Ho'oulu ʻĀina

Yesterday, I spent the morning at Kalihi Valley Nature Preserve to kokua with the spreading of limu into some of there plots. Gorilla ogo and mudweed (3nd Pic. from top) was spread over the rows and than dug into the soil (top Pic. below). Kalihi Valley Nature Preserve is pioneering the use of Avrainvillea and is having success. I learned that when they incorporate avrainvillea into their compost piles, they layer it with shredded tree trimmings and it takes about 6 to maybe 9 months to completely decompose. Yesterday, we dug fresh avrainvillea & gorilla ogo right into the plots for the first time without it being composted prior to. That's how confident they are about the use of avrainvillea as nourishment for the lepo in addition to other composting materials. I am experimenting with the composting of avrainvillea in a small garden plot also in Kamiloiki (bottom Pic. below) and will keep you posted as to how it goes.

We also spent time weeding and hiking around the preserve.

For those of you have been involved in the pulling of invasive alien algae from Maunalua Bay and than watching it go bye-bye to places unknown. Now, you can see the whole mauka - makai connection by seeing that what we have been viewing as rubbish only, is not rubbish. It is a valuable resource that can be used to enrich the land and grow food, flowers, native plants & trees. Solomon Enos is a great teacher and they are doing great things in Kalihi. They are a great model to learn from and follow in ahupua'a land management. They hope that their Nature Preserve can serve as a template for other communities to learn from and incorporate into their own ahupua'a.