i schools. “The Trash Heap” is a musical production about the 3 R’s: Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling. The play’s main character, Kai, discovers how to practice the 3 R’s to take care of these islands.
Teachers at participating schools will receive an educational curriculum guide to accompany the show. The guide can also be downloaded here. The first run of twenty shows will take place on O’ahu and Hawai’i Island in October and November and more performances throughout the state will be added in the spring. See future newsletters for updates.
Once again we invite Hawai’i elementary schools, grades K-6, to start a Kokua Earth Action Project. Kokua Earth Action Projects are environmental service learning initiatives aimed at taking care of our islands and encouraging long-lasting change in your classrooms, schools or community.
All completed projects will be honored and showcased on our website. Groups submitting outstanding Kokua Earth Action Project proposals will be invited to participate in a Keiki Kokua Event next year. Proposals must be postmarked by November 14, 2008.
Download the proposal template and read about last year’s KEAP projects and Keiki Kokua Festival on our website.
‘AINA IS School Garden Basics workshop for teachers
Back by popular demand! Kokua’s ‘AINA In Schools program presents School Garden Basics: A free workshop for Hawai’i educators. The workshop will be offered on October 11, November 8, and December 13, 2008. Download our flyer for more information.
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 .
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.
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.
This program is open for Hawai’i residents who wish to dispose of personal eWaste on October 25th, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Check out www.Hawaii.Edu/eWaste for statewide locations. Click here for Institutional eWaste drop off dates & times.
Purchase locally grown produce & products at the new WHOLE FOODS MARKET, Kahala Mall on WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17!
5% of net sales will benefit Kokua Hawai’i Foundation’s ‘AINA In Schools Program.
‘AINA In Schools is a farm-to-school program dedicated to connecting children to their land, waters and food in order to grow a healthier future for Hawai’i. To find out more about this program click here. If you’d like to become an ‘AINA IS Volunteer, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Kokua and the Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition welcome JUNK and its crew as they educate our community about plastics in our oceans.
Three months and 2,300 miles after departing from Long Beach, California, the JUNK raft and its two eco-mariners Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal arrived in Honolulu at the end of August. Made from 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessna 310, JUNK is a project of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, which is dedicated to the protection of the marine environment. Your family can visit the JUNK raft NOW at the Waikiki Aquarium through Sunday, September 7. Check it out and find updates about JUNK-related events at www.junkraft.blogspot.com
“Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,” authored by Richard Louv, has stimulated an international conversation about the future relationship between children and nature, and has helped spawn a grassroots movement to reconnect children and nature.
In 2006, under Louv’s leadership, the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) launched a nationwide campaign to encourage and support the people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children’s health and well-being. Going outside:
* connects children to the natural world
* helps kids focus in school
* reduces chances of obesity
So take a child outside! Take a Child Outside Week is September 24—September 30, 2008. Visit TakeChildOutside.org.
Check out a recent story Kokua put together. The list of simple activities is featured in the 2nd Annual Hawai’i Parent Guide, which was distributed in the 8.27.08 Honolulu Advertiser and at public libraries. The guide is also online; check out Kokua’s page here.
This past school year we were able to make positive impacts through our various school programs. With the support of over 2600 members and over 400 volunteers, we served almost 14,000 students islandwide in Hawai’i. Here’s how we measure up:
* Environmental Education Field Trip Assistance – 2023 students, 100 teachers, 25 schools
* Environmental Education Mini Grants – 256 students, 16 teachers, 4 schools
* AINA IS Garden Lessons - 600 students, 28 teachers, 3 schools
* Schools with Gardens on Campus - 8 schools
* Kokua Earth Action Projects - 1280 students, 62 teachers, 14 schools
* 3R’s Program - 9576 students, 527 teachers, 16 schools
* Worm Bins-Composting – 96 students, 8 teachers, 3 schools
* KHF membership – 2671 (If you are not a member, join now!)
* Volunteers - 410 We are looking forward to making bigger impacts this school year!
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind at the start of this new school year: 1) Pack a smart lunch.
• Use reusable containers, utensils, and cloth napkins to pack a waste-free lunch of yummy local and/or organic products. Whole fruits come in their own “wrapper” and are healthier than processed snacks! Visit LunchLessons.org or WastefreeLunches.org for more ideas. 2) Rethink your school supplies.
• Before buying new, check out which supplies from last year are still usable.
• Purchase earth-friendly school supplies like recycled paper, refillable pens and pencils, and durable supplies that will last for several years. 3) Get involved in greening your school!
• Save energy, start a garden, or reduce and recycle waste on campus. Get more ideas GreenSchools.net.
• “Increase Your Green School” Competition – Applications due December 15 DoSomething.org is calling on students to green their schools! Students who make the biggest effort to reduce their school’s carbon footprint this fall could win up to $1,500 to further their efforts.
From July 2008 through June 2009, this edition features vibrant works of art that follow the theme “The Earth is Our Playground.” Facts found in these pages offer helpful ways to minimize our carbon footprints. The 35 Hawai’i school students whose artwork is featured will each receive a set of LED light bulbs for their home as part of our offsetting efforts for the 2008 Kokua Festival. All proceeds from the sale of this calendar will go to Kokua programs. Printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper with soy inks. Cost: $10.
Visit the Kokua Store to get your copy today! View the artwork here.
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.
Venue: Magic Island (next to the Lagoon) and Waikiki (next to the Natatorium)
Date: Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
Time: 9:00 AM- 2:00PM
For more info. email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)or call 808-277-7200.
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 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information!
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.
26 schools participated in Kokua’s Environmental Education Field Trip Assistance Program during the 2007-2008 school year. In all, over 2000 students from Hawai’i's schools were able to visit locations like Maui Nature Center in Iao Valley, Hawai’i Nature Center in Makiki, Waihe’e Shoreline on Maui and Camp Erdman on O’ahu’s North Shore. Principal Sheldon Oshio, along with the 2nd grade teachers of Waimalu Elementary School shared this about their recent trip to Hawai’i Nature Center, “… this field trip provided a wonderful learning experience for our students as well a first hand look in to the Cycles of Nature. They were given an opportunity to see, hear, and touch nature outside the classroom. Our students now have a better understanding and appreciation of nature’s delicate balance and how they can take an active role in the world around them. This certainly was a memorable field trip for all.�?
We look forward to supporting many more environmental field trips in the upcoming school year!
Why are these field trips so important? View this short video produced by the No Child Left Inside Coalition on the value of experiential environmental education. Check it out and sign on to the coalition today!
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.
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.
Date: June 1, 2008
Time: 5:00pm, discussion to follow
Place: Spalding Auditorium, University of Hawaii
Tickets: $5 at the door, Seniors Free
King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation.
In King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm.
The 2008 Kokua Festival was a huge success. Everyone enjoyed the sensational music and activities. The Kokua Booth Village was abuzz with people learning and sharing the latest ideas in how to be green. We are especially excited about the interest and participation our attendees and fans took in all our greening measures, especially with the Earth Day Resolutions and Kokua Festival Passports. Fans that weren’t able to be inside the venue still had the opportunity to hear the music from the surrounding park and make their Earth Day Resolutions as well. Keep an eye on the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation website to gauge the impact we’ve made together.
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.
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition are excited to host a second screening of the film Message in the Waves. The BBC film looks at the impact of ocean plastics in Hawai’i and what we can all do to help. We will have a short and enlightening discussion following the film. Participants can join in the Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition, learn how to support a plastic free lifestyle and receive a complimentary reusable tote bag.
The event will be held in Waimea Valley on O’ahu’s North Shore. Come early for dinner—Waimea Falls Grill will be offering two dinner specials as well as their regular menu.
What: Message in the Waves Film and Discussion When: Friday, April 4, 2008. Come early for dinner at 6:30; screening to follow at 7:15. Where: Waimea Valley, O’ahu Cost: Film is Free, but donations are appreciated. Dinner Specials: Tofu Curry Wrap $6; North Shore Farmer Salad Wrap $5
Also this weekend: FRIENDS OF THE EARTH FILM SERIES & LOCALLY GROWN DISCUSSION
Sunday, April 6 at 3 PM at University of Hawai’i Manoa’s Spalding Auditorium
Film: The Real Low-Calorie Diet Click here for more details on this film. A panel discussion on locally grown produce follows the screening with Betty Gearen of The Green House.
The Kokua Festival STAR 101.9 Beach Clean ups were a huge success. We had 460 participants at the Sand Island eventon the South Shore and 400 participants at the Malaekahana eventon the North Shore. Wow! Thanks to all the amazing people who decided to come down and make a difference on two of Oahu’s beaches, a tremendous amount of trash was collected.
Mahalo nui loa to STAR 101.9, Surfrider, and the BYUH Ocean Appreciation Club for all your help.
We are sharing the following important dates and information so that you don’t miss out on purchasing your Kokua Festival tickets.
-February 4th - Kokua Festival lineup and show times will be announced!
-February 8th - Kokua Hawai’i Foundation Members Pre-sale. (Only members who have joined by Weds., Feb 6th at 10am HI time, noon PST, 3pm EST will be eligible for this pre-sale. There are a limited number of tickets available. We cannot guarantee that all members will be able to purchase tickets.)
- February 9th - Kokua Festival & STAR 101.9 Beach Clean-Ups
The University of Hawai’i Cinema Series, in cooperation with the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Slow Food O’ahu, presents the Friends of the Earth Film Series on the first Sunday of each month from January to June. These films will cover all aspects of sustainable living in Hawai’i including ocean conservation, energy, architecture, and food production. Each film will be followed with Q&A sessions led by local experts in each field to discuss solutions to some of the problems facing Hawaii’s future. All films will be presented in the Spalding Auditorium at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Admission is $5 for the film and discussion. On campus parking is free on Sundays. For more information and future films click here or call Don Brown at 223-0130.
Come see the first film in the Friends of the Earth Film Series. This documentary film gives a comprehensive look at genetic engineering in Hawai’i and how local farmers and consumers are fighting to protect their food supply. Islands at Risk is an eye-opening look at genetic engineering in our own backyard and is a new production by Earth Justice Hawai’i. Paul Achitoff, Earth Justice Honolulu, Dr. Hector Valenzuela, vegetable extension specialist for UH Manoa, Dr. Lorrin Pang, Department of Health Officer Maui County, and Kimberly Clark, Organic CSA Oahu, have been invited to discuss GMO in Hawai’i and answer questions after the screening.
We hope that all of you had a wonderful Holiday Season filled with fun, family and friends. It’s the start of the a new year and everyone here at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is excited about the events, projects and programs we are working on for 2008. If you still haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution, Go Plastic Free and make a commitment to take your own reusable bags to the grocery store.
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and partners Sustain Hawai’i, Slow Food O’ahu and Town Restaurant are excited to present The Real Dirt on Farmer John. The film chronicles the story of Illinois farmer John Peterson’s decades-long struggle to keep his farm, stay true to himself and eventually transition to growing organically. Winner of over 30 film festival awards, this film has it all – life, death, sex, art, failure and success.
We are thrilled to have Farmer John himself join us for the Q & A discussion following the first screening.
Update: The film and discussion were great. If you missed the film, check farmerjohnmovie.com periodically for DVD release updates. For ideas on how you can support Hawai’i's local farmers, click here.
Mahalo to the many volunteers who came out in September to help build and prepare gardens at three of our ‘AINA IS schools: Wai’alae, ‘Aikahi, and Sunset Beach Elementary. We pulled weeds, loosened soil, added mulch to walkways, and built a few more boxes for additional classrooms participating in the program. With the help of students, parents, and other community members, the garden boxes are now ready for the first lessons of the semester. We especially thank the volunteers from Mokichi Okada Association Hawai’i as well as Hawaiian Earth Products for their generous kokua
2nd Show Added: 7PM. Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, in partnership with Sustain Hawai’i and the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance Presents: Revolution Green: A True Story of Biodiesel in America. Based on a true story, Revolution Green follows the lives of Bob and Kelly King, whose pioneering vision created America’s first sustainable biodiesel refinery for the island of Maui. More than 10 years later with 10 plants built, the King’s and business partner Willie Nelson are elevating sustainable biodiesel production in communities all across America. A question and answer session with Bob and Kelly King of Pacific Biodiesel, will immediately follow the screening.
Date: Sunday, August 12th Time: 4 PM SHOW IS SOLD OUT. SECOND SHOWING AT 7 PM. Feel free to come at 6 p.m. for the Q&A. Location: Honolulu Design Center, 1250 Kapi’olani Boulevard Ticket Cost: $5
After a quick summer vacation, many of Hawai’i's students have already returned to classes. We hope you and your family will remember the environment this back-to-school season:
Map out safe routes for riding a bike or walking to school instead of driving. If walking and biking aren’t options, carpool or ride the bus.
Purchase earth-friendly school supplies like recycled paper, refillable pens and pencils, and durable supplies that will last for several years. Check out greenearthofficesupply.com and thegreenoffice.com to buy online, or ask your local retailer to identify their recycled goods. Before buying new, ask which supplies from last year are still usable?
Pack waste-free lunches by using re-usable containers & utensils whole fruits that come in their own “wrapper”, and cloth napkins. Reusable food and drink containers can be purchased online or locally at stores like Longs and Shirokiya. More info: www.wastefreelunches.org; www.lunchlessons.org
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation staff presented the ‘AINA In Schools program at Read to Me International’s annual conference on literacy. The ‘AINA IS garden-based learning program utilizes read aloud books to reinforce concepts learned in the garden and to foster a love for reading. These include children’s classics like “Tops and Bottoms” and “The Sunflower House” as well as newer locally produced books like “My Hawaiian Farm.” Our website includes a list of suggested books and links to find them in Hawai’i libraries.
Jack Johnson and fellow Kokua Hawai’i Foundation board member, Kawika Kahiapo, have been visiting the Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool sites over the last two weeks as part of a collaboration between the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and the Partners in Development Foundation. The two foundations co-created a parent education guide with the 3 R’s theme. Jack and Kawika visited all six Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool sites on Oahu to play music and hand out the guides and Curious George cds to all the kids and their families. To read more about the preschool visits check out the Honolulu Advertiser article from 5/2/07.
Aimed to support families and caregivers for infants through adolescents, this reference provides valuable ideas, tips, and contacts for guidance and support. ‘AINA In Schools featured a page with tips on reinforcing healthy physical, nutritional, and environmental habits. The 1st Annual Hawaii parent guide: A Resource for Families is sponsored in part by Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, and is available to you in print or on-line at http://familysupport.k12.hi.us .
Kokua Hawaii Foundation is partnering with Reynolds Recycling to sponsor the 2007 Cans for Cash Challenge. Schools can raise funds and earn prizes by collecting beverage containers.
The GIFT (Giving Inspiration For Tomorrow) Foundation of Hawaii recently presented checks of $55,000 each to The Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the North Shore Community Land Trust. GIFT, a three-year-old nonprofit volunteer organization of young professionals dedicated to supporting and empowering charitable groups in Hawai’i, raised the $110,000 awarded Thursday from its fourth annual sold out costume gala held in October 2006. Funds donated by GIFT to Kokua are being dedicated to it’s ‘AINA In Schools program.
Garden Coordinator Tia Silvasy leads kindergarteners in starting “butterfly garden” seeds.
With the help of many school and community volunteers and donors, we’ve been building gardens, starting nutrition lessons, and tasting some yummy afterschool snacks! The Honolulu Weekly recently featured ‘AINA In Schools in a front page article: http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2006/10/growing-a-revolution/ For more information, see our “Programs” page and follow the link to ‘AINA In Schools.
Some of our members created their own Chritsmas tree out of fallen wood, driftwood, or other reused or natural items. Others chose potted Christmas trees this year, which is wonderful since you can either keep them in their pots for next year or start a family tradition of planting your tree after the holidays. If you chose a tree that needs to be composted and haven’t done so already, please Treecycle:
(pick up as many as you want weekly from farmers’ market locations).
Join us in welcoming Kainalu Elementary to the 
On September 22, as a kickoff to Kanu Hawai’i’s Eat Local Challenge, 9 year old Duke Kenney and his assistant, Chef Ed Kenney, will be demonstrating how to prepare a wonderful locally-sourced meal that your family can make at home. 
This years’ Kokua Calendar features vibrant student works of art that follow the theme 
Film Screenings & Discussions allow us to share a variety of environmental issues with a broader community audience.
The Waikiki Elementary School garden program is a 3200-square foot “Food Farm” that includes organic heirloom tomatoes, fruit trees, ‘outdoor-classroom’ plant nursery, and Kokua Hawaii Foundation 
Thursday, February 25, 2010
This year’s Kokua Hawai’i Foundation calendar contest theme is Be Water and Energy Wise. While exploring the topics of water and energy conservation, we also encourage you and your students/children to reflect on the important connections between water and energy. 
KEAP Students. Photo credit: Red Heart Photography
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 
Recycle old clothes into new stylish items and make reusable gift wrapping and cards.
Many of you came to the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation screening of Food Inc. over Labor Day weekend as part of Slow Food USA’s National Eat In. The film brings up many issues and can be used as a great teaching tool for high school students. The Food Inc. 102-page discussion guide, developed by the Center for Ecoliteracy, provides questions and activities about the film’s themes, including health, sustainability, animal welfare, and workers’ rights. 
Consider this opportunity to partake in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) by subscribing to Meleana’s Farm. CSA programs help you, farmers, our community and the earth alike. You get fresh from the farm goods, farmers save money by direct marketing, some culture is returned to agriculture and all involved are reminded to Malama ‘Aina, to protect the land on which we depend.
Hosting a holiday party this season? Planning a holiday party can often feel overwhelming, stressful, and leave you wondering if it’s possible to carve out a little quality time with family. The secret to a meaningful party or gathering is creating traditions that shift the focus away from fancy decor, gifts, or catered food and instead focus on what the holidays mean for your family and friends. For instance, baking bread with friends and homemade ornament exchanges are just some of the ways you can have enjoyable, meaningful holiday celebrations with memories that are treasured far more than anything left under the tree. 
Simplify the Holidays Reduce waste by choosing reusable plates, forks, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, etc., instead of single-use materials. If supply is a problem, ask guests to contribute. For example, ask your guests to make cloth napkins out of old Christmas tablecloths or sheets and bring them to the party. They make any table look festive and provide fun holiday memories to share. 
For those people whose holiday celebrations include a Christmas tree, there is often no substitute for the real thing. Entering the room and seeing your tree can evoke happy memories from childhood and the excitement of the season. Having a real tree also links us with people throughout history who brought boughs inside to celebrate religious or celestial events. Thousands of years ago Egyptians brought palms and hollies indoors to enliven their homes during winter. Keeping this custom alive with our Christmas trees connects us through cultures and time. 
If you do get a cut tree, Simplify the Holidays consider buying a local tree from 
As we ponder how to manage our upcoming festivities and gift giving Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, in partnership with
When shopping for holiday food and gifts, try to plan ahead and consolidate trips in order to save fuel and reduce pollution. If each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon (about twenty miles), we’d reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons. That could be one or two trips to the store!
The average American spends $800 on gifts over the holiday season. According to a national survey, 70% of Americans would welcome less emphasis on gift giving and spending. 
and CD release, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation co-founder, Jack Johnson, will screen the documentary film, and play acoustic performances on two nights, November 13th and 14th alongside band member and solo artist, Zach Gill, at the legendary Hawaii Theatre in downtown Honolulu. 
The holiday season is upon us! As we ponder how to manage our upcoming festivities and gift giving, Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is teaming up 
Each year, we invite Hawai’i elementary schools to start a Kokua Earth Action Project. This is the first year middle and high school students are invited to participate! Groups submitting outstanding Kokua Earth Action Project proposals will be invited to participate in a 
Chef Sharon deliciously illustrated unique ways to use locally grown ingredients that may not be familiar to everyone in their next pot of soup!
Registration for these day camps will be open to elementary-aged students, ages 6-11, on a first-come, space-available basis for the entire 17-day series or by mini-series packages. For additional information about the Hawai’i Nature Center contact Casey Carmichael, Director of O’ahu Operations at (808) 955-0100 ext. 26, 
Friday, June 26th at 6:30 pm
As the school year comes to an end, please remember to sort through your supplies to see if any can be reused next year. Before you head for the trash, check which supplies can be used at home, recycled, or donated. Melt your old and broken crayons in to fun new shapes by using a candy mold and a solar oven!
June is Outdoors Month, get out and play! Spend at least one hour a day outside. Here are some fun ideas for friends and families: Make a list of things to look for on a hike, park, or your own backyard then find them on a Nature Scavenger Hunt, Go to the farmer’s market and have a picnic, Bike to the beach find objects to sort. Get more ideas at 
Here’s a simple local recipe for Lemongrass Iced Tea with Mint! It’s a refreshing favorite we always enjoy by Farmer Gigi Cocquio and our friends at 
The month of January marked the one year anniversary of the Plastic Free Hale’iwa Coalition. Over 55 of the businesses in Hale’iwa are loyal partners in the movement and have been making the great choice to go plastic free. We are excited to now offer Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles along with our very popular reusable bags! They are available online at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation 
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. 
In the first semester of the 2008-2009 school year we have been able to reach thousands of children through our programs:
Check out the Green Market Gift Fair on December 6 for something extra special for your Secret Santa! The Green Market offers alternatives for your holiday shopping; from native plants to the culinary swap meet, to buying a Gift of Service in your loved ones name. There will also be keiki activities and greening demonstrations throughout the day. The Kokua Hawaii Foundation will be selling reusable water bottles, reusable tote bags, seeds, and Gifts of Service in the form of garden lessons. Bring a white shirt for a tie-dye gift! Come join us! 
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 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.
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!
KCC Culinary Institute-trained Chef Nina Beatty visited Waialua and Sunset Beach Elementary Schools’ 3rd graders in October. Chef Nina prepared two easy “close to the source” snacks for the students to sample: guacamole and banana sorbet. These visits were part of the Agricultural Literacy component of the ‘AINA IS program. Students learned about locally grown foods and that cooking can be fun and tasty! Mahalo, Nina!
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is partnering with the Department of Health’s HI-5 Recycling Program and Kahilu Theatre to bring “The Trash Heap” to Hawai’i schools. “The Trash Heap” is a musical production about the 3 R’s: Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling. The play’s main character, Kai, discovers how to practice the 3 R’s to take care of these islands.
Take the challenge at 
This program is open for Hawai’i residents who wish to dispose of personal eWaste on October 25th, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Purchase locally grown produce & products at the new WHOLE FOODS MARKET, Kahala Mall on WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17!
Three months and 2,300 miles after departing from Long Beach, California, the JUNK raft and its two eco-mariners Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal arrived in Honolulu at the end of August. Made from 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessna 310, JUNK is a project of the 
“Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,” authored by Richard Louv, has stimulated an international conversation about the future relationship between children and nature, and has helped spawn a grassroots movement to reconnect children and nature. 
So take a child outside! Take a Child Outside Week is September 24—September 30, 2008. Visit 
This past school year we were able to make positive impacts through our various 
Environmental Education Mini-Grants Available!
Missed it at the show? The Eco-Friendly 2008 Kokua Festival Merchandise will be available for sale via the Kokua Hawaii Foundation 
We are sharing the following important dates and information so that you don’t miss out on purchasing your Kokua Festival tickets. 
The University of Hawai’i Cinema Series, in cooperation with the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and Slow Food O’ahu, presents the Friends of the Earth Film Series on the first Sunday of each month from January to June. These films will cover all aspects of sustainable living in Hawai’i including ocean conservation, energy, architecture, and food production. Each film will be followed with Q&A sessions led by local experts in each field to discuss solutions to some of the problems facing Hawaii’s future. All films will be presented in the Spalding Auditorium at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Admission is $5 for the film and discussion. On campus parking is free on Sundays. For more information and future films 
Sunday, January 6 at 5 PM
We hope that all of you had a wonderful Holiday Season filled with fun, family and friends. It’s the start of the a new year and everyone here at the Kokua Hawai’i Foundation is excited about the events, projects and programs we are working on for 2008. If you still haven’t made a New Year’s Resolution, Go Plastic Free and make a commitment to take your own reusable bags to the grocery store.
The Kokua Hawai’i Foundation and partners Sustain Hawai’i, Slow Food O’ahu and Town Restaurant are excited to present 
2nd Show Added: 7PM. Kokua Hawai’i Foundation, in partnership with 
After a quick summer vacation, many of Hawai’i's students have already returned to classes. We hope you and your family will remember the environment this back-to-school season:
This summer, two Kokua representatives visited the 
Kokua Hawai’i Foundation staff presented the 
