Lastly, they (4-6yr) went back up to an ez corner and learned the story of Hāloa (origin of taro) while Anakala Kihei (forgive me if I got your name wrong, Uncle!) pounded taro and gave all the kids a chance to taste pa'i 'ai, the taro that's freshly pounded but not watery enough to be poi, yet.
Beautiful!
Sorry for the essay, but its that special of a place.
Incredible experience! I went with my daughter's Hawaiian Immersion class and had a blast. The kids had a blast, too. They pulled weeds in the taro patch, while getting all muddy - that's a good thing. Then they cleaned off in the beautiful stream that runs through the property. After that, they were given scoop nets to help catch an invasive catfish/sucker fish that has overtaken the stream and chased out the native 'o'opu gobie. Again, they had a great time splashing around the stream trying to catch the fish. Of course, they're success was limited by their age (4-6yr), but I'm sure the older kids (7-11yr) got the escapees when they rotated areas.
Gorgeous restoration of He'eia Stream, both sides, up to "Ice Pond" and the stream gauging station. Beautiful Heiau. Productive agriculture (kalo and bananas). Cultural and historical education about the valley, which until WWII was settled by Hawaiians, and well known for its resident Kahuna La'au Lapa'au (medicinal healers and plant experts). The Kamehameha Schools has done an impressive job with the land, and created a valuable educational resource in a historic Hawaiian valley.
My daughter loved her experience there. I loved it, too. Since I do my own farming as well (taro, banana, etc), I had a special appreciation of this place.
My highlight came from seeing all the native Hawaiian plants there. Especially the bananas! I have an appreciation for the specialness, and nowadays, rarity of these bananas. Especially due to the scourge of Bunchy Top Virus, which dooms any banana it hits. And where I farm, its common. So to see plenty if these banana trees everywhere was and incredible experience.
If you can, go visit and participate. Get to know how hard it is to put food on the table naturally and hopefully form a greater appreciation of the food you eat at home. They have open volunteer days 3rd (stream maintenance) and 4th (taro patch maintenance) Saturdays of the month, and I recommend a visit.
Papahana Kuaola is a US Food place based in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Papahana Kuaola is located at 46-403 Haiku Rd, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA.
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