Story, photos and video by Jamie Sickel, Gen XIII, Kapi‘olani CC
Windward Community College was the second destination on the Gen XIII itinerary. We’d all been in touch at a distance over the course of the last month and were excited to be reuniting for another day of inspiration and learning. Mahalo to Kim and Christian for planning a day that exceeded our expectations!
Arriving to Windward campus, I was awestruck by the beauty and serenity of my surroundings. The Koʻolau mountains cascaded down into the sprawling, green landscape accented by beautiful, Spanish Mission Revival architecture.
Our first order of business was to catch up with our fellow Wos over an amazing breakfast spread provided by Chef Dan Swift and the Hiilaniwai Foodservice Innovations Training Program team. During breakfast, Kim and Christian introduced us to their campus and our team building activity, including stories and artifacts of their work with students. We all received copies of the student newspaper, Ka ‘Ohana, which provided campus and local community insights and served as an impressive example of applied learning. We also viewed a trailer for a documentary that the Windward CC Creative Media students are creating on Kawainui Marsh, the site of our service learning activity for the morning. The documentary will examine the complicated controversy surrounding the Kawainui-Hamakua Marsh Complex Master Plan, exploring concerns for conservation, infrastructure, education, tourism and efforts to mitigate human interference while acting to ensure the native ecosystem thrives.
They have brought hundreds of students into the area for education, conservation and work study projects and host community workdays on the third Saturday of every month. Lehuakona educated us on the history and current state of Kawainui Marsh, the largest wetland in the state of Hawai‘i and site of the earliest known inland settlements in the Hawaiian Islands. We learned that the Ramsar Convention, an environmental branch of the United Nations, recognizes Kawainui Marsh as a "Wetland of International Importance,” helping bolster efforts to preserve the center of the Kailua ahupua’a.
Lehuakona led us up the trail to an overlook with a humbling view of the expansive wetlands below.
ʻAhahui Mālama I Ka Lōkahi is currently working to recreate the native lowland forest across 12 acres, planting 80 different species of native Hawaiian and early Polynesian plants. From our vantage point, we could view the three ponds where the water levels are controlled to provide habitats for various native wetland birds. We also learned about Nā Pōhaku o Hauwahine, the rocks of the Hawaiian Mo‘o guardian of Kawainui Marsh. The lizard-like goddess is said to have sunned herself on the large rocks, presiding over the land and ensuring that its resources were shared fairly among the people.
We worked diligently in the time we had, carefully picking, digging, pulling up and carrying away invasive plants while leaving Aunty Waimea’s ti plants to flourish. It was rewarding to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Learning about the long history of Kawainui Marsh and helping to prepare for an optimistic future for this ‘āina brought a welcome sense of perspective.
Back at Windward CC, we cleaned up and enjoyed an ‘ono lunch of multigrain rice, fresh garden veggies, steamed ginger fish with red velvet mochi, lemon cake and peanut butter cookies for dessert. The entire meal was so satisfying after working up an appetite all morning, but there was one dish that a clear crowd favorite: the uala hummus with kabocha! We enthusiastically inquired with Chef Dan about the recipe, which he graciously shared with us. Here are the notes, directly from him. Just click the image to open a PDF version of this recipe - you’ll definitely want to give this one a try!
The rest of our day was focused on WoLC business. Louise reviewed the expectations of Wo Learning Champions, and we deliberated over the Wo award applications, discussed potential changes to the awards in the future, planned for the upcoming Hawai‘i Student Success Institute, and selected our Gen XIII swag for guests, volunteers and presenters. We received our Gen XIII Wo shirts, which we will debut at HS2I, and Mitch created and gifted custom Wo Learning Champion stickers to all of us in our unofficial, official color (mahalo nui, Mitcho!).
I finished the day with a sense of accomplishment and an overwhelming sense of gratitude - gratitude for the good fortune to live in such a beautiful place on this Earth, for the perspective brought by our experience at Kawai Nui, for the selfless efforts of people like Lehuakona and ʻAhahui Mālama I Ka Lōkahi, and for the opportunity to spend the next year and a half on this journey with such inspiring people. I am so grateful to be a part of our Wohana!
2 Comments
Neva
2/27/2019 03:03:08 pm
Once again great job! and immense appreciation for the Aloha and connections built!
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Michelle
2/27/2019 07:53:56 pm
What an amazing gift! The pictures and video diary are superb. How lucky we are!
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