Issue 41   |   September 21, 2015   |   Archive   |   Subscribe

News & Events

In Style in Hamilton

Have a passion for fashion history? You can feed your craving at Hamilton Library, where the second-floor Bridge Gallery is hosting a costume exhibition curated by ShuHwa Lin (FDM) with help from Minako McMarthy, JuYoung Kang, Melody van Buren, ShuFeng Lin, and Jennifer Bright (all FDM). In Style: Celebrating 50 Years of the UHM Costume Collection is an exhibition of 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century clothing, textiles, and dolls from the Costume Collection’s Hawai‘i and Asian sub-collections. This exhibit, which runs September 16 through December 6, features a Qing Dynasty dragon robe, a Japanese uchikake from the 1970s, and a variety of aloha wear, along with 17 research posters and 15 Asian dolls. While most of the documentation of the artifacts was provided by Collection inaugurators Oma Umbel and Mary Ellen Des Jarlais, former curators and other experts were consulted, including Hamilton's Jack Kormos and Deborah Dunn, Andy Reilly (FDM), and Theresa Sull and Rayneld Johnson. Thanks also go to Ryan Kurasaki (MBBE) for delivering eight professional mannequins and transporting the costumes, as well as to Jacqueline Tani and Wayne Fujino (both FCS), and members from of the FDM 491 course on Costume Museum Management.

“A Fair With Local Flair”

Anyone who’s going to be on Maui on September 24 through 27 is in for a treat at the 93rd Annual Maui Fair! CTAHR’s presence will be strong, including faculty presentations such as “Pest of the Hour,” “Healthy Living Across the Lifespan,” “Technology for Independent Living,” and “Clean Your Huli”; the launch of the Maui Adopt-A-Garden giving opportunity, with free gifts for anyone donating during the fair; Master Gardeners selling plants and honey from the Maui CES garden; a community needs-assessment survey being conducted by M’Randa Sandlin, with free gifts for everyone who completes a survey, and CTAHR department informational brochures, publications, and business cards being distributed. Don’t miss it!

GoFarm Going Strong

Heard about GoFarm and want to find out what all the buzz is about? You’re in luck! Cohort 4 of GoFarm Hawai‘i at Leeward’s beginning farmer training program will be kicking off with the free AgCurious event scheduled for November 10 at 6:00 p.m. at Leeward Community College, room GT105. Come learn about farming in Hawai‘i and the GoFarm Hawai‘i program and sign up for the next cohort of aspiring farmers! Just RSVP by sending your name to leeward@gofarmhawaii.org, and you, too, can…GoFarm!

ROD Squad at the Park

On the Big Island and concerned about the dying trees? JB Friday (NREM) and collaborators Lisa Keith of PBARC and Flint Hughes of USDA’s Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry will discuss Rapid ‘Ohi‘a Death (ROD) at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium, on Sept. 29 from 7 to 8 p.m., as part of the park’s After Dark in the Park series. Click here and scroll down for more information.

Save the Date for Professional Development

The Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program’s 2015 Agricultural Professional Development Workshop will be held October 13th and 14th at the Maui Cooperative Extension Office in Kahului. This 2-day program, sponsored by WSARE and CTAHR, is designed for the continued professional development of Extension educators, NRCS field staff, and other agriculture professionals. If you are interested in attending please contact Jari Sugano or Theodore Radovich (both TPSS) at suganoj@ctahr.hawaii.edu or theodore@hawaii.edu. A limited number of travel scholarships are available, so apply to get a free ride to Maui!

Grants & Awards

What’s in Your Soil?

Susan Crow (NREM) is part of a working group that has been recently funded by the USGS Powell Center to map the vulnerability of soil carbon to change and understand how changes to the soil will feedback to the climate system. The group’s proposal asks, “What lies below? Improving quantification and prediction of soil carbon storage, stability, and susceptibility to disturbance.” As it explains, “Soils are a vast reservoir of organic carbon (C), rendering the fate of soil C an important control on the global climate system. Widespread changes in soil C storage capacity present a potentially strong feedback to global change. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of how soil C will respond to climate and/or land use disturbance remains elusive, resulting in major uncertainties in global climate models. Our working group will synthesize information on the processes controlling soil C storage across different spatial scales and develop new procedures to translate local measurements to the regional and global scale datasets used by models. These activities will improve our ability to map the vulnerability of soil C and constrain the role of soil change on the climate system.” Congratulations to Susan and her working group on their important and timely work!

Down With Waste, Up With Fuel!

Two undergraduate students mentored by Eunsung Kan (MBBE) won 1st place in oral presentations at the 2015 IKE Scholars Symposium, a competition in the Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program sponsored by NSF. Vallerie Smith and Chad Morrow, both juniors in Civil and Environmental Engineering, conducted their research on “A Novel Algal Bioreactor for Wastewater Treatment and Biofuel Production” over the course of the summer and were also mentored by grad student Yong Hoon Yoo (right). Congratulations to Vallerie, Chad, Eunsung, and Yong Hoon!

Starve the Invasives to Save the Natives

Amanda Knauf (MS student, NREM) gave two professional presentations this summer on her thesis research and was the runner-up for the Outstanding Student Poster award at both: the Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation held in Honolulu—sponsored in part by NREM—and the Hawaii Conservation Conference of the Hawaii Conservation Alliance held in Hilo. Amanda is working in Creighton Litton’s lab on a study to examine competitive dynamics between native and nonnative plants across a range of soil nutrient availabilities. Soil nutrient availability commonly increases following disturbances, and elevated nutrient levels in the post-disturbance environment have a large influence on the resulting plant community. Nonnative plants are thought to be better adapted to take advantage of increased soil nutrients, at the expense of native plants. So Amanda’s research is testing the idea that reducing soil nutrients can tip the competitive advantage back in the favor of native plants. It’s a promising idea—from a researcher with a promising future!

Land Use in the West Mauis

TPSS PhD student Kim Falinski won the Best Student Oral award—and $500!—at the Hawaii Conservation Conference in Hilo this summer. Many other grad students from CTAHR also attended the important conference, at which managers, scientists, non-profits, and government agencies come together annually to help solve Hawai‘i’s conservation problems. The talk, entitled “Visualizing Two Centuries of Land Use Change in West Maui,” discussed a variety of changes in the native forest contributing to the land’s ability to retain water, sediment, and nutrients, including the presence of feral pigs throughout the watershed and changing agricultural practices. She explained that land managers need to be able to understand the effects on ecosystem services in watersheds where fallow agriculture lands are being re-developed, and to predict what future land use will provide the most valuable ecosystem goods and services. Kim, who works with partners at the Natural Capital project at Stanford and The Nature Conservancy under Kirsten Oleson (NREM), compared sediment and nutrient retention, water yield, and carbon sequestration for different periods in Hawaii’s history (pre-settlement, agricultural boom, 2010, and a 2020 future scenario). The results show the tradeoffs land use managers made in the past and suggest possible alternatives for the future. Congratulations, Kim!

Fueling Bio-Fuel Research

Four students from Samir Khanal’s (MBBE) Energy and Environmental Research group received NSF conference grant funding to attend S1041, the Science and Engineering for a Bio-Based Industry and Economy Annual Meeting and Symposium, in Wooster, Ohio earlier in August. The award recipients are MS students Edward Drielak (second from left) and Shilva Shrestha (right) and PhD students Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat (second from right) and Duc Nguyen (left). The students presented posters of their research work in the symposium: Edward’s on “Dilute Acid Pretreatment: Investigation of Acid Concentration, Time, Temperature and Solid to Liquid Ratio on Total Sugar Release from Napier Grass”; Shilva’s on “Anaerobic Digestion of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Rumen Contents For Enhanced Biogas Production”; Chayanon’s on “Enhanced Volatile Fatty Acids Production With Micro-Oxygenation During Anaerobic Digestion of Lignocellulosic Biomass”; and Duc’s on “Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP)-based Micro-aeration for Anaerobic Digestion.” Thanks go to the students, and to Samir, for their work towards increased energy self-sufficiency!

Spotlight on Our Community

A Bash to Remember

At the 27th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash, representatives from CTAHR’s departments and administration vied for the top honors in the costume contest and the ice cream-eating competition. Competing this year were Von Kaanaana (FCS), Makena Dyer (HNFAS), Roberto Rodriguez (MBBE), Jonathan Marshall (NREM), Gerald Crank (PEPS), Nicholas Krueger (TPSS), and Cheryl Ernst (Admin). Congratulations to Nicholas—aka Brock—for winning the costume contest dressed as a funkadelic broccoli stalk and Von—to-ga! To-ga!—for his athleticism and coordination during the relay race and for downing his ice cream in record time. Then students, faculty, and staff enjoyed free ice cream and popsicles generously donated by Meadow Gold. Over $175 was collected to support CTAHR’s Pre-Veterinary Club. Big mahalos go out to Meadow Gold for its continuous support of CTAHR; Joannie Dobbs and the NREM and MBBE departments for use of their facilities; Ray Uchida of the O‘ahu Extension Office and Ernesto Ortal and Nester Dela Cruz of Pearl City UGC for tent coverage; and the tireless ice cream scoopers. Thanks are also due to co-emcees Alex Navarro and Hailey Pederson and the rest of the planning committee, scholarship recipients, ASAO, SAPFB, and everyone whose efforts made the 27th Annual Welcome Back Ice Cream Bash a huge success!

Seeing the Forest Stewards for the Trees

Now entering its fourth year, the Hawaii Forest Stewards Program celebrates its class of 2015. Sixteen forest landowners gathered at Kilauea Military Camp at Volcano to participate in an intensive three-day workshop, balancing half-day classroom sessions with afternoon field trips to managed private forests. Forest Stewards from the inaugural class of 2012 and the class of 2013 returned to relate their experiences with applying good forest management and conservation techniques learned at the workshop to their own land. They also shared stories of how they reach out to friends and neighbors to pass on their new forestry knowledge. There are now over 58 graduates of the Hawaii Forest Stewards program serving the Hawaii community via a wide range of activities such as school outreach, forest tours, and planting native trees in public areas!

Looking for Home

Ethel Villalobos (PEPS), the director of the UH Honeybee Project, is featured in a recent KITV news story about the increasing amount of bee swarms that are being seen. The warm, wet weather is just right for bees, and Ethel explains that overcrowded bee colonies are expanding, which causes swarms as groups of bees leave with their queen to create a new colony elsewhere. This is all great news for the bees and for the crops they pollinate, and Ethel reassures those who may be nervous of the swarms that all the bees are looking for is a peaceful place to settle down; they don’t want to attack, so don’t give them any reason to change their minds!

Green on the Go

Kristen Jamieson (NREM, senior) has been appointed Student Sustainability Coordinator for the entire UH System. Kristen, who is minoring in TPSS, is looking forward to teaching students the importance of improving the health of their planet while still having fun, a recent Ka Leo article about the appointment reported. She’s looking into opportunities for paid students jobs funded by UH’s sustainability office and will help connect students with faculty or other members of the community to work together towards sustainability. She also wants to help the different campuses connect to share sustainable ideas. Kristen will be helping to organize the annual Hawai‘i Sustainability in Higher Education Summit in Spring 2015, as she did last year as a volunteer for Sustainable UH. This year, with the help of some colleagues, she’s starting up a “compost pilot project,” which will gather food waste from campus housing and compost it near the SOFT greenhouse; if possible, she envisions food waste bins outside of every dorm. Go, Kristen!

Passion for Fashion in Berlin

Andy Reilly (FDM) took seven UHM students to Berlin this past summer through the Study Abroad Program. A mix of FDM students and German-language students, they had the choice of taking classes in either German or English; those taking English classes took Andy’s course on fashion and society in 20th-century Germany. The group spent six weeks there, the last week coinciding with Berlin’s fashion week. Students went to fashion shows, attended a retail convention, visited designers and manufactures, and toured museum exhibitions that centered around the fashion industry. One student, Jeremy Divinagracia, was even asked to model in a fashion show for the menswear brand Evidence on Monday! Here Jeremy (left) stands next to Evidence on Monday designer and founder Marcin Kleiber.

Much Ado About Mulch

Leyla Kaufman, Marisol Quintanilla, and Mark Wright (all PEPS), in conjunction with WSARE, held a field day that showcased the benefits of using reflective plastic mulch in tomato production at the Poamoho Research Station. Eighteen farmers and agricultural professionals attended the event. There, participants were able to see firsthand the differences of on-farm application, and the improvements over conventionally used black plastic mulch were (almost literally!) blinding. If you missed this event and are curious about the results of this research, you can access the Extension field day handouts here or watch this video of the field day from the comfort of your home or office. Thanks go to the O‘ahu Extension Office for facilitating the field day!

History and Future on Moloka‘i

Twelve members of the student Horticulture Society visited Moloka‘i to explore its horticulture and agriculture. Proceeds from plant sales hosted by the society are used to help reduce the costs of their annual trip. They visited and toured UH’s Demonstration Farm, near Kualapuu. There they met Extension agent Alton Arakaki, who gave a brief history of the farm and explained its future endeavors to foster diversification in Hawai‘i’s ag sector. They saw test plots of peppers, onions, kalo, and koa, and compared windbreaks of cassava, banana, and shade cloth for effectiveness. Commercial fences and green fence material were discussed in terms of keeping the increasing populations of deer out of cash crops. The group got to hike into the Kalawao/Kalaupapa settlement to learn the history of Hansen’s disease and to help out the National Park Service. They helped with beach cleanups, weeded the grounds at the native plant greenhouse, collected rare palm seeds for propagation efforts, and air-layered avocado trees planted by past patients. Some even participated in the annual Hapai Pohaku workshop, in which volunteers rehabilitate and rebuild old stone walls, recording and photographing artifacts found within the walls. Ken Leonhardt (TPSS) also visited Kalaupapa to solidify future positions and internships for upcoming CTAHR students. Thanks to USDA-NIFA for partially funding the trip!

Never Enough Pie…

County Extension agent Becky Settlage gives new meaning to the phrase “Big Ag” with the giant pumpkin she grew for Hilo 4-H’s 2015 Giant Pumpkin Contest. It’s not just a pumpkin, though; it’s an edible advertisement for the 7th Annual Big Island Giant Pumpkin Contest, which is coming up in October. The contest is an activity of the Hawai‘i 4-H Junior Master Gardener Program, in collaboration with Kekela Farm Market, Waimea Towne Market at Parker School, and the Hawaii Island School Garden Network. Last year’s contest not only featured the weighing and displaying of the mammoth squash; there were also pumpkin-cooking contests, a “Best-Tasting Tomato” contest, and a display of other giant and unusual-looking vegetables. Expect as much fun and enormous plant products this year!

Guardians of the Garden Isle

Scores of Kauai residents braved steady rain showers to participate in the first annual Guardians of the Garden Island event at the Kaua‘i Agricultural Research Center. Organized and hosted by the Kauai Invasive Species Committee, and sponsored in part by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the event brought together presenters from CTAHR, the Kokee Resource Conservation Program, U.S. F&W, Malama Kauai, Makauwahi Cave Reserve, Kauai Forest Birds Recovery Project, Nene Habitat Conservation Plan, Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (DLNR-DOFAW), and the Hanalei Watershed Hui. Several of these agencies now have offices at the Research Station, which is increasingly recognized as a community focal point for activities related to the interface of agriculture and the environment. Here CTAHR partner Michelle Clark from the US Fish & Wildlife Service highlights contraband wildlife artifacts in a display at the Kauai Agricultural Research Center. Kudos to Rachel Smith, the KISC Outreach team, and the CTAHR farm crew for organizing this event!

Discover AgDiscovery!

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, in conjunction with CTAHR, hosted its fifth annual AgDiscovery program this summer. Ten high school students from Hawai‘i, the Mainland, and American Samoa participated in two weeks of intense ag learning and career exploration in animal and plant health, veterinary science, animal and plant disease eradication, plant pathology, entomology, and wildlife services. Participants lived on the Manoa campus, learning about agricultural science from university professors, practicing veterinarians, industry representatives, and US government professionals. AgDiscovery is a nationwide program, but Hawai‘i’s program is unique in its emphasis on tropical agriculture and the traditional Native Hawaiian values. The students visited a local commercial aquaponics operation, worked with anthuriums and orchids, learned about local ranching and ecotourism, helped out at a lo’i, or taro patch, made Hawaiian cuisine using traditional methods, learned about local biotechnology ventures, gained understanding of the management of imports and exports to and from the state, and extracted honey from the comb. Photos and videos can be found here or here. For more information, contact Charly Kinoshita at kinoshitac@ctahr.hawaii.edu.

In Line for Success

Lynn Sakutori, a fashion design graduate with local roots, has a new line of clothing, a-line, available in Macy’s stores. The recent Midweek article about her collection explains that she’s been making clothing ever since she was twelve, when she joined 4-H and began a sewing project. After getting her degree in APDM (now FDM), Lynn worked in New York for such celebrated designers as Nine West, Kenneth Cole, and The Limited. Returning to Hawai‘i in 2007, she began her own lines, which have also been carried by Nordstrom. Macy’s special event on November 23, Night of the Stars, will include the chance to meet Lynn and receive a free clutch bag, so go check it out!

Eating Local, Big Isle Style

Faculty and staff from the Nutrition and Health program area of Hawai‘i Extension recently spent two days on the Big Island learning about local efforts in producing, marketing, and selling food that’s grown or made on the island. The group learned about the Mountain Apple Brand with former Oustanding Alumnus Derek Kurisu at KTA Super Stores; CTAHR research with farm manager Marla Fergerstrom at Mealani Experiment Station; tomato production at Kawamata Farms; the outdoor living classroom of the Mala‘ai Garden at Waimea Middle School; mushroom cultivation at Hamakua Mushrooms; and the increasing availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for the hungry through the Food Basket, Hawai‘i Island’s Food Bank, a development that also supports local farmers.

A Honey of a Project

UH alumnus and longtime supporter Samuel Kakazu, Jr., has a new plan to help the university and the environment: the creation and marketing of bumper stickers whose proceeds will help to support the UH Honeybee Project. In the spirit of the popular “HE>i” logo, the stickers read “BEES>me.” Mr. Kakazu explained, “The concept of the mark is a selfless one, in that the welfare of our pollinators supersedes the individual. The goal of the campaign is to increase the awareness of their plight and financially support projects promoting the health of pollinators.” The stickers are on sale for $2.00 at all Koolau Farmers locations and will also be available at special events. The Kakazu family has developed a Facebook page to further the project.

Horticulture in the Big Easy

Science and fun went together at the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) meeting held in New Orleans in early August. Here, TPSS grad student Kauahi Perez and junior Extension agent Sharon Motomura pose for a photo op in Mardi Gras attire provided by ASHS. Kauahi presented a poster on her plumeria research, and Sharon presented one on production of ginger seed in Hawai‘i. Also presenting their research findings at the ASHS conference were TPSS grad student Chandrappah Gangaiah and recent TPSS alumna Amanda Ackerman. Other TPSS faculty and staff attending included Richard Criley, Kent Kobayashi, Nguyen Hue, Susan Miyasaka, and Amjad Ahmad.

New Publications

Fathers in the ‘Ohana

Selva Lewin-Bizan (FCS, research collaborator with COF), has written a demographic report, “The State of Fathers in the State of Hawaii,” for the State Commission on Fatherhood (under the State Department of Human Services) about fathers in Hawai‘i that’s been generating a lot of press, including a Honolulu Star-Advertiser article and coverage on Hawaii Public Radio and KITV. Selva showed that fathers in Hawai‘i score higher than the national average in some important areas, including education, employment, and income. They’re also more likely to be part of a two-parent family and are less likely to be absent. However, Selva also pointed out areas which fathers need support: in Hawaii there’s a greater proportion of single fathers among men who have no formal schooling than those who have higher educational attainment. The proportion of single fathers is higher among men with annual earnings of less than $10,000 compared with any group of fathers with higher earnings. “This combination of factors impairs some men’s ability to financially support their children,” Selva is quoted as saying in the Star-Advertiser article. The report, which was released at the state Legislature’s Keiki Caucus at the State Capitol, is being hailed as an important tool to help the State to help those father who need extra support.

Sleepy Orange Isn’t So Sleepy

Dan Rubinoff and Will Haines (both PEPS) are co-authors, with Janis Matsunaga and Forest and Kim Starr, of an article in News of the Lepidopterists’ Society describing a new butterfly that has crossed the Pacific and rapidly established itself throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The Sleepy Orange butterfly, they explain, was first seen in December of 2013 in Waialua on O‘ahu and since has been seen on Maui, Kaua‘i, the Big Island, Moloka‘i, and Kaho‘olawe, even becoming quite abundant on several islands. As the article comments, “It is remarkable how quickly and thoroughly A. nicippe spread throughout the archipelago.” The larvae eat Senna species, which include shower trees.

Oh, Gee, Algae!

Check out the latest issue of Biotech in Focus. This issue, based on a paper written by student Megan Manley for the class TPSS 416 Introduction to Social, Ethical, and Political Issues Associated With Biotechnology, focuses on the possibility of using genetically engineered algae as a possible source of biofuel. As the issue points out, “Algae are among the most efficient producers of biomass”; therefore, they have the potentially to be a readily renewable source of a variety of resources, including energy production. This issue and previous ones can be found at the Biotech in Focus website.

Anthuriums (Heart) Anthurium Blight Website

Are your anthuriums looking…blighted? Anthurium blight is a serious disease that has severely impacted Hawai‘i’s anthurium industry. CTAHR has been instrumental in the fight against the pest since it was first discovered, and now a new website created by Scot Nelson (PEPS) describes its history and shows what’s in store for the future. Anthurium Blight: Pathogen, Symptoms and Management offers just what its title suggests, including what the disease is, what’s been done about it in the past, and what is being done to curb it now. The faculty involved with the associated 5-year HATCH project “Production, assessment and disease management of hybrid anthurium cultivars” are PI Anne Alvarez (PEPS) and co-PI’s Teresita Amore (TPSS) and Brent Sipes and Kelvin Sewake (both PEPS). The website will continue to be updated over time as new data and publications from the project and investigators become available.

In Memoriam

Bill Raynor

We are saddened to report that CTAHR alumnus Bill Raynor passed away at his home in Pohnpei. When Bill came to Pohnpei 34 years ago as a Jesuit volunteer, he quickly learned that the Western-style production agriculture he was trained in was not appropriate to an ancient Pacific Island culture. He learned from local farmers and then studied agroforestry in CTAHR’s Agronomy and Soil Science department under Dr. Jim Fownes. Together, they developed ways to analyze and quantify properties of the traditional and very complex Pohnpeian agroforestry system. He wrote several articles on agroforestry in Pohnpei that remain fundamental papers in the field. He then led a watershed conservation project in Pohnpei and eventually joined The Nature Conservancy, first as director of the Micronesia program and eventually serving as director of the Asia-Pacific region. In 2012 he was selected as keynote speaker for the Hawaii Conservation Conference. But probably more important to Bill were his roots in the community in Pohnpei, where he married and raised a large family. Fluent in Pohnpeian, he earned the Pohnpeian honorific title Soumadau en Pei ni Eng Eihr—the Lord of the Altar of the East Wind. Here he is pictured (left) with friend and colleague JB Friday (NREM), who wrote the moving tribute to Bill. He will be missed.

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