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Issue 33 | September 08, 2014 | Archive News & EventsLate But Still Great!For those who feared that the next Alumni & Friends was never coming, your wait is over! Many apologies for the delay. After the StormWhew! It looks like Hawai‘i County
research stations escaped major damage from Hurricane Iselle. Volcano, Kona,
and Lalamilo reported no damage, and Mealani reported downed branches on an electric
fence, which were cleared, and a tree leaning into power lines. Waiakea Station
had the most serious damage, with a 20 x 30-foot section of the roof of a tractor garage peeled off and many broken tree branches and toppled trees. No injuries, though! Grants & AwardsBig Reaction for the BioreactorEunsung Kan (MBBE, pictured) mentored and supervised the first
prize-winning graduate student team of Rommel Yanos, Bertram Booker, and Stuart
Watson at the August 16 Ma Ka Hana Ka ‘Ike 3rd annual ‘IKE Scholars Symposium.
The topic of their presentation was “Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in a Novel Bioreactor.”
The judges, comprised of UH faculty, UH administration, professional engineers,
industry representatives, and UH graduate students, chose the MBBE presentation
from among the 11 entries in the symposium. The symposium featured student
presentations of projects supported through ‘IKE both in the Summer Engineering
Experiences (SEEs) and Undergraduate Research Experiences (URE). ‘IKE students
hail from six UH campuses. Congratulations, Eunsung, Rommel, Bertram and
Stuart! Hort Hot ShotRobert Paull (TPSS) was elected a Fellow of the American
Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS) for his outstanding contributions to
horticulture and the Society. ASHS promotes and encourages national and
international interest in scientific research and education in horticulture in
all its branches, and the ASHS Fellows Award is the highest honor bestowed on a
member. Bob received the award at the annual meeting held in Orlando, Florida.
As if that were not sufficient, Bob was also named a Fellow of the
International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) for his outstanding
contributions to horticultural science worldwide! ISHS is the world’s leading
independent organization of horticultural scientists. We clearly have a
horticultural star in our midst! GoFarm on Kaua‘i!The GoFarm Hawai‘i program
received $25,000 in support of their program at Kaua‘i Community College from
the Doc Buyers Fund at Hawai‘i Community Foundation. GoFarm Hawai‘i began
training beginning farmers on Kaua‘i this year and is looking forward to
continuing to develop new farmers to meet Hawai‘i’s need for more commercial
farmers with the support of this most recent funding. GoFarm Hawai‘i also
receives financial support from Kamehameha Schools, the Ulupono Initiative, and
the U.S. Department of Labor. Read more about Kaua‘i’s GoFarm program at
Midweek Kaua‘i. Hort Hall of FamerAndrew Kawabata (TPSS) was
honored with the 2014 MIDPAC Hall of Fame award at the Hawai‘i MidPac
Horticultural Conference & Expo held July 23-25 at the Hapuna Prince
Hotel. Andrew's clients nominated and
selected him for this honor. The MidPac Conference is an annual event that
brings together growers and buyers of Hawai‘i's ornamental products. The Hawai‘i Export Nursery Association (HENA),
Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association (HFNA), and Orchid Growers of
Hawai‘i (OGOH) partnered to organize this year's event with the able assistance
of Andrew and Kelvin Sewake (PEPS). Congratulations, Andrew! Floriculture FantasticCongratulations to PhD
student Emily Lloyd (TPSS), who was awarded the John Carew Memorial Scholarship
from the American Floral Endowment! The American Floral Endowment is an
independent, nonprofit organization that funds research and scholarships in
floriculture and environmental horticulture for the benefit of growers,
wholesalers, retailers, allied industry organizations, and the general public.
Emily was drawn to the intersection of aesthetics and science in the production
of ornamentals, which inspired her to research them for her doctorate. We know her research and her success will continue to flower! Spotlight on Our CommunitySpeaking of Organic Seeds in New YorkFarm coach Jay Bost and banana expert Gabe Sachter-Smith (both
TPSS graduate students) presented at the Student Organic Seed Symposium this August
in Ithaca, New York. There they shared experiences in applying their work
towards moving agriculture in the direction of increased sustainability and
regionalism. Jay was also one of the event organizers. The theme for this
year’s symposium was “Regional Adaptation for Sustainable Food and Seed Systems,”
and the event assembled a diverse interdisciplinary group of speakers and
graduate students, with a focus on plant breeding and related disciplines. From CTAHR to Environmental LawPEPS alumnus Matthew Alan Sylva has continued going strong
since he won the CTAHR Award for Merit for Undergraduates for Oral
Presentations at the CTAHR/COE Symposium in April, and first place for Natural
Sciences Presentations at the Honors/UROP Symposium in May based on his work
with wiliwili trees. Matthew spent his summer working with Native Hawaiian
plants at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethno-Botanical Garden in Kealakekua before
embarking on the next phase of his educational journey: the William S.
Richardson School of Law, where he will work toward a certificate in
environmental law. “I would say that my mentor and thesis adviser Dr. Leyla
Kaufman has been crucial to helping me to get where I am today,” Matthew says. “I
wouldn't have been able to conduct such a fascinating thesis out in the field,
on a neighbor island, with such autonomy (especially as an undergrad) under
anyone else within CTAHR. Both she and Dr. Mark Wright are inspirations to me.
They're so smart and accomplished, but never make you feel too intimidated, and
they are unbelievably helpful and nice.” Praise is due to all three! Welcome to CTAHR! Enjoy Your College!The 35 newest members of our college were welcomed at the
2014 New Student Orientation by Associate Dean Charly Kinoshita and Lisa
Kitagawa-Akagi (ASAO). Representatives from student clubs and organizations encouraged new students to get involved, followed by a slideshow of pictures from college events during the past
academic year. Afterward, the new students broke into groups, led by current
CTAHR students who gave them lots of good advice. They shared their
personal development of skills that will help in life after college and answered
any questions the incoming students had. Afterward, groups went out on a campus
tour, came back to Gilmore Hall for a tasty lunch, and met with an academic
advisor, where they received guidance on classes to take and what to expect in
college from their academic careers. A big thank you goes to the student committee
members and scholarship recipients who served as NSO leaders: Sheldon Arakawa,
Arby Barone, Stanley Chan, Jerrisa Ching, Noel Gibeau, Abraham Kwan, Hailey
Pederson, Jason McMurray, Brandon Ngao, Ryan Ringuette, Trexia Sison, Angela
Stein, Ericka Yiu, and Kelli Zakimi. Mahalo is also owed to faculty advisors, student club and
organization representatives, and ASAO for helping to welcome the newest
members of our college! Plant Nutrients From Sea BirdsAn article in the August issue of Environment Hawai‘i,
“Marine Subsidies for Montane Soils,” highlighted a presentation PhD
candidate Julia Rowe (NREM) gave at the recent Hawaii Ecosystems Meeting in Hilo.
Julia has been studying levels of nutrients in soil at upper Limahuli and Hono
o Napali on the north shore of Kaua‘i. She has seen differences between seabird
and non-seabird areas and is continuing research into the connection between
seabirds and nitrogen levels in the soil. The August issue of Environment
Hawai‘i also includes an update on Jesse Eiben (PEPS) and his work with the
wekiu bug! Albizia Are Bad for (Cleanup) BusinessThe albizia tree strikes again (literally)! Ken Leonhardt (TPSS)
talked to KHON about what makes albizia a particularly problematic tree,
especially when it comes to the clean-up efforts in Puna. Albizia are
fast-growing trees that can be found on every island, where they pose a
potential hazard during high wind situations such as Tropical Storm Iselle. In Puna,
downed albizia trees have damaged numerous power lines and have impeded
progress in the recovery. Ken recommends getting rid of the trees if they are
on your property and keeping on guard in areas where albizia grow near power
lines and private property. 4-H “Makes the Best Better” on the Big IslandIn the wake of the recent Hurricane Iselle, East Hawai‘i
4-H’ers and their families have devoted countless volunteer hours in the past 12 days
to helping hurricane victims. 4-H families helped to serve hot meals to those
in need and collected almost 3,700 pounds of ice, bottled water, and canned goods, as
well as bedding, personal hygiene items, and batteries. There were also diapers, baby food, stuffed
animals, and toys for area keiki. East Hawai‘i 4-H would like to say mahalo to
all who made donations and also to many of the Hawai‘i County CTAHR faculty for
all their support and assistance. And we’d like to say mahalo to East Hawai‘i 4-H! Style on the RadioAndy Reilly (FCS) and Malie Moran
took to the Hawai‘i Public Radio airwaves to discuss Honolulu’s street fashion and their recent book,
Honolulu Street Style. The book includes a fabulous collection of photographs and goes into the diverse global trends that
influence Hawai‘i, as well as the unique local neighborhood cultures that put
their own spin on fashion. Honolulu Street Style is available from your
favorite bookseller. Pulling for Puna!Big Island CTAHR Extension is
lending a helping hand with hurricane relief in Puna. A big mahalo to Extension
agents Becky Settlage for leading the CTAHR and East Hawai‘i 4-H’er charge, and
Sharon Motomura for helping to bag ice for East Hawai‘i 4-H to distribute to
families in need in the Puna area!
Sharing English and Food Science@import url(/Site/css/cute_editor.css);
‘Ono! Oishii! Science! CTAHR students Alex Navarro, Jay Gibson, Jennie Yano, Saya Kataoka, Flora Wang,
and Ross Villiger (HNFAS) and Allie Kim (MBBE) volunteered with the Nihon University Summer Program August 6
and 11. The CTAHR student volunteers participated in English conversation as
part of the Nihon University students’ English language courses at UH. The 16
students from Nihon University are spending 10 days in Hawai‘i studying English and
topics in Food Science and Human Nutrition at UH. Exploring the Global Mosaic in TaiwanCTAHR alumna Jasmine
Asuncion (FAMR) was one of two UH students/alumnae selected for Mosaic Taiwan, a
three-week fellowship program led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan. The program selected 30 scholars from across the country. Mosaic Taiwan provides
young students and professionals with an interest in global affairs with the
opportunity to explore the beauty of Taiwan’s natural environment and to
better understand its culture and society through extensive exchanges with
local leaders from various fields. This year’s program ran from June 15 to July
5, during which the participants took part in team-building and leadership-development
exercises; tours of various businesses, museums, and cultural sites; and meet-and-greet
sessions with government officials, educators, community representatives and
young leaders in Taiwan. They even got to meet President Ma Ying-jeou and Vice President Wu
Den-yih! Most important, they also got to contribute to Taiwan's cultural mosaic. Sharing and Learning in Hong KongCTAHR students Tyler Daguay (PEPS), Miho
Fujii (FSHN), Felicia Geronimo (TPSS), and Kelli Zakimi (FSHN), along with Sylvia
Trinh of the Academic and Student Affairs Office, are back from 10 days in Hong Kong spent learning about agriculture and food issues. They arrived at the Wing Lung
Ecological Farm located on the outskirts of Hong Kong, where Hong Kong campers
joined them for the work-camp experience. Students helped to weed, till, repair
various facilities, uproot trees, and do pest control management during
their stay. After Wing Lung, they journeyed to other farms stretched across the
region. First was a Buddhist organic farm experimenting with different crops to
see which ones fare well in Hong Kong weather. They then traveled to Ping Che,
where locals were on a mission to revive the regional culture and arts. The CTAHR group shared their own Hawai‘i culture with the villagers and
other international work-campers. The students’ last tour was the rice fields
in Long Valley, where the group harvested, milled, sifted, and bagged rice.
Thanks are due to the VolTra organization in Hong Kong for organizing the study tour and to Bird
Tang, Anson, Chun-On Lai, and Stephanie Chan for hosting the CTAHR group and
going out of their way to make the experience so enjoyable. Thanks also go out to everyone the group met on their adventure,
including KK and the friendly Ping Che residents, the volunteers, and the farmers they visited. Mahalo to ASAO for supporting these adventurous students, and to the students themselves, who made this experience meaningful for everyone they encountered in Hong Kong! Here’s to 4-H and ‘Minnie Lee’!Nice to see you again, ‘Minnie Lee’! 4-H Extension Agents (L-R clockwise) Claire Nakatsuka (O‘ahu),
Kate Everett (Maui), Joan Chong (Kona), Becky Settlage (Hilo), Laura Kawamura
(Kaua‘i), Rose Saito (O‘ahu), and Steve Nagano (O‘ahu), met at the Urban Garden Center August 1 for a meeting and to
plant a ‘Minnie Lee II’ hibiscus to commemorate Cooperative Extension's
Centennial. Its
caretaker will be Aubin Stremler, a UGC volunteer. Kaua‘i administrator Roy Yamakawa provided the
plant, but how it got there was a long, strange trip! The original ‘Minnie Lee’, the Extension hibiscus and the official flower of the
Hawai‘i Extension Homemaker’s Council, was bred by A.M. Bush on Maui in 1929 and named for the wife and daughter of William Lloyd, who formally established Hawai‘i’s
Extension Service. Although a thousand
cuttings were distributed to 4-H’ers back in the 1930s, it was nowhere to be
found by the ’90s. So Terry Sekioka, a now-retired CTAHR
plant breeder, taught the University Extension (UE) ladies on Kaua‘i how to breed hibiscus, and Mrs. Hisayo Niitani, one of the charter members of
Kaua‘i UE, successfully made a cross between the initial parents to produce ‘Minnie Lee
II’ and distributed it to UE club ladies on Kaua‘i. Then, to produce the plant at UGC, one of those plants was grafted! So, as it says in the song
dedicated to ‘Minnie Lee’, “here’s to the yellow hibiscus, our aloha for farm and
for home”...and here’s to those who made sure she’s still blooming! Digestible ScienceNothing brings people together like sharing food. Or, in this case, sharing about how the digestive system breaks down food. On July 31, Maria Stewart
(HNFAS) organized an activity for the 'Iolani/Ritsumeikan Super Science Fair
Exchange to learn about the science of nutrition. Sixteen high school students from
Iolani High School in Honolulu and Ritsumeikan High School in Kyoto, Japan,
participated in a series of lab activities that demonstrated how the digestive
system works. The students
are part of the Super Science Fair Exchange program for high-achieving high
school students who wish to pursue careers in science. Mark Lindsay, the teacher from Iolani School,
reported that the students really enjoyed the lab and presentation, especially
the hands-on activities and the explanation of the chemical and physical changes that nutrients undergo during digestion. The science of digestion...yummy! New PublicationsWhen Two Plants Love Each Other…The new issue of Biotech
in Focus examines the question, “Is there potential for movement of genes
between genetically modified plants and others?” The bulletin explores how
plants reproduce, and what kind of hybrids can result from the combination of
GM and wild plants. Check out the new issue and all the archived issues of
Biotech in Focus on the website!
Beloved Plant Guide by Beloved Plant Expert Back in PrintSome wisdom never changes, but it’s always good to supplement it with new information. Gardening expert and
former CTAHR publicist Fortunato Teho’s Plants of Hawai‘i—How to Grow
Them, originally published in
1971, has been reprinted by Petroglyph Press, now with Integrated Pest Management, earth-friendly recipes for pest control,
and a list of current gardening resources. The book is an easy-to-read guide offering a description of each plant and its
origins, as well as information about propagation, culture, and pest control. In
1927, Fortunato was the first Filipino to graduate from UH, earning a
bachelor’s degree in agricultural technology. He worked as a publicist for UH’s
College of Tropical Agriculture for 25 years and became the voice of gardening
in Hawai‘i for decades, creating and producing more than 700 radio and
television programs as well as countless articles for various publications. The
first run of Plants of Hawai‘i—How to Grow Them sold more than 50,000 copies
before going out of print. Perfect Pesticide PracticesCollaborators from PEPS, NREM, and HNFAS, along with UH Hilo and the Hawaii Department of Ag, have published Good
Agricultural Practices: A Best Practices Kit for Safe, Legal, and Effective
Pesticide Application in Hawai‘i. The project was spearheaded by Jim Hollyer (HNFAS), Donna Meyer, and Fred Brooks (both PEPS). The kit includes guidelines for choosing the proper spray
nozzle, a checklist of responsibilities for the safe use of pesticides on
farms, an example of a pesticide label, basic guidance on the use of personal
protective equipment, an onsite pesticide registry log for pesticide use on
various types of plants, and a pesticide application log for Hawai‘i
conventional and organic farms. The kit incorporates information from the handy pesticide education
wall charts, if you don’t happen to have four feet of wall space handy for the originals. It’s an invaluable guide for a variety of
plant-oriented industries in Hawai‘i. Spray safely and responsibly! No Beef With BeefAlan Titchenal and Joannie Dobbs (both
HNFAS) share beef facts in their Health Options column for the Star Advertiser.
Beef provides protein as well as iron and zinc, they explain, two vital minerals that are
often lacking in many diets. Beef cattle are also an important part of
Hawai‘i’s agriculture and can benefit the health of pasture lands when managed
properly. Read more about beef at Alan and Joannie’s website. Way Cool, Wekiu!Jesse Eiben and Dan Rubinoff
(both PEPS) published “Application of Agriculture-Developed Demographic
Analysis for the Conservation of the Hawaiian Alpine Wekiu Bug” in the August
issue of the highly prestigious journal Conservation Biology. Jesse and Dan developed a series of laboratory
experiments to study rare and difficult-to-access insects such as the wekiu
bug, shown here scavenging a fly head. By studying insects in the lab, they were able to develop
“life tables,” which represent population growth parameters, environmental
models for wekiu bug life cycles, and demographic changes. The experiments can
be used to help conservation efforts of rare insects by allowing researchers to
optimize their field monitoring methods and timing. That means there are fewer
potential impacts on the summit from looking for the insects at the wrong
times and more efficient and cost-effective field work. Most importantly, if
there are ever negative impacts to the population of the wekiu bug, researchers
and land managers would be able to discover this decline faster and could
predict when the bugs would likely recover. Read more about the wekiu bug at
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