Kahili Beach Preserve: April 28, 2017
Students traveled to Kahili Beach Preseve (Rock Quarries Beach) where they worked in collaboration with Tiffani Keanini and Kelsey Brock (botantist), KISC; Hawaiian Island Land Trust (Peter King/Angela Anderson) and Surfrider Foundation (Barbara Weinder). Students rotated through stations to include Malama Kai with Surfrider, an invasive plant scavenger hunt with KISC, and discovering a sense of place with HILT.
Surfrider Foundation: Beach Clean-up
Kauai Invasive Species Committee; Plant Scavenger Hunt
Hawaiian Island Land Trust; Reflection on Conservation Values
Students explored the preserve and experienced the majestic place of Kahili. It was easy to envision an ancient Hawaiian community with settlements along the river where taro and sweet potatoes were grown; fishing and gathering areas that could extend from the river estuary, near shore out to deep sea. The word kahili means, a polished stick composed of precious wood and adorned with feathers. It was the mark of royalty, the wood and patterns of feathers indicating the rank of the alii’. Kahili Beach Preserve boasts many conservation values including water resources, public beach access, open space, recreation, and native water and seabird habitats.
Students explored current issues and challenges and pondered the question; How can HILT and the community work together to ensure the this land will be conversed in perpetualism? At one point all voices became still; all present were able to listen truly to the breeze, the birds, and the water rustling.
Students identified many native and invasive plants. Tiffani Keanini’s pre class visit taught students the characteristics of each. Native species evolve, arrive on their own, are slow growing, have no defense abilities, and requires native pollinators. Invasive Species are brought to Hawaii and are native to elsewhere in the world, are fast growing and can be easily pollinated and self propagate rapidly. They learned of the Phases of invasion which include prevention, introduction(lag time), colonization, and naturalization and control strategies associated with each. KISC works in early detection. They also learned of the different threat levels of invasion in Hawaii; a statewide threat from new invaders arriving from similar climatic regions; island wide threat from invasive species established on other Hawaiian islands; and regional threats from invaders that have become established on one side of the island versus another side. In the field students identified native plants such as Naupaka, Akiaki,Pohuehue, and Tree Heliotrope which holds sand and stabilizes soil. Students saw invasive plants such as Halekoa and the Ironwood trees although provides shade, stops Naupaka from growing, has pointed needles and add acidity to the soil. Students reflected on the plants contributed to or caused a change in the natural habitat.
The Kahili Beach Preserve is in the Moku Ko’olau and the Ahupua’a Kahili. In his pre class visits Peter King taught students what the Ahupuaa is a Land division usually extending from the uplands to the sea, so called because the boundary was marked by a heap (ahu) of stones surmounted by an image of a pig (puaʻa), or because a pig or other tribute was laid on the altar as tax to the chief. Boundaries of the ahupua`a extended out in to the ocean due to the valuable marine resources the culture relied upon. Ahupua`a are nested in a moku, a larger unit or district). Moku on Kauai are kona, puna, koolau, halele`a, Napali and Niihau.
Students explored current issues and challenges and pondered the question; How can HILT and the community work together to ensure the this land will be conversed in perpetualism? At one point all voices became still; all present were able to listen truly to the breeze, the birds, and the water rustling.
Students identified many native and invasive plants. Tiffani Keanini’s pre class visit taught students the characteristics of each. Native species evolve, arrive on their own, are slow growing, have no defense abilities, and requires native pollinators. Invasive Species are brought to Hawaii and are native to elsewhere in the world, are fast growing and can be easily pollinated and self propagate rapidly. They learned of the Phases of invasion which include prevention, introduction(lag time), colonization, and naturalization and control strategies associated with each. KISC works in early detection. They also learned of the different threat levels of invasion in Hawaii; a statewide threat from new invaders arriving from similar climatic regions; island wide threat from invasive species established on other Hawaiian islands; and regional threats from invaders that have become established on one side of the island versus another side. In the field students identified native plants such as Naupaka, Akiaki,Pohuehue, and Tree Heliotrope which holds sand and stabilizes soil. Students saw invasive plants such as Halekoa and the Ironwood trees although provides shade, stops Naupaka from growing, has pointed needles and add acidity to the soil. Students reflected on the plants contributed to or caused a change in the natural habitat.
The Kahili Beach Preserve is in the Moku Ko’olau and the Ahupua’a Kahili. In his pre class visits Peter King taught students what the Ahupuaa is a Land division usually extending from the uplands to the sea, so called because the boundary was marked by a heap (ahu) of stones surmounted by an image of a pig (puaʻa), or because a pig or other tribute was laid on the altar as tax to the chief. Boundaries of the ahupua`a extended out in to the ocean due to the valuable marine resources the culture relied upon. Ahupua`a are nested in a moku, a larger unit or district). Moku on Kauai are kona, puna, koolau, halele`a, Napali and Niihau.