Clean Up Crew from Kamamolikolehua

Today we held our second work day this week, this time with Halau Hula Kamamolikolehua (this is their third visit). The team was composed of people ages 5 - 70+ finished the work that started this week with Monsanto's team. We focused on the pohinahina near the crown flowers and the plumerias on the northwestern corner of the garden.

We also transplanted some 'uki 'uki plants in the shade of the kukui. We think they will like it better there.

And we got to install a few more plants like 'olena, pikake, and even a koa (bred to be resistant to the koa wilt disease -- mahalo to Hawai'i Agriculture Research Center).

It was a beautiful day and everyone felt very accomplished. The Malaola is coming alive!

Monsanto Comes to the Rescue Again!

What a blessing it is to have a big crew of hard-working volunteers from Monsanto, the neighboring farm, help us at the Malaola. This is not their first time bringing large work crews. Last year, they came numerous times. We had them tackle the big job of containing the pohinahina, which is a beautiful plant, but has taken over much of the garden and has even ventured into the road.

They also took out a lot of weedy vines and grasses and dug some new holes for plants, all by hand.

To top if off, they helped out so much by removing the waste material that literally filled about 20 truck loads.

We simply could not have done it ourselves. Mahalo nui loa to Monsanto for supporting the Malaola and the Malama Learning Center.