A healthy and sustainable project spearheaded by TPSS’s Ted Radovich and Ilima Ho-Lastimosa, as well as Public Health Studies professor Jane Chung-Do, got props from Civil Beat in a recent laudatory article. The MALAMA (Mini Ahupua‘a for Lifestyle and Mea‘ai through Aquaponics) project helps Native Hawaiian families and communities to create aquaponic systems in their back yards.

CTAHR faculty and staff were instrumental in discovering a new fruit fly pest that’s recently been identified in Hawai‘i for the first time: the olive fruit fly (OLFF), Bactrocera oleae. It can attack all species of Olea, including the common olive (Olea europaea), unfitting them for either oil processing or table consumption. 

Last year’s artistic and ecological success, the Symphony of the Hawaiian Birds, spearheaded by Melissa Price (NREM), is coming back with two additional free keiki concert dates! This multimedia production with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra brings together music, art, and hula to teach students in grades 4 through 12 about Hawai‘i’s endangered forest bird species. 

Waimanalo Learning Center educator Ilima Ho-Lastimosa (TPSS) knows well how participating in traditional practices can heal communities and individuals. Now she is partnering with the UH Women’s Center to offer a series of workshops on la‘au lapa‘au, or Native Hawaiian healing herbs, open to all members of the UH community.

Taste of the Hawaiian Range held its free Agricultural Festival on Saturday, September 7, in Waimea on Hawai‘i Island. This educational, family-geared event offered activities to illustrate the art and science of producing local food products. A delicious time was had by all!

Even if you’re not a pest, pesticides can harm you if you don’t protect yourself against them! Worker protection training is required annually for anyone who works or does research in a facility where pesticides are used, so make sure you get trained if you need it. Another training will be held in October, and additional trainings can be scheduled for your department or research group if necessary.

Want to eat like the ancient Hawaiians, using modern technology? Come to the Aquaponic Fish and Poi Workshop offered by Jensen Uyeda and the Poamoho Station! This field day will provide a basic overview of an aquaponic system, the nitrogen cycle of an aquaponic system, utilization of fish effluent from aquaculture systems, taro corm yield grown with fish effluent vs. conventional nitrogen fertilizer, and food safety strategies to sanitize effluent water used for irrigation. 

Find out everything you need to know about growing safely, healthily, and in compliance with regulations at the Produce Safety Alliance Food Safety grower training event. This workshop is aimed at fruit and vegetable growers who are interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices, and co-management of natural resources and food safety. 

4-H Extension agent Becky Settlage of the Komohana Research and Extension Center in Hilo has been awarded a $575 scholarship by the Roy A. Goff Memorial Endowment Fund to participate in the National Conference of Epsilon Sigma Phi, the Extension Professionals’ Organization, in October in Colorado.

Bring your keiki (or give your friends a mini-vacation by bringing theirs!) to meet 4-H clubs from across Oʻahu and see some of the exciting, fulfilling projects theyʻre working on. Participants will get to experience educational and interactive mini-workshops and presentations.

Bee health researcher Ethel Villalobos (PEPS) is featured in a recent episode of the video series How Close Are We, which looks at possible solutions to some of the world’s major problems and questions. For the episode “How Close Are We to Saving the Bees?” Ethel discusses Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious phenomenon in which whole bee colonies disappear for reasons that are still unclear.

Kelvin Sewake retired as Interim CTAHR Associate Dean of Extension on August 30, 2019. In appreciation for his 34 years of serving within CTAHR in various administrative roles and as Extension agent in Floriculture and Nursery Crops, a farewell tea was held for him on September 3 at the Komohana Research & Extension Center in Hilo. 

On Thursday August 29, volunteers at the Urban Garden Center shared aloha and mahalo with Ray Uchida, who is retiring from his longstanding post as O‘ahu County administrator. The occasion was marked with hula, stories, and the planting of a tree in his honor. Steve Nagano, an Extension agent for O‘ahu County, helped Ray to plant the crepe myrtle that will bear his name and commemorate his many years of service to the college, community, and ‘āina.

The Hawaii Coffee Association recently hosted their 24th Annual Conference & 11th Annual State of Hawaii Cupping Competition from July 25 to 27 at the Ala Moana Hotel. The statewide annual conference invites coffee educators, industry professionals, and enthusiasts to network and attend sessions and events. It hosted workshops on topics such as soil health, fermentation with yeasts, roasting, and cupping, with the goal of educating, sustaining, and boosting the profitability of the Hawai‘i coffee industry.

To kick off another semester of youth and family programs, the Family Education Training Center of Hawaii (FETCH) hosted an open house at their program site, Hale Tuahine Farm in Manoa Valley. High school students interested in the world of sustainable agriculture and families seeking healthy ways to grow their own food and learn the skills to create a healthier and more positive family-life attended the free event to explore FETCH’s programs.

Marielle Hampton just started as a temporary FCS junior agent in Kona. Marielle is well versed in more than one of CTAHR’s areas of focus, having earned her master’s degree in Nutrition: Agriculture, Food and Environment from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy from Tufts University in May 2019. She comes to CTAHR most recently from The Kohala Center, where she worked as an agriculture development intern, conducting local farmer needs assessment and outreach for food hub facility upgrades. Welcome to CTAHR HI County, Marielle!

The Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death Working Group—also known as the ROD Squad—was formed to respond to the new disease threatening Hawai‘i’s most important native forest tree. With nearly 200 individuals representing state, county, federal, university, and non-profit organizations; local and private businesses; and private citizens, the group facilitates inclusive communication on all issues related to the fungal disease and shares knowledge on a regular basis among group members, their organizations, and the people of Hawai‘i.

Secure your place at the Invasive Species Conference at Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo, Hawaii island on August 22–23! Many members of the CTAHR ‘ohana will be giving presentations on topics from pests of trees as small as the fungus that causes ROD and as big as the coconut rhinoceros beetle; novel ways to deal with invasives such as allowing their natural predators to attack them or using them for compost; and infesters of iconic Hawai‘i crops such as coffee and macadamia nuts.

Wildland fire expert and 2019 winner of the Excellence in Extension award Clay Trauernicht (NREM) was recently interviewed by Noe Tanigawa on Hawai‘i Public Radio’s Planet 808 show about the increasing danger of wildfire in the Islands and its connection with climate change.

Middle school students explored veterinary science as a possible career in a week-long 4-H Veterinary Science Day Camp conducted by Hawai‘i County 4-H Extension agent Becky Settlage in Hilo in July. CTAHR’s Extension veterinarian Jenee Odani, local and state veterinarians, and a couple of UH student assistants also helped to lead the program. With their love of animals and desire to help them, the thirteen youth had a strong interest in this career, and this program definitely increased their interest!