Three days IN "Cloud Nine."

Unfortunately, my creative juices aren't flowing enough to create a well-versed poem about our *amazing* (insert Leona's voice and finger snaps) adventures at Mt. Ka'ala, so for now I will resort to old-fashioned, but very handy, prose.

Last week was incredible, and probably my most favorite site we have worked at so far. Part of the reason why I liked it so much was because we got to work with others who harbored the same passions. It was very fun to learn about and connect with them, and the atmosphere was just always so lively. Happiness and fun made work a whole lot more endurable; it made it enjoyable. Another part of why I liked it so much was because it was so unlike anything I have ever done before (cliche, but true.) The bog itself seemed like an alien world, a different dimension, a hidden planet on our very own earth. It was just so alien. I've never in my life ever even heard about a forest like that. I have always pictured boggy areas as a lifeless expanse of land that was squishy and covered in fog, where a serial murderer would appear as a hulking shadow across the horizon. Definitely not the beautifully surreal forest hidden in the clouds on top of Mt. Ka'ala.

Though it was wet and cold pretty much 99% of the time, I LOVED it! I am a clean freak, and I hate dirtiness and wetness and basically all that awesome stuff you encounter when being outdoors, so I expected to be miserable. On the contrary, I was having so much fun. I thought to myself, whilst crawling hands and knees over trees on a vertical slope above a gully, "This isn't really the most appropriate time to feel this way but, I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN!" I felt like a kid in a jungle gym, literally. The sense of accomplishment at every ginger I cut and sprayed heightened my euphoria to a level that nearly brought me to tears when it came time to depart from wonderful Ka'ala. Despite only knowing those army people for two or three days, I nearly cried when we had to leave. If you guys are reading this by any farfetched chance, ADD ME ON FACEBOOK I miss you guys. ):

-Grace

Mt.Ka'ala hiking

Hiking around Mt.Ka'ala was a great experience due to the high concentration of native species. In the valley of Niu in which I live, the forest is devastated. Only thick groves of Strawberry Guava and Christmasberry stand along with the ever so successful Haole Koa and Irondwood. The only way for me to encounter a native is if i hike up around 500ft elevation and then you only see Ohi'a. Its a loud awakening to me and I am passionate about helping to reforest O'ahu with great programs like HYCC. I am very thankful that I was placed in such a wonderful and Pono group. You are all 'ohana and will never be forgotten:)

Machetes and Mud, Marshy Galore.

From the tips of the clouds
to the worms down below,
Oahu Team B says a great big hello.
Wielding machetes
and grins on our face,
hacking and cutting with newly-found grace.
Unperturbed
by lurking holes in the mud,
raising weed-whackers like it's been in our blood.
Muscles awaken
from their well-deserved slumber,
only to discover they must haul some more lumber.
Some days time passes
like a mongoose escaping
from Kawai's deadly hunter hands, open and gaping.
Other days
it seems to perpetually doze,
so much so that we're sure there's mud in our veins like they are in our toes.
Physically beaten down
but our spirits soaring high,
Oahu Team B says its bitter-sweet goodbye.

(Thanks Doc for our experience at Kawainui Marsh, we won't ever forget either of you!)
By Grace Q.

My Hui

Mahalo na 'aumakua a na kupuna no keia hui 'o Team B. Maika'i no ho'i ku'u 'ohana 'o Rafael, Vanessa, Leona, Grace, Kawailele, Angel, Miles, Steven, a Kamaehu. Our team is awesome and love each every one of my teammates with all of my pu'uwai, heart. All us guys and gals have become intertwined and pa'a, firm, in our relationships with one another.

RAFAEL is a tall haole guy from Sacramento that is genuinely warmhearted and kind. He has revealed a side to himself that burns with a passion for his 'aina, land, and the world. We always wala'au, talk story, and he shares mana'o, knowledge, that is at times deep and at other times, funny. The title haole derives from the word ha'ole, breathless, as it was the way our kupuna, ancestors, saw the white man and his way of life. But the title haole is unfit for such a man as Raffi, for he has proven to be a man who gives life not only to our 'aina, but to our team and our lives and I mahalo him for that.

VANESSA is a short haole kumu, teacher, from the Continent. Her giggle is famous and her smile unique. She finds relaxation and peace in the essence of our 'aina. I pick up a strong sense of 'ohana, family, in her. A devoted love not only for her 'ohana but for us. She assumes the position of makuahine, mother, and treats us as her own. We love her back as our alaka'i, leader, through the thick and thin. The team and I mahalo you for your devotion and aloha for our 'aina, Hawai'i nei.

LEONA is a young wahine, woman, that is independent and patriotic. She has a face of determination and love for all things she does and intends on doing. In the lo'i, taro patch, she displayed fondness of a keiki o ka 'aina, child of the land. Covered in thick mud up to her face, she was driven to move pohaku, large stones, and hasten its completion. She has her own character unlike any other on our team, something that she should and will without a doubt retain as a lifelong attribute. She plays it safe and her eyes reveal a mind that is continuously in motion, with thoughts and ideas ready to burst forth into life. I am happy to have her as part of my 'ohana.

GRACE is a petite Pake, Chinese, girl from the Big Apple. Her words are intelligent, her laugh fulfilling, her mind determined, and her spirit alive. Her late night mele, singing, proves her shamelessness, and her single card trick interesting. I have no doubt that these past few weeks have brought about experiences she has never seen or heard of before, but she is doing great. She went through a week of culture shock and off the map living, especially for a New Yorker, but I believe she did maika'i, good. The lo'i, taro patch, is an environment to get used to, and though it was short lived, I am very proud of her fearlessness and endurance. She is the mighty mouse in the face of a lion. She will always be apart of my heart and 'ohana, family, perpetually.

KAWAILELEONALANI is a young kanaka maoli wahine with a heart of aloha and a laugh that makes funny things even funnier. Her jokes are good fun and her mana'o is one of a kind. She seeks common sense and has good intentions. Living is her natural high and to do good is her mission. I always enjoy spending time with her because we always laugh and have fun, not only together, but between our entire team. She is and will always be 'ohana to me.

ANGEL is a big funny guy from Saipan who never stops smiling. He is hardworking, kind, and never mad. He always has jokes and comments that make all of us laugh. He is mostly quiet but when he does talk he always makes me smile. When I first met him I thought he was definitely from here, but then he told me he was from Saipan, a little island all the way across the ocean. It was definitely a surprise, but then again, he is always surprising his team. He told all of us last week that he wanted to kokua, help, and do his part to malama 'aina, care for the land, so that he would stay out of trouble. He's a smart and awesome guy who cares for his work and his 'ohana, and I mahalo him for being such a cool guy. He is 'ohana to me as much as any other.

MILES is the brightest and most akamai Filipino I have ever met. He has astonished me with his broad manaʻo and extraordinary character. I have not once seen him flip out, even when I had the tent stick flip up and wack him on the face. He is dependable, approachable, and sociable. He loves his 'aina, his 'ohana, and all of us. I admire him for his helpfulness, especially when he was working with Steven to get up the Ladder course in Kualoa last week. I always have fun playing with accents with him and hearing what he knows of his 'aina and our history. He is talkative and informative, always engaging in conversation when others fall silent. I respect his style of thinking and genuine personality. He plays awesome ukulele and loves everyone. He is 'ohana to me, no matter what.

STEVEN is a real guy with loads of mo'olelo, stories, and mana'o, thoughts. Many first saw him as quiet but when you really get to know him, he can talk about anything and everything. He likes to sing any song, eat, sleep, skip rocks, and play cards. When he's not dozing off, he's pretty active with his hands and his mouth. I have gotten to know him closely over the past weeks and consider him not only a really cool friend but a brother. He is unique because though he may take a little time to share his mana'o in a deep conversation, when he does share, he has equally significant mana'o. He respects what other people have to say and is always listening. He doesn't put up a fake face and act all cool, but is instead real and compassionate. He is my bro whether he likes it or not and is always 'ohana. He can come over my house and sleep on the ground when ever he like! lol.

KAMAEHU is just Kamaehu. I aloha all you guys like Teddy's Burger chocolate shake and L&L chicken katsu, foeva and eva no matta wat!!! I see you guys Monday!

A Week at Papahana Kualoa

Honestly, this week has been fantastic and an experience that I will treasure for a lifetime. Being a city girl, I've never been so directly involved in nature. Sure, I've seen trees, and maybe even climbed a few, but that does not compare to everything I've been able to do at Papahana Kualoa. I will admit that I probably have never even planted anything before this camping trip (who even has a garden in NYC?) Heck, I've only been on one camping trip in my life! Everyone here in Hawaii seems to be so intertwined with nature and their ancient, still pervading culture. It is quite amazing, and I sometimes forget I'm even in America with all the Hawaiian aura the people of these islands give off.

I'm not very athletic, nor do I take extra care to keep in shape. Being a teenage girl still in high school, I care more about having fun than keeping healthy. As a natural consequence, I am terribly out of shape. I never knew just how athletic so many people in Hawaii were! Everyone seems to be paddling, running, etc. Everyone just seems so strong. Being naturally clumsy and uncoordinated can be a bit of a hindrance, but I think this summer will help me greatly overcome that hurdle as well as many others. Which brings me to my next point; for some unexplained reason, I've never, ever liked worms. To put it bluntly, I vehemently detest those foul creatures. Which is quite ironic, being as they are one of the main detritus feeders in the soil ecosystem and help to aerate soil, and etc. As a result, many times this week I stopped and asked myself, "What in the world am I doing here?! Conservation is all about nature, and nature involves soil, which inevitabley involves worms." However, though HYCC is about conservation, that is not the only thing prevalent in this program. HYCC is also about teamwork and cooperation, and developing oneself into a better leader and better character. It is about overcoming fears, like the member Jikai who overcame his fear of heights to do the zipline. If he can do that, I promise to myself that this summer will help me to overcome my fear of worms. (I mean, they don't even bite! But I can't get over them nevertheless.)


To wrap up my little blog post (I don't know how long it has to be,) I wanted to say that I am so happy I was accepted into the program and all the things I have been able to learn and do, all courtesy of the wonderful people at Papahana Kualoa and HYCC. I've done things I never thought I would do, things I've only seen on television (such a city girl, yeah?) I even became addicted to making those little stone rock things you play in that ancient Hawaiian game (I can never remember the name for that!!) Here I am, a full-blooded chinese girl from New York City, learning Hawaiian culture and feeling the unique connection between everything on the islands and the people who call it home. I love my teammates, I love my team leaders, and I love the memories I already have, and the ones I will have. Thank you, Papahana Kualoa and HYCC! I can guarantee this will not be the last time you hear my squeamish cries in the mud. :)

-Grace

our first week:)

Hey there this is Leona:),

Our time at Papahana Kualoa was so *AMAZING*. We started off buy learning how to identify weeds and native plants and got to work right away pulling up weeds on the river bed. We replanted pots at the nursery, chucked logs, collected stones in that river (buckets and buckets and buckets lol), but my favorite part was today. Today we got to help build a lo'i and i must say that mud is fun. We cut brush to help support the wall and pulled up stones and boards. It was my first time doing many of this but my team and site managers were very positive and helped me along. I look forward to returning to Papahana Kualoa to learn a bit more and get a little muddy:)

Oh and by the way neeever leave the s'mores unattended ehhh Vanessa :)

Papahana Kualoa

I will let my members provide the details, but it was a fantastic first week camping along the Waipao stream and the generosity and hospitality provided by the staff of Papahana Kualoa was overwhelming. The work being done here is equally inspiring and educational. Thanks to all involved - These are just a few photos of the site.