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Impact Stories

Branches of Control
Branches of Control Everyone remembers the toll albizia trees took on Puna during last summer’s Hurricane Iselle, when they knocked down power lines, blocked roads, and crushed roofs and cars.
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Firing the Little Fire Ant
Firing the Little Fire Ant Little fire ants (LFA) are well named. They are minute, about as long as a penny is thick (1/16"). And they not only are orange-red like flame, but their bite burns like fire and then causes welts and intense itching far disproportionate to the insects’ size.
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Fly Way
Fly Way “Egrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention…” This might have been Hawai‘i’s theme song in 1959, when a mere 105 cattle egrets were imported to prey on insects plaguing cattle, but no longer: There are now far more than a few egrets bobbing cockily around.
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Clean and Green
Clean and Green They’re breaking open their pots. “We didn’t realize they’d grow so well,” says agrosecurity researcher Mike Melzer. “We can’t keep up with them!
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CTAHR Meets Hollywood
CTAHR Meets Hollywood There’s more than one way to get to Hollywood, as CTAHR alumni and supporters show—including veterinary skills and fashion design. While many aspiring fashionistas see New York as the place to make their mark, there’s nothing to compare with seeing one’s designs gracing a Hollywood star.
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Far-East Farming and Floriculture
Far-East Farming and Floriculture Agriculture is an ancient global practice, and international exposure can provide a broader perspective as students enter this venerable profession.
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He Speaks for the Trees
He Speaks for the Trees Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences BS alumnus Matthew Alan Sylva is descended from farmers and plant lovers on both sides of his family. He has been interested in plants “since before I could talk,” which led eventually to one of his concurrent bachelor’s degrees.
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The Road to Med School
The Road to Med School Which came first, the egg-fortifying project or the clinical rotation? For Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science (HNFAS) alumnus Nobuhisa Morimoto, there’s no question.
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The Drink of Peace
The Drink of Peace If a tempest can be found in a teacup, then H.C. “Skip” Bittenbender is looking for the opposite in an ‘apu, or ‘awa cup. ‘Awa, or kava, is a medicinal plant that has been used for hundreds of years throughout the Pacific to create a drink that can soothe nerves, combat anxiety, and relieve pain, all while keeping the mind clear. ‘Awa’s unique
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The New Natural
The New Natural Everyone’s heard of organic, but what about Natural? Natural Farming is a constellation of simple, sustainable techniques that’s sweeping the Islands, thanks in large part to Mike DuPonte, an Extension agent based at the Big Island’s Komohana Station.
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The Roots of Healing
The Roots of Healing Leina‘ala Bright has spent much of her life cultivating her ability to communicate with her ancestors through prayer, dreams, meditation, and connecting to her na‘au (instinctual learning).
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A Living and Learning Tool for Teens
A Living and Learning Tool for Teens Teenagers today face a multitude of challenges in an increasingly complex world, but Thao Le has a powerful tool for them: awareness and insight into their own minds.
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Fired Up About Data Mapping
Fired Up About Data Mapping Listen to Clay Trauernicht discuss his passion, and you’ll realize you haven’t been paying enough attention to wildfires in Hawai‘i.
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Social (Media) Butterflies
Social (Media) Butterflies Forget putting up paper flyers for lost valuables—entomologists William Haines and Daniel Rubinoff are using Facebook and smartphone apps to search for and recover an even more prized quarry.
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Click-a-Pest
Click-a-Pest What’s great about Extension work is it extends both ways. One recent example of this synergy was the discovery and mapping of a new coffee pest, an emaravirus that potentially makes coffee cherries unmarketable.
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Urban Re-Leaf
Urban Re-Leaf Sometimes it’s the next generation of thinkers and learners that is best equipped to deploy the next generation of technology.
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