The Restoration and Protection of Hawaii’s Many Islets

I recently stumbled across a website that I found very enlightening and interesting.  If you are concerned about the environment at all, and the protection of Hawaiian wildlife, flora and fauna in particular, I think you might also find this website of interest.  It is run by the Offshore Islet Restoration Committee and includes pictures and brief descriptions of many of the endemic (found only in Hawaii) and indigenous (native to Hawaii, but also found elsewhere), as well as some of the problematic invasive (introduced) species of plants and animals.

For example, did you know that the common Lantana was introduced to Hawaii in 1858 as an ornamental shrub because of its colorful flowers?  I still find it hard to believe that people on the mainland “buy” lantana to take home and plant as part of their landscaping.

You may be as surprised as I was at the number of islets there are just surrounding the 8 major islands:

• Big Island…4 islets
• Maui…13 islets, including Molokini
• Kahoolawe…2 islets
• Lanai…5 islets
• Molokai….9 islets
• Oahu…16 islets, counting North and South Mokulua separately
• Kauai…1 islet
• Niihau…2 islets

These islets act as micro-ecosystems due to their isolation.  It is this isolation that allows for more success in controlling invasive species compared to other sites that are hard to control.  There are plants and animals that have been identified to inhabit some of these islets that are found nowhere else in Hawaii, and in many cases, the world.

The website also describes some of the efforts underway to restore and preserve the many islets that surround the major Hawaiian islands.  The following was copied from their website @www.hawaiioirc.org:

INTRODUCTION TO THE ISLETS

“Hawaii’s offshore islets are the last refuge for many rare coastal species and hold the hope for becoming a safe haven for many more. Many islets are relatively isolated from the threats that plague Hawaii’s native species, over 470 of which are listed as threatened, endangered or candidate species under the Endangered Species Act. Because of this isolation, many offshore islets in Hawaii still harbor rich coastal resources, including 22 species of seabirds in the largest Hawaii seabird colonies outside of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Five new species were first described from Hawaii offshore islets. Eight threatened and endangered species are currently found on the islets and 8 additional federal species of concern are present. The islets are home to large numbers of endemic (i.e., species found only in Hawaii) plants, insects, birds, and marine creatures. See the ‘Species’ section of this website for more information. Twelve islets are federally designated critical habitat for endangered plants and are considered essential to the recovery of these species. The ‘Islets’ section of this website includes information on the 43 largest and most biologically important islets.”  From www.hawaiioirc.org

And, I also wanted to share this list of conservation efforts you can take to minimize your impact on this fragile environment.

ISLET ETIQUETTE

Visitors to offshore islets can help conserve these fragile coastal areas by observing the following rules of ‘islet etiquette’:

• Obey all posted signs

• Leave pets at home and don’t release unwanted pets into the wild

• Stay away from all seabirds and bird nesting areas; many birds nest in burrows and it’s easy to crush the burrows by accident

• Check your clothes and gear (especially shoes and socks) before you come to the islets and remove any seeds or insects

• Pack out everything that you pack in

• Don’t damage the plants

• Remember that camping and campfires are not allowed

From www.hawaiioirc.org

Share the Awareness

While living in paradise is a wonderful thing, it also comes with some responsibilities to preserve the very things that make it paradise.  Just as we’ve become environmentally conscious when it comes to treading lightly on the reefs, protecting whales, dolphins, and turtles, there are hundreds of lesser known species of plants and animals that also need protection.  Unfortunately, the very fact that they are endangered or threatened means that we don’t come into contact with them often, so we are less conscious of their existence or need for protection.

Hopefully, you’ll share this article and help to spread the word and raise awareness that these species need our protection even more.

Hawaii Helicopter Tours – The Best Air Tours to the Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai

By Mandy Metzger

Author: Blake Cole

Kona coffee from the Kona region of the Island of Hawaii is a preferred choice all around the planet, and for great cause. It offers a robust, full bodied flavor that you can’t unearth in any other coffee. Kona coffee is produced on the Island of Hawaii, also recognized as the Big Island. Most of the coffee estates found in Kona (called the gold coast of Hawaii, not, as you may perhaps surmise, simply because of the dollars to be produced there, but mainly because of the hue of the fish that were discovered along this coast in huge numbers) are owned and operated by nearby families who have been operating the estates for generations since 1890.

The Kona coffee band found along the west coast of the Big Island, including the town of Holualoa, offers just the right quantity of rainfall, sun and clouds to produce a superior coffee cherry, although the coffee plant itself is located in other regions of the world. The height of each estate contributes to the unique character and subtle differences in flavor among the coffees produced on each Kona coffee farm. Roasting methods and processes also add to variations within the Kona coffee product line.

There are diverse grades of Hawaiian Kona coffee to decide from, depending on the high quality and size of the beans harvested. Even though several firms supply 100% Kona coffee, you have to be alert not to select a brand that is labeled as a Kona blend as these mixes often contain no extra than ten percent Kona coffee. The remainder of the beans come from lower quality supplies from Brazil, Indonesia, and Africa.

The coffee is sun dried on location on the island, and then roasted to best light, medium, and dark roasts. The beans are freshest just following roasting, but purchasing coffee in hermetically sealed packages and then freezing them will give a longer shelf life, and, in reality, can assist to make the coffee survive up to six months.

It isn’t probable to use the brand name on the package to decide regardless of whether the product is really Hawaiian Kona coffee. This is due to the fact as previously talked about, various items label their coffee as originating from Kona, whilst only a tiny amount of it essentially is. Instead you will have to search for the fine print and the list of ingredients on the bag in order to figure out whether or not the coffee is what it appears to be: 100% roasted beans from the Kona district of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Medium roasted coffees have a tendency to take on a robust, lively flavor. Some call medium coffees full city or Vienna roasts. Darker roasts are a lot more full bodied in flavor and typically include much less caffeine than their counterparts. They’re thought to be French or Italian roast methods. If you check out the Big Island of Hawaii, you can effortlessly uncover the coffee region where quite a few farms and processing facilities are situated. You can take tours and understand all about how Kona coffee from the Kona district of Hawaii is made.

But no matter whether you can make it to the island or not, there is plenty of chance to delight in the robust tastes of 100% true Kona coffee. Even though you may well not be ready to discover a 100% Kona blend at your neighborhood brick and mortar retailer, you ought to be ready to acquire precisely what you are searching for directly on the World wide web. If you have by no means tried coffee from Kona before, take into consideration trying the medium roasted blend in order to get a wonderful feel of the correct flavor of the 100% pure Kona coffee beans.

With a modest amount of buyer awareness, you can find the unique gift of 100% pure Kona coffee. Then, you can continue on to discover the several variations of tastes produced by the various Kona coffee farms. Each Kona coffee product is one-of-a-kind, since no two farms will produce Kona coffee at exactly the same height, water supply, fertilization, and processing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/the-numerous-varieties-of-hawaiian-kona-coffee-4219653.html

About the Author

Blake Cole is a student of 100% Pure Kona Coffee and its history on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Twenty or thirty years ago, “fine dining in Hawaii” would have probably been considered an oxy-moron.  The only images of eating in Hawaii was of poi served at a luau or the ever present Spam.  However,  fine dining in Waikiki has become as commonplace today as it was lacking back then.  Its a melding of European techniques with ingredients from Asia and the Pacific.  And, yes, some of the best restaurants are in the hotels!

Of course, you can always go to a traditional Luau, a feast of traditional foods including fish, pork, sweet potatoes, and taro cooked in an underground oven, called an imu. They are put on mainly for tourists either at one of the large hotels or in a secluded beach location away from Waikiki and usually include a Polynesian dance show.

Being multi-cultural, where East meets West with a Polynesian flair, Hawaii offers a wide spectrum of culinary delights. There is a wide variety of restaurants offering specialties from all over the world – French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Filipino, Hawaiian and many more.  To experience fine dining in Waikiki, all you have to do is turn to one of the many hotels, possibly the very hotel you are staying in.

The Outrigger Reef Hotel’s Shore Bird Beach Broiler is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet is a diner’s delight of fresh fruit, pastries, egg dishes and assortment of meats, with the famous Waikiki beach and Diamond Head as an idealic backdrop.

For meat lover’s, the original Chuck’s Steakhouse in the Edgewater Hotel is one of the best for beef, as is the A1 Steakhouse & Oyster Bar in the Marc Suites.

And, when it comes to seafood, Sarentos Top of the “I” (Ilikai Hotel and Suites), offer fish preparations with a northern Italian touch.  There is the Lobster & Crab House, located in the recently renovated Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center where a large tank of live Maine lobsters greets you so that you may hand-pick your dinner. The Halekulani Hotel offers an elegant seafood menu at two on-site restaurants; Orchids Restaurant, in an open-air setting and La Mer, a AAA Diamond Award restaurant where the seafood is prepared in a French Provencial style.

As you might expect, you can’t discuss fine dining in Hawaii without talking about Asian offerings.  For Japanese cuisine, Kobe at the edge of Waikiki, at the end of Ala Moana Boulevard, and Tanaka of Tokyo with three locations in Waikiki, are great choices. A myriad of choices are available for Chinese cuisine everywhere. Lotus Moon Restaurant in the Sheraton Princess is one of the best. Then there’s China Garden on Kuhio Avenue and Lau Yee Chai on Kalakaua Avenue. For Thai cuisine, Bangkok Lanai located on Seaside Avenue and Keo’s In Waikiki on Kuhio Avenue are great places.

Can’t agree on what to eat?  Try the Colony restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  2010 Diners’ Choice Award Winner, one of the few Waikiki restaurants offering a steak, seafood and sushi mix.

If you’re looking for something more traditional with Hawaiian music and a location right on Waikiki Beach, then Dukes Restaurant and Barefoot Bar is the place to be. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, nothing beats walking up on a sunny afternoon after a refreshing dip or sunbathing, ordering one of their signature drinks, and enjoy a little people watching. Try their Tropical Itch (passion fruit juice, vodka, rum, and orange Curaçao, served with a local bamboo back scratcher…yours to take home) or the classic Mai Tai.

And, if you’re looking for something more casual and less expensive, there is always one of my favorite places for lunch, the Food Court in the Ala Moana Shopping Center, just a couple miles from Waikiki, and just so you don’t think you can’t have a  more reasonably priced meal in Waikiki, Kuhio Avenue is lined with snack outlets and fast-food franchises.

For that matter, there are a hundred mom and pop eateries that offer up great food throughout Honolulu for the budget minded.  The key to having a great eating experience in Hawaii is to be open-minded and willing to try something new.  There is no better place to experience the wide variety of foods available, prepared at  high levels of quality, anywhere in the world, than Honolulu.  As you can see, fine dining in Hawaii is no longer the oxy-moron it once was.

The Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, better known as HC&S, is the last surviving sugar plantation in Hawaii.   Located on the island of Maui, it was the first business venture of Alexander & Baldwin, in 1869.  That’s when boyhood friends, Samuel Alexander and Henry Baldwin, purchased 12 acres and after adding another 559 acres, planted their first crop in 1870.

Alexander came up with plans to build an irrigation system that would divert much needed water from streams on the slopes of Haleakala to water their 3,000 acres of cane and other nearby plantations over 17 rugged miles of rain forest, ridges and ravines. Thus was born the Hamakua Ditch and the Hamakua Ditch Company, now known as the East Maui Irrigation Company, became the oldest subsidiary of A&B.

With the 1948 merger of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. and Maui Agriculture Co., HC&S became a division of Alexander & Baldwin.  Today, HC&S is the sole survivor of dozens and dozens of sugar plantations that once provided tens of thousands of jobs and one of the backbone industries of Hawaii.  How long will HC&S continue in the sugar industry?

Well, they have initiated studies this summer in conjunction with the University of Hawaii to look into alternative crops that might be more efficient.  HC&S is dedicated to the production of energy and in particular,  bio-energy crops production.  Bagasse, the fibrous remains of the stalk once the sugar has been squeezed out,  happens to be a very high bio-mass product.

HC&S has been burning bagasse for decades to generate  electricity.   HC&S burns 500,000 tons of bagasse a year, which produces energy equivalent to 500,000 barrels of oil.  This not only provides for all of their energy needs, but also provides 7-8% of all the power used on Maui, which is distributed by Maui Electric.

With all the emphasis on ethanol as a fuel alternative to oil, many have questioned whether the land would be better used to grow corn.  Ethanol derived from sugarcane has a much greater positive energy balance compared to corn-derived ethanol because of higher biomass yields.

In simple terms fermentation, the basic process for ethanol production, uses sugar as its feedstock.  Complex carbohydrates such as starches in corn must be broken down to basic sugar units to achieve fermentation. Sugarcane in its natural form already contains high levels of sugar making it a most efficient feedstock for ethanol.

HC&S continues to look at ways to have the most efficient operations possible.  Hopefully, that will involve the continued growing as sugarcane as a commercial crop.  It would be a shame to lose this last connection to such a historical industry.  The sugar and pineapple industries are the primary reasons why Hawaii has the diverse population that it does.

Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, German, Scottish, Scandinavian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Puerto Rican, Afro-American, Korean and Filipino immigrants to Hawaii supplemented the Hawaiian workforce.   Hawaii has only two remaining pineapple producers and the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company is the last reminder of the once dominant sugar industry.

Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire

who makes her home in Kilauea at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  There are many stories of her origins, many of which are similar to stories of Maori’an legends in New Zealand.

In addition to the legends of how Pele came to make her home on the Big Island, there are also stories told of how she appears to people from time to time as either an old woman or a beautiful young lady.  She can be found hitchhiking along the roads or knocking on doors asking for something to eat.

One story, who’s origins have been long forgotten, say that a young couple was driving along one night and picked up an old woman who was hitchhiking and the old lady got in the back with their infant daughter.  They talked for a while and then there was a prolonged silence.

When the wife turned to ask a question of the old lady, the infant was sitting alone in the back seat.  They had not stopped, had not heard the door open, she had simply disappeared.  At other times, stories are told of picking up a beautiful, young woman who similarly disappears from the car.

Pele’s First Car Ride

The earliest recorded case of Pele hitching a ride in an automobile was in 1925.  As the story goes, a young Japanese man was driving his new Ford on the road to Kona in the Kau/South Kona area.  There was an old lady walking along the road, and first one, then another car passed her by without pausing, and this young man in the 3rd car, stopped and asked where she was going.

When she indicated that she was going to a place not far from where he himself was headed, he offered her a ride.  Along the way, they soon past the first two cars, both of which were broken down alongside the road and she smiled as they passed each one.

As they got close. to his destination, he told her that they were almost where he was going, but that if she needed to go further, he would take her.  When he did not receive an answer, he turned and found that she had vanished!

House Saved From Lava Flow

In another story, an old lady was knocking on doors asking for something to eat and everyone had turned her away.  Finally, she got to one house and the woman gave her some food to eat and drink.  As the old lady was leaving, she turned to the gracious homeowner and said, “The volcano will erupt soon and when it does, tie a red piece of cloth to each corner of your property and your home will be protected.”

As you have already guessed, the volcano did indeed erupt and the lady did as she had been instructed.  When the lava flow reached the property, it went around their house and the house was spared, while all those who had turned away the old woman days earlier, were destroyed.

One of the most renown believers in Pele was Uncle George Lycurgus, the owner of the famous Volcano House hotel, located on the edge of Halemaumau Crater.   One story is that he and his friends had joined a group of Hawaiians one night in the 1920’s, for a luau at the edge of Halemaumau.

The Volcano House

At the edge of their luau, some 75′ away, he saw an old woman with long, scraggly white hair, standing with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.  She walked towards the edge of the pit and when one of the group asked if she wanted to join them, she declined, saying that she had work to do.

And, simply turned and walked toward the pit…and disappeared.  Thinking she had fallen in, they all rushed to see what happened to her, but she was nowhere to be seen.  The Hawaiians all figured that she had to be Pele.  And, almost immediately, the volcano started to erupt!

Sometime in the early 1930’s,  the Volcano House caught fire and threatened to burn completely down as the wind pushed the fire through the hotel.  Uncle George is said to have cried out in desperation, “God…can nothing be done to save this place from complete destruction?” and with that, the winds changed direction and stopped the fire from spreading further.  Pele?  Something else?

Well, Uncle George was convinced it was Madam Pele stepping in to help save his hotel.  In 1932, when business was doing badly, he placed a bottle of gin and a lei of ohelo berries in the crater as an offering to Pele and that night, the crater began erupting, spurring business for his hotel once again.

The Volcano House is undergoing an almost complete refurbishing and should be open for business once again later this year.  It has been closed for sometime now as the work progressed.  Its located across the road from the Visitor’s Center, so make sure you stop by to visit this historical hotel.

Fortunately, you won’t have to sacrifice any gin to Pele, as she has been quite active and is not showing any signs of letting up any time soon.   It’s definitely a “must see” on anyone’s visit to the Big island of Hawaii!

Big Island, Part 2 of 3

While you’re in Hilo, you might want to make a short side trip to Rainbow Falls, located just outside of downtown Hilo along the Wailuku river.   It is one of the more accessible waterfalls on the Big Island.  I will post another article later with more information about Hilo.

Rainbow Falls, Big Island

One Hilo stop on my personal list, is the Big Island Candies store.  They not only offer their signature chocolate-dipped, shortbread cookies, but you will also find a line of interesting chocolate dipped local snacks.  How about chocolate-dipped dried cuttle-fish?  At any rate, its a great place to stop and indulge your sweet tooth…you can’t live on chocolate covered macadamia nuts alone!

Speaking of chocolate-covered mac-nuts, when you leave Hilo on Hwy 19 (aka Mamalahoa Hwy, aka Kanoelehua Ave in Hilo),  you will come to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory just before reaching the town of Keaau.  This is another fun stop where you can watch as they make these chocolate delights and visit their store to stock up or have them shipped home.  At the very least, you’ll want to stop just to sample the many flavored macadamia nuts that are offered.

At Keaau, you can take a side trip on Hwy 130 east to Pahoa and beyond to the coast to visit some interesting beach locales on this little visited eastern section of Hawaii.  If you drive east out of Pahoa, you will end up near the Cape Kumukahi lighthouse that marks the most easterly point of not just the Big Island, but of the state.

On the way there, you will come to the Lava Tree State Park.  This may not be the most dynamic place to visit, but if you enjoy seeing some of the strange affects that lava can have, you’ll find it interesting.  “Lava trees” are lava columns that remain after a lava flow covers growing trees and as the lava recedes, as it sometimes will do, it clings to the trunks of the trees and remain as testament to the fact that there once was a tree growing there.

Drive along the coast south of here and you’ll likely find the newest black sand beach on the island, if not the world.  For decades, Kalapana was a world famous black sand beach that was much photographed, but Pele reclaimed it when she sent her lava flows in this direction about 20 years ago and buried the whole town of Kalapana under some 5′ of lava, along with the famous black sand beach.

But, as I mentioned, while Pele claimed one black sand beach, she created another.  There have been several black sand beaches that have come and gone over the years, as the tides bring the sand in and then take them away.  Sometimes, they find a relatively permanent home and a beach is established.

This part of the Big Island is lightly visited by tourists since aren’t any commercial ventures to draw crowds down this route.  You, too, may decide to bypass it as well, but if you want to get off the beaten path, its a part of Hawaii many miss.

To get back on Hwy 19 (Mamalahoa Hwy), you have to back-track your way up Hwy 130 to Keaau and turn south to continue your circling of the Big Island.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

In twenty minutes or so, you will arrive at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  You can spend an hour at the Visitor’s Center or days exploring this fascinating park.  There is a $10 admission fee per car, which is good for a week.  If you plan on visiting Puuhanua o’ Honaunau (Place of Refuge) National Historical Park in the Kona area and/or the Haleakala National Park on Maui, you may want to consider the tri-park annual pass for $25.

You can easily spend days here alone!  At the very least, you’ll want to plan on several hours exploring the more accessible parts of the park, including the Thurston Lava Tube.  If you need one reason not to attempt seeing the island in a day, this would be it.  There is nowhere else on earth like this…lava flows, lush tropical rainforests, rare native Hawaiian birds found nowhere else, and even  Hawaiian petroglyphs.  You’ll regret not having spent more time exploring it.

Kilauea Iki, Big Island

Here’s a link to a recent post on USA Today,  National Park Guide: Hawaii’s Volcanoes.

Continue the Big Island tour in Part 3 of  “A Drive Around The Big Island”, as well as that article on Hilo I promised.

“DNA testing is now confirming anecdotal reports that seafood fraud is disturbingly widespread. Both scientists and amateur seafood sleuths have exposed seafood fraud across the U.S. and Europe. A recent review found false labels on more than one-third of fish (Jacquet and Pauly 2008), while other research found one-quarter of fish tested in the U.S. and Canada were mislabeled (Wong and Hanner 2008).”

This article is made up of excerpts taken from a report published by the Oceana group and the full 40-page, PDF-formatted report, can be seen at http://na.oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/SeafoodFraudReport_2011.pdf

“Government testing also shows a pattern of mislabeling, including 37 percent of fish and 13 percent of shellfish and other seafood during a nine-year period of testing by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) National Seafood Inspection Laboratory from 1988-1997 (Buck 2007). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found about a third of seafood imports were mislabeled during port inspections in 2003-2004 (Mississippi Department of Marine Resources 2007).

Commonly mislabeled fish  (partial list)

LABELED                                                                      ACTUAL
Mahi Mahi                                                                        Yellowtail
Wild Salmon                                                                  Farm raised
Swordfish                                                                        Mako shark
Bluefin Tuna                                                             Bigeye, yellowfin
Albacore/White Tuna                                 Mozambique tilapia, Escolar
Atlantic Cod                                                 Pollock, Whiting, Oilfish/Escolar
Shark Meat                                                                        Nile Perch
Orange Roughy                                                   Oreo Dorey, John Dorey
Monkfish                                                                             Puffer fish
Halibut                                                             Sea Bass, Deep water Cape Hake
Anchovies                                                                             Icefish

“Eating unfamiliar or misidentified fish can expose consumers to new risks that formerly were confined to specific geographic areas, such as ciguatera poisoning from tropical fish, which causes chronic pain, nausea, weakness and numbness (Kipping et al. 2006).”

“At the beach or in coastal cities, local fish markets and restaurants increasingly struggle to maintain a year-round supply of the most popular fish. The lack of local seafood is often worsened by overfishing and by a lack of awareness among consumers that fish catches are seasonal. In markets where local fish are desirable, imports may be claimed as local fish to fill gaps in availability, increase sales or charge a higher price.”

This is especially tragic in areas like Hawaii, where residents have adopted catch and release for fishes like the popular ulua (jack crevalle) due to fears of ciguatera poisoning.  So, to consciously avoid this problem, only to possibly get exposed because of the practice of illegally mislabeling fish that are sold in stores just seems so totally wrong!  To make matters worse, Hawaii is a high risk location for the practice of mislabeling due to its ocean-side location, making people seek out “fresh seafood” even more.

So, if there ever was a good reason to visit Chinatown and buy your fish, fresh and intact (which makes identifying your fish much easier than trying to identify some innocuous fillet at the supermarket, this is it!   Just thought I’d share this disturbing news, which applies where ever you may live.