5-18-13 A bunch of filters and a fish.

This saturday fell on the monthly filtering day for Danielle. It was the same routine as previous sampling sessions, however this one had a little twist. We set up shop inside the garage because the tents were being occupied by a bunch of eager fishermen who paid to take part in fishing out the predator fish from the pond.  While waiting for Danielle to come back with more samples. Christian and I took turns casting a lure off the dock. We were able to out smart one foolish barracuda. 

Make-up blog, 5-14-13 A Fine Feast.

 This Tuesday ended up being the final tuesday with Hi'ilei. It was the day we all had been looking forward too since we first learned she was planning on giving us a cooking lesson.  We began the day by scaleing and gutting the mullett that we had previously caught a few weeks prior (throw net lesson). Then we began shucking fallen coconuts using a pick ax and the steady grip of our feet. As we settled into the garage, The aroma of the cooking octopus danced around our nostrils and awakened our taste buds. After squeezing a bunch of limes and enduring the wait of cooking the mullet and pond-caught Samoan Crab we sat down to feast. It was awesome to eat a meal that was provided from the very area that we have spent so much time working for the past few months. It was a beautiful and delicious example of sustainability. 

Better late then never...right?

Week of 5/21: Last Lab Day and Workday Saturday

Tiff weighing and recording.

Our dried out core samples. Still here!

Danielle checking out the chlorophyll samples. 

The gang setting up to make standards.

Handy dandy machine to analyze chlorophyll that Jake and I worked with.  

Everyone working and concentrating hard!

Work Day!

Good Morning Everyone!

Sheryl graced us with her presence this work day. (holding kahiwa)

Judy also came as she returned safely from her trip.

Extreme negative tide today because of the full moon. This is outside of the pond.

Negative tide inside the pond.

Keahi sharing his mana'o on the fishpond.

naupaka

the first mākāhā.

The rain was threatening! We lucked out that it was blown away. I wake up to these mountains every morning and they still amaze me every time. Gives real meaning to the phrase, 'Lucky to live Hawaii'. Truly blessed.

Got to work placing ko'a.

Another thing that amazes me is the progress of the wall. I remember when we first started in January Paepae O He'eia only had the wall up to the Triple Mākāhā. Here is the result 6 months later. You can barely see it! What many hands can achieve together.  

Chris showing he is the best at perfectly placing ko'a....and sitting down.

volunteers hard at work passing the older, bigger ko'a to line the wall. 

Sorry Jake! Cut you out a little.

After working so hard, finally time to make the journey back in.

While some took to walking on the wall, others helped bring the barges in the water back.

My experience here over the past six months has been one to remember. I am so glad to say I have made a difference somewhere. I will definitely be back for future workdays, and maybe find myself an intern with Paepae O He'eia. This is a truly amazing place with amazing people. I am so fortunate to be able to learn from them and apply it to my future. It feels great to bring family and friends and show them what I have been doing, the science side, and what has been accomplished in work days on the wall. I can now say to my future generations, "See that wall? I helped build that." and they would go wow. I could then say, "Ok, you see the wall, but I have done a lot more than just move pohaku. You can't physically see it, but all the zooplankton in the pond, I counted that." It is pretty neat that I have assisted with things that can and cannot be seen, but are still appreciated the same. 

MAHALO NUI!