Papahānaumokuākea `Ahahui Alaka`i (PAA)

Reflections

2010-08-25T10:51:00.002-10:00

REFLECTIONS

By: Randi Kika Brennon

Well, I heard from my PA'A friend George last night. He's visiting Big Island from Houston, and he and his wife want to get together with the Big Island PA'A crew. Three of us, Linda, Al and myself, are dropping out of our day-to-day realities for a minute and having lunch tomorrow. We're bringing our families so that they can meet everyone, too. I'm excited and so looking forward to it.

It feels like we're finally moving into another phase, another shade of what it means to be a PA'A participant. As a group, we've been through so many phases already. The hopeful task of applying to the program set standards and expectations high. Hearing that we were actually given the opportunity to join this new but mana-ful tradition put in place a bubbling excitement, an eager, disbelieving anticipation. Actually getting on the plane to go to Honolulu brought all the emotions together, making the short jaunt between islands almost surreal. The three days on O'ahu pushed us together, rolled us around and put in place an instant, deep feeling of family, comraderie, us-ness.

Being on Kuaihelani took our group and plunged us to a whole new level of life experience. Our relationships with each other and with the 'aina deepened and strengthened. We pushed ourselves individually and supported each other universally. The group sucked unsuspecting Fish and Wildlife agents (yeah, you Tracey) and Midway workers into our vortex, binding them to us as well. I think we all quickly knew that finding words to do justice to our experience was always going to be a challenge.

Leaving Pihemanu was almost heart-breaking and makes my eyes start and sting even now as I remember that night. My heart was so full with the island, understanding that I was truly bound to the place for life. My mind was numb, not comprehending how we could keep going towards the plane and away from the birds, the ocean, the land. The dark, cold, uncomfortable plane ride back to Honolulu was almost poetic in its contrast to the previous ten days.

We were dropped back into our "regular" lives, some of us taking a few days to readjust, some of us diving immediately into new adventures. For me, the transition took longer than I expected...almost two weeks to feel really back in my skin and functioning. Our group stayed connected through Facebook and email. We shared pictures and thoughts and updates. We began to network and follow up on our ideas to work together as ambassadors for the NWHI. We made plans to see each other when we could.

I think that's the phase we are at now. Our PA'A group is ready to use our experiences over the summer to weave a long future of caring for the NWHI. Out of the blue (of course out of the blue...we're talking Norbert here), I got to see Norbert when he came to Hawai'i Island for a workshop. Seeing him was magical and surreal. How could he be just like he was on Midway Island? As we chatted and caught up, we realized that we have a whole group of mutual friends from years back; now we are bound together in past, present and future. As for the future, Norbert and I will be working together with Jen on a project this year with our students. Jen has graciously agreed to be on the board of the non-profit my husband and I are starting. I see Tanya when we participate in Eyes of the Reef activities. Marion and Tracy have agreed to try to come to Big I to help with a week-long campout with my students. Maya and Sarah are constant sources of good cheer and exciting adventures. Linda and I have a future date to get together for dinner with our families. All of us meet in cyber-space and bounce ideas off each other, introduce each other to new friends, and develop our projects. The enrichment and life-changing experience of participating in PA'A is laying the groundwork for a lifetime of stewardship of our kupuna, the NWHI.

And that brings me back to the phone call from George. We'll get together tomorrow and catch up. We'll share our families with each other, tell stories, take pictures. We'll meet again as the family we are, and we'll move steadily towards our common future. Our whole experience is like the hau that we worked on together on Midway. We have been chosen, just as hau bark is sifted through and chosen. We have been soaked in experience, just as hau is soaked in kai. We were stripped and massaged and molded, laid out in the Kuaihelani sun to mature. Finally we were twisted and bound into the cordage we are now, subtle, strong, beautiful. Tomorrow will be another hau strand, lovingly twisted and woven into the larger cordage that binds us together as Papahanaumokuakea 'Ahahui Alaka'i.

Our Ocean, Our Choice

2010-08-17T12:13:00.005-10:00

Post for Saturday June 19, 2010

Our Ocean, Our Choice
By: Sarah Wilson

Every day on Midway we open our day with a special oli (Hawaiian chant) to prepare our group for learning and openness. One morning this week Nai'a mentioned how amazing it is we are here together by choice. We chose to apply for PA'A last winter, they chose to accept us out of their copious stacks of impressive people, and we all chose to fly to this remote island archipelago in the middle (and I mean MIDDLE) of the Pacific Ocean. So here we are on our last day together on Midway and we continue to reflect on our choices....our choice in how to carry this unique experience with us in our daily life and how we will educate others. Our sessions help provide us with the content knowledge we need, while our "free" time is our personal exploration and adventures around the island that definitely fosters knowledge and inspiration. One of our sessions was exploring change in our oceans health. Robin Kundis Craig is a fellow PA'A member, environmental lawyer and professor at Florida State University College of Law in Tallahassee. She spoke to us about climate change, Marine Protected Areas (MPA's), and how the law and governance is involved in the conservation of species and ecosystems. The ocean is facing a variety of stressors from overfishing to marine debris and these combined impacts can take their toll. Add to the mix a steady change over time in climate and the combined resource use stressors and this can cause serious damage to ocean ecosystems.

Environmental law does not regulate the environment, it regulates humans. The law has to be tied to direct and indirect effects of what humans do to the environment. It is easier to prohibit a particular behavior in advance, such as oil extraction in a certain area, than it is to mandate later on in the form of habitat restoration after an oil spill. When measuring ocean use, money value is placed on ecosystem services, or the resources that ecosystems provide. Across the globe $33 trillion is provided from ecosystems and 2/3 of that value is from ocean ecosystems. With this numerical value now placed on the value of a healthy ocean….it would make sense that we want and need a healthy and productive ocean. What are the management steps Robin recommends to have this?

1.Pollution prevention….all types of pollution such as large plastics, derelict fishing gear and large scale chemical discharge and every day runoff from land.

2.Fishing regulations that are more conservative than those found now.

3.Create global Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) which are similar to underwater national parks.

4.She advises most important is to admit that the old ideas of what is sustainability don’t work anymore and it is time for new ideas and new choices.

These regulations can contribute to a productive ocean…..but what about climate change? One major threat is the increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and the ocean absorbs this CO2. This increase in CO2 in the ocean rises carbonic acid, making the oceans more acidic. Just like too much acid in the human body can cause issues it does in the ocean as well. From ocean animals forming week shells to coral skeletons growing at an extremely low rate ocean acidification has far reaching impacts.

So what are the top 2 things to practice to help reduce the combined harmful impacts the ocean is facing?

1.Use less…less plastic, less power, less driving.
2.Recycle plastics and papers and reuse items whenever possible.

Every day is a series of choices. What will yours be to help protect and restore the ocean?

Mahalo for joining us,
Sarah

Links to learn more:
Avoiding Jellyfish Seas, or, What Do We Mean by ‘Sustainable Oceans,’ Anyway? Article by PA’A member Robin Kundis Craig Professor with the Florida State University College of Law. Visit the Social Science Research Network to read abstract and download complete article.

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1658109

The Ocean Takes Care of Us, Let’s Return the Favor …The ocean is a vital resource that provides food, water, commerce, recreation, medicine and even the air we breathe. Today, our ocean faces unprecedented threats from pollution, trash, declining fisheries and multiple impacts from climate change.
http://www.thankyouocean.org/

National Geographic Ocean Portal
Visit our new ocean site to dive into all things blue! Explore the sea through our rich media collection, learn about ocean issues, news and how you can get involved in conservation efforts.

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/

PAA 2010 Reflections

2010-07-24T08:53:00.007-10:00

Reflection #5

by Norbert Larsen

Pihemanu—sounds of birds, loud sounds of birds, coming from all around you. Everywhere you look there are birds! Not the fleeting flight of an `i`iwi across the canopy of an `ohi`a forest, nor the magical congregation of `apapane lighting upon lehua blossoms. Here are seabirds! Thousands upon thousands of seabirds! Nesting, fledgling, feeding, flying seabirds…everywhere…in the sand, in the grass, in the trees, soaring over the still blue water, sitting on eggs, dominating the sky hundreds of feet above, diving, clacking, gasping, waiting…. So many seabirds you can’t imagine it!

The color blue—surrounded by all shades of blue, coming from all around you. Everywhere you look there is blue. Blue reflected off a lagoon…shallows…coralline sand…onto the floating white clouds above. A blue sought by Polynesian voyagers heading for landfall. A tropical blue…uninterrupted by mountains green. This is a blue you have not seen…a blue that seeps under the pores of you your skin…seeps beneath your eyelids…sings a new song. Seeping still beneath your skin.

It has been about one month since I returned to O`ahu from our trip to Pihemanu. The images of that place are like a transparency overlay on my familiar landscape here at home, and at first I was completely astounded by the new way in which everything appeared. With the passing of time, this new dimension has woven itself comfortably, easily, naturally into the scenery I wake to every morning, and I’m newly aware how the environment in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands is our environment here. Pihemanu seems so far away, and it is, but we are just as isolated here in the middle of our Pacific Ocean, and nature rules above the bustle of the city.

A monk seal sleeps at the beach where I spend the afternoon, white fairy terns flitter in the trees at the park, puffy white clouds move gracefully across the mountains and out to sea, the shades of blue surrounding O`ahu are no less surprising, my swims in the ocean are in the same waters that surround Pihemanu.

It doesn’t take much for me to see thousands of seabirds flying through the ahupua`a of Waikiki…surely a sight that once graced this land…or huge ulua, and turtles and scores of reef fish gracing the offshore reefs. So much of nature has literally vanished from this landscape…for real…but the possibility of restoring nature exists for me now…where my hope has waned over the years, and I’ve tended to become more cynical and pessimistic about our future…this has changed…having spent time with an awe-inspiring group of individuals committed to making a difference in our communities has reinvigorated me and given me a “souped-up” sense of optimism!

Kuleana takes on a whole new meaning now…another layer unfolds. I molt like the monk seals. I shed my downy feathers like the fledgling moli. I grow from being an awkward juvenile into being a more graceful adult…soaring over the sea…being pono…doing what is right by nature. As the 2010-2011 school year quickly approaches, my mind is dominated by this new sense of mission that Papahanaumokuakea `Ahahui Alaka`i has given me. As daunting as this responsibility seems, I don’t feel alone. I know that there is a large community of people who “have my back”, and I feel very grateful and humbled to be in this position.

Mahalo na akua, and mahalo to all the amazing people who cleared this path before us, and to the beautiful friends with whom I shared such a unique experience on Pihemanu. Imua!

Reflections from the PAA Group

2010-07-09T11:02:00.003-10:00

Reflections 4
By Maya Plass

So here I find myself “home.” I am 6000 miles from Midway and yet my home now encompasses this very small island so far away. Before I left to travel to Midway I was a little nervous, hugely excited, and uncertain of what to expect. I knew what was in store for me was going to be life changing. Ron (a previous PAA participant) effused the magic of Midway in every correspondence I had with him prior to the trip. Now, I am on the receiving end of the experience. I now understand some of where he’s been and where it has taken him. He said to me, “your heart, eyes, and spirit will never be the same,” they are not.

The trip was, as I expected, life changing and incredible – but I never realised how deeply the experience would touch me. I had never seen tropical, marine wildlife before – I’d never seen a turtle, coral reefs, spinner dolphins, or water so blue it seared into your soul. However, the thing that inspired me and surprised me were the incredible people I was to share my experience with. The moment I walked into the NOAA office and feet were bare, chants were sung and tears flowed I knew that not only was I blessed to be there, but I was even more blessed to share it with some phenomenal people. I have learned so much from them.

The words of Herb Lee, “Open yourself to the experience” ring through my ears and I hear them every waking day. As a result of this I am more open to conversations, “goosebumps,” and opportunities. I wondered if when I came home to the UK I might find it hard to adjust and hold on to my feelings. Sometimes in all honesty I do - when life’s demands press, but mostly they never change. Now, when I walk my eyes are wide open, I talk with my heart, and my spirit is soaring. The beauty of midway is outstanding, but returning home I saw it all here too. My perspective has changed, my life has changed, I have changed, but little around me has changed. It’s just a little more beautiful.

So what creates the magic of Midway? You need to take a dozen or so people with a common goal and passion, mix it with time to learn, experience, think, be, and laugh and shake it up with a little pier jumping and snorkelling; engulf it in Hawaiian culture and tradition, develop a few dreams and aspirations for better marine awareness, and collectively offer the support and encouragement to make those dreams a reality through faith and trust. As a result - you have pure magic.

My determination to use this magical fire to create change is burning strong, I want to keep that fire stoked. Whenever, I hear from my ohana (PA’A family) or look at my photos, or chant “Eho Mai” it burns a little brighter. At times I am a little daunted and have moments of doubt and I am reminded by dear friends to breathe slowly and enjoy the journey...not to rush it. My life is richer and the world is...fluffier and the possibilities for positive change shine brightly. I hope that we will all meet again soon to share, laugh and dream a little more.

I thought I’d feel far away from Midway back here in the UK but I’m not - everytime I do something to work towards my dream..... I feel a little closer. I am so lucky to have had this opportunity and to have met some wonderful people...mahalo nui to everyone on my journey.

Reflections from the PAA Group

2010-07-07T11:55:00.002-10:00

REFLECTIONS 3

Reflections on PA'A
by Robin Craig
from Waikiki, July 2, 2010

Before I was selected to participate in PA'A, I had devoted a large percentage of my law writing career to the issues of marine protection and to adaptation to climate change. Quite frankly, focusing on these two areas is often depressing--but they share the feature of being two legal areas desperately in need of more attention, and more hope. I found that hope at the Midway Atoll, located toward the far end of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Three images of Midway remain iconic for me (only two of which I could adequately capture by camera). First and second were the abundance of life. While moli (albatross) chicks shared almost every aspect of our outdoor existence, the memory of birds that stays with me the most is that of the multitude of birds in flight over the islands that make up the Atoll, both Sand Island and Eastern Island. Terns, albatross, tropicbirds, and frigate birds played in the sky in unbelievable numbers, with terns and tropicbirds in particular often descending to near-earth to examine the humans walking and biking in what was clearly their domain.

A number of scientists, such as Jeremy B.C. Jackson, have tried to re-create a sense of the historic baseline of species concentrations in various ecosystems. They describe thick beds of oysters in New England and the Chesapeake Bay, turtles so numerous in the Caribbean that sailors could walk on their backs, clouds of birds so large that they could darken the skies. Only on Midway, however, have I personally experienced a true sense of what those kinds of concentration of life truly could be.

Equally important, however, was the relative ease with which those of us on the island could live with that life. Of course, there weren't many of us there (around 80, I believe), and our transportation was limited to feet and bikes most of the time, suggesting the potential value of population reductions and a less oil-dependent lifestyle elsewhere. It was amazing to me how quickly I got used to dodging moli chicks on my bike, and how much I welcomed the examination by the white terns, even though I understood that such examination generally meant that I was too near their nest or egg for their comfort.

The second image of this abundance came in the water, when we snorkeled the Atoll reef. The picture I've included conveys just a small sense of the amount and variety of life on that reef. With over 50% apex predators, these waters again convey a sense of how biodiversity-rich these ecosystems are "supposed" to be.

At the same time, however, Midway did not allow me to romanticize the struggle for survival that typifies most marine ecosystems, or to ignore the damaging legacy of human development and consumption. Plastic littered all beaches on Midway, in an amazing variety, from all over the Pacific. In 15 minutes one morning I gathered 18 fishing floats that appeared (from the writing on them) to be from at least four countries. Moreover, I was ignoring all the other plastic and glass trash I encountered, ranging from an assortment of cigarette lighters to whiskey and sake bottles.

In addition, dead and dying moli chicks were a regular encounter. Saddest for me were the living chicks with "droop wing," a deterioration of the flight muscles resulting from lead poisoning, the enduring legacy of the lead paint used on many of Midway's buildings during the war years. To watch these chicks struggle to move their wings, knowing that they had no hope of survival, was heart-wrenching, especially when I allowed myself to wonder how many would have made it but for the paint chips. Lead remediation efforts are in progress, and hopefully they will remove this toxic invasion from this living landscape.

Nevertheless, evidence of life's resiliency was also everywhere. For me, the most iconic image of Midway--and the one that is coming to stand in my mind for the whole worldwide struggle to preserve and enhance ocean biodiversity and overall health--is the lone endangered monk seal sleeping on the beach among the rusting metal hulks discarded by the military at Rusty Bucket. If these endangered marine mammals can make some kind of peace with Rusty Bucket, then perhaps there really IS hope for the oceans--and for the humans who depend on them--after all.

Reflections from the PAA Group

2010-07-07T11:34:00.000-10:00

REFLECTION 2
by Marion Ano

My Return: A First Reflection

I have to admit returning home gave me a strange feeling. We touched down on O‘ahu at about 3:45am in the morning and in the pre-dawn hours I yearned to be back on Pihemanu. After saying our goodbyes to each other in the parking lot, I thought most about how I would share my experience with others. It didn’t take long for reality to set in that I was home and in the dark I already saw it in a whole new way. As soon as I arrived to my house I turned on my computer and looked at my pictures. I could not stay away.

A week ago today, marks my first day on Pihemanu and I miss her smell, the birds, their young voices, the incredible presence of life, the mana (life force), and the ancient spirit of that place. To be honest, I have not fully digested the experience. The space and time to do so is not as readily available here, but I’m glad to have the opportunity to reflect upon it now.

The one thing that strikes me the most upon my return is how much we have destroyed our home and how amplified our presence is here. When I compare the dormant town of Midway to Honolulu, I notice the noise. I’m just so grateful for the quiet moments I had on Pihemanu where for the first time I heard the heartbeat of Mother Nature. I’m trying to be as cognizant as I can to stay with this feeling and remain a catalyst for my own change and to inspire others to do so as well.

The lack of wildlife here is piercing and the baseline has shifted so far. I think about that a lot more than I used to. I view Papahānaumokuākea as part of us, the pae ‘āina (archipelago), and I yearn for those mea ola (living things) that connected the entire chain. If we begin to seriously consider what’s missing here and why, we would work together to repair our connection to the pae ‘āina (archipelago) as nature had worked so hard to do way before our time. Maybe, these young islands can once again be as enchanting and powerful as they were millions of years ago. Could we live in a world where more would be respected and left alone? I hope to keep this conviction close to my heart as time begins to divide my attention. I’m trying hard to remain hopeful, for our children, grandchildren, and the honua that I love so dearly.

I’m anxiously awaiting my weekend trip to Ka‘ena point to see some of the seabirds and other wildlife. I wonder what they look like here and hope to share what I know about them with my ku‘u mau hoa makamaka (my dear friends) that join me.

I had a conversation with a good friend yesterday who has also had the privilege to journey to Papahānaumokuākea and we agreed that parts of the experience could not be captured in words or in a photograph. The only way I know how to hold on to the spirit of this journey is to humbly channel aloha ‘aina (love of the land) and remain steadfast to do all that I can to protect this pae ‘aina. There is no price, there is no cost, there is only love.

Special mahalo to the pae ‘āina, the PAA ‘ohana and facilitators, my family (especially Mom and Dad), my ku‘u mau hoa makamaka (my dear friends), my mentors, and my colleagues.

Me ke aloha no,
Marion Ano

Reflections from the PAA Group

2010-07-07T11:28:00.003-10:00

Participants from the PAA group have been asked to sit, back, relax, and reflect on their journey at Midway Atoll. The first reflection to come in is by Al Braun.

REFLECTION 1
by Al Braun

Flying a cardiac patient to Queen's Medical Center, I look out the window westward at the painted sky at sunset. My mind drifts back to our time on Midway Atoll. It's been a week since we returned, but it seems much longer.

Everywhere I looked over the last seven days there have been reminders of that special place: spinner dolphins in the water off Honokohau harbor, pictures of ulua in the doctor's office, coral on a show on the Discovery channel, and honu grazing on seaweed near the shore in Keaukaha. Each image evokes feelings and emotions that overwhelm me.

Not all of the feelings are positive. I see a myna bird carrying a piece of rubbish and think of moli chicks with their stomachs full of plastic debris accidentally fed to them by their parents. I walk through a store and see a plethora of plastic products. I wonder how many of them will eventually find their way to Pihemanu's shores.

My efforts to conserve resources, recycle, and be a more conscientious consumer have been exponentially increased. Sometimes I feel like I'm proselytizing when I tell anyone who will listen about the things I learned during this experience. When I talk about Hawaiian values, it's no longer some ethereal subject, but a practical way of life.

My life has been changed in ways that I never thought possible. I have embraced my past and look toward the future with hope and determination. I know I'll never be the same.

moli chick

2010-06-26T08:14:00.006-10:00

paddle feet

snapping beak

wings outstretched
flight at rest

plaintive call
sitting tall

wacky hair

style and flair

back to the sun

move as one

moli chick

what a trip!

Shoreline Walk

2010-06-25T09:30:00.004-10:00

An evening walk in the waters of North Beach inspired this poem. My friends gathered in close conversation at one end of the beach, a monk seal mom and her pup lay at the other end of the beach. Noio families inspected my presence from the air, then landed on the water within arms reach. Albatross continued their silent, relentless landing and take-offs as they cared for fuzzy chicks. Sensed by all, noticed by none, I gave myself over to the silken waters and caressing sand.

gently sinking into waters too blue to describe

feeling the sand envelope my feet and the water embrace my neck

silken waters push, pull, nudge, hold

this blue is not blue...this blue is nowhere else but here

this blue is not blue...it is grey, beige, white, green, charcoal, everything but blue

the blue, blue sky is blue and meets these waters that are too blue to describe

moli soundlessly soar above my outstretched hands,

clear water drops falling from splayed fingers back to the blue

noio bob and swoop over my bobbing head

monk seals hump and ripple on white bright shores

these waters...that are too blue to describe...hold me

Departing Letter from Pihemanu

2010-06-24T15:00:00.004-10:00

Aloha mai e kuu mau hoa makamaka,

Tonight is the last night I will sleep on Pihemanu. In all honesty, I'm not ready to come home. A few of the PAA ohana are still awake in the lobby of Charlie Barracks with me as we cherish our last night together and hang onto this space and time. Earlier tonight, the crew shared some beers and good laughs, the kind that make your stomach hurt so bad that you realize that you haven't laughed that hard in a while. And you suddenly realize you have exactly what you need, no more and no less. In under twenty four hours we will all be in our seats on the the plane (G1) heading for O'ahu.

To me, Pihemanu is a work of art. Everywhere you look it is virtually impossible to deny her beauty. In many places around the atoll, her abundance, wealth, life, and depth is juxtaposed against a history warfare and military occupation while Midway atoll served as a strategic battleground and front in the middle of the Pacific in WWII and the Cold War.

There is not a single person on this trip that allows a way for the wonderment, aloha (love) and fascination for this place escape them. Each individual's experience is the same in this way. In fact, as our time here progresses we arrive with new questions and inquiries like any young child would. So, what this means is on Pihemanu we're granted a second chance, maybe third to start all over again and rediscover a new place through the eyes of a child. Some of our questions can be answered with simple facts and others may require us to ponder. To say the least, it has become easy for me to forget about my life back home which affords me to look inward and re-examine my kuleana as a Native Hawaiian, marine conservationist, educator, lifelong student, and global citizen. But, I remember each day that these moments are precious and I trust that my kuleana that builds upon the southeastern horizon is something that I can fulfill in this life.

The focus of my inner dialogue brings me to share a few things with you about my relationship with the kai (ocean). My earliest memories of the ocean take me back some twenty five or so years ago. I remember my father, holding me with his hands under my belly instructing me through my first series of swimming lessons. I must have been instantly drawn to the water because I have never fallen out of love with the ocean. As a child I also have fond memories of snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and it was there where I first discovered life below the surface. At that time, visitors to the bay could still feed the fish with little pellets they used to sell there. As most of you know, times have change and people can no longer feed the fish. For those of you who live in urban Honolulu, I encourage you to visit this special place. As the ocean's baseline continues to shift for the worst and fish stocks and coral health decline pu'u honua (refuges) like Hanauma and Papahanaumokuakea remind me of the power of protecting a place in perpetuity for its biological, cultural, and social significance and its power to heal not only nature but mankind itself.

When I am in the ocean whether it's surfing, paddling, fishing, snorkeling, swimming, or diving I feel that my great grandfather is with me. He was a man of the ocean and my father and uncles speak admirably about their grandfather who knew so much about the place that he loved. It is only later in life that I began realize that it's not a mere coincidence that I find myself in the same line of work my grandfather was doing as a fish and game warden some 50 to 60 years ago. As my dear hoa (friend) and fellow PAA member, Nai'a, shared, "[we] don't get kuleana from no where".

And so, my journey to Pihemanu is related to my genealogy which for me includes all my ohana (family), ku'u mau hoa( dear friends), my new PAA ohana, and countless others who put tremendous time and energy into mentoring me. My only hope is that I'm able to represent you well here and bring you as close as I can get you to Pihemanu. And so in my last letter to you before I depart from this remote atoll that lies in the great expanse of the Pacific Ocean, I will try my best to take you on one of my journeys into her waters.

There are two places on the atoll where we may explore the underwater world here. All other beaches are reserved for species that are endangered. The light blue waters off of North Beach are the most inviting waters I've ever seen. Conversely, the cargo pier, towards the eastern side of the atoll is an artificial marine habitat created several years ago through the creation of a channel to bring big ships to the atoll. Just a few feet from the sandy shores of the cargo pier, it drops off 50 to 60 feet and gives the feel of a blue water dive. The underwater experience at the cargo pier is a rare one. It feels like a kaleidoscope, so many things happening all at once, and when the much welcomed rays of sunlight illuminate the eerie and murky waters under the pier one feels a little more inviting. The fish are abundant, some are familiar to me, many are not, and some are really big. And so in this manmade habitat there is a mixture of nearshore and deeper water fish species that coexist. In all my time spent diving reefs around the main Hawaiian Islands, never have I seen fish in such abundance in a small concentrated area.

If I count all the hours and pictures I've spent snorkeling under the pier it probably adds up to something like two hours and 800 pictures. All that Pihemanu has revealed to me is not an accident, its a combination of our pule (prayers), the power of intent and manifestation. And so I will leave you with this short story about a special fish to me.

Last week Monday, during PAA's visit behind the scenes of Bishop Museum's incredible fish specimen collection, before exiting the room I kindly asked our guide if they had a preserved specimen of the hapu'u fish. Since it's been virtually fished out of the main Hawaiian Islands and the primary reason why it is such a rare sight, I thought here's my chance to see what it looks like in "real" life. Yesterday, not even ten minutes into our daily snorkel under the pier, I came across the hapu'u not knowing it at the time, got close to it and snapped a photo. After downloading my photos and looking through them (as we obsessively do here on Pihemanu), I found that shot and a sudden feeling of "chicken skin" came over me as I realized what I had seen today. This is life on Pihemanu. Every experience and moment on is a gift, is precious, and is teaching each of us something.

I wish I could share all my stories with you and I look forward to sharing more with you in person. I will see you all soon.

"He wa'a, he moku, he moku, he wa'a"

me ke aloha no,
Marion

To be in that blue

2010-06-24T14:33:00.003-10:00

So, in looking through my nifty little notebook that Linda got for us, I came across a scribbled thought I had luckily jotted down. It's a thought that came to me as I reflected on our trek to Eastern Island. As we were walking across the middle of the island, I saw that magical blue of the lagoon reflected off the flat bottoms of the clean, white clouds overhead. At first I thought it was my sunglasses, or my eyes tired from the sun, but Nai'a assured me that I was seeing a traditional indicator to sailors that land was near. Something shifted in me as I looked up at that distinctive, invigorating, soothing blue.

A day later, I remembered that blue when I heard Norbert express his yearning to "be in that blue" as he looked out at the ocean at North Beach. To be in that blue...

Maybe a mission for us? To be in that blue. This is what I wrote in my notebook: just how the clouds reflect the blue of the atoll, and serve as indicators that the atoll is there, so we PA'A ohana members can reflect that Papahanaumokuakea is here...and irreplaceable...through sending out our own beautiful, distinctive, alluring light unique to our experience. We can stand as beacons, ambassadors for the 'aina and the sea that surrounds us. We can continue to be in that blue, and encourage others to recognize and be in that blue as well...

Headed for the Reef!

2010-06-24T14:22:00.002-10:00

We were so fortunate to get out to the reef for a snorkel. I succumbed to the phrases that kept rolling through my head during our adventure ("unreasonable blues" "freefall of trust" "humans haul out" "a smile gifted back to the giver") and wrote a quick poem.

bodies sausaged into neoprene,
zippered spine traces human spine

unreasonable blues
in an ocean meant for everyone but us

my smile given back to me in sunglass lenses
perched over other smiles

ocean spray christens us
as we grip metal poles and perch on skinny benches

freefall of trust into cold clear waters

kupukas of coral rest stoically,
impervious to our praise

breathing calms

limbs stretch

pulses slow

life deepens

humans haul out onto shiny metal ledges

the giant ulua travels past,
unimpeded, unimpressed

my smile is given back to me by the caress of the wind,
the warmth of the sun,

the silence of my friends

Chris's Poem

2010-06-24T13:43:00.002-10:00

This opportunity to spend precious time on Midway Island has deeply affected all of us. Chris was unparalleled in seizing every opportunity, exploring every corner, connecting with people and creatures and the land the whole time we were there. He blessed us all with the following poem as a gift right before we jumped on the plane to leave. I know I was doing pretty well with managing my emotions up to that point. Chris's poem touched us all, and his open heart while sharing it touched us even more. Thanks so much, Chris.

We started many months ago on this magical tale,

Oh what joy we all felt with our acceptance in the mail.

We all arrived from near and far but we found the way,

Nervously gathering the first time at Hanauma Bay.

Through meetings, sessions and field trips our comfort levels grew

Remembering names and faces, these strangers we know knew.

Bishop Museum was fantastic as we made the rounds,

Then off to the airport where we stressed about our forty pounds.

Our flight was fun with Subway grinds to help provide a spark,

Then touching down on Midway, we reached here after dark.

From day one our days were filled with awesome things to do,

And when we thought it couldn't last, it got better with day two.

Cruising on our awesome bikes we explored both far and near

And everyday we added names of those who jumped the pier.

Eastern Island was unreal, its heyday of the past

With the help of those today its history will last.

Snorkeling out on the reef, boy, what can I say

Unreal feelings of another world, as the fish came out to play.

Sunrises and sunsets are a million dollar view.

How lucky are all of us? Each day we get to see the two.

Birds on the road, birds in the water, birds in the air

I'm so glad they're friendly, or that would be a scare.

Albatross and Monk Seal talks were given by the crew.

These lectures and the tours helped us learn so much that's new.

Thanks to Tanya, thanks to Nai'a who helped to get us through

The various assignments that we've done and those we've yet to do.

Tracy, thank you very much, you've been the very best!

Once we leave I surely hope you're able to get some rest.

Linda, thank you oh so much for getting all of us here.

It should be a lot easier when we return next year.

Unfortunately, our time is short as we wait for our ride

But luckily we've already checked with Toy for a place to hide.

I'm saddened as our wonder time we now see it ends.

I'm deeply honored to be able to call you all my friends.

Chris Baird

Cultural Component

2010-06-24T12:42:00.004-10:00

E hō mai ka ʻike mai luna mai ē,
ʻO nā mea huna noʻeau o nā mele ē
E hō mai, e hō mai, e hō mai ē

Give forth knowledge from above
Every little bit of wisdom contained in song
Give forth, give forth, give forth

Cultural Component for PAA Program
by Al Braun

This oli (chant) by Aunty Edith Kanakaole was a fitting beginning to the cultural component of PAA 2010. It is impossible to separate the cultural roots of Pihemanu (Midway Atoll) from its story. Unlike other modules during PAA, the cultural component was woven throughout the entire experience, giving additional insight and perspective to the study of Pihemanu’s history, as well as, it's expected future.

In preparation for our journey to Pihemanu, we spent three days on Oahu learning, growing, and giving to the ‘aina (land) that would ready us for this life changing experience. We learned of the Hawaiian values that are essential for survival on a wa’a (canoe) or a moku (island). These values I was taught as a child resonated with new meaning in this paradigm. Mālama (caring), laulima (working together), kuleana (responsibility), ‘imi’ike (seeking knowledge), aloha (love), na’au pono (doing right), and loko maika’i (sharing) are all needed for a successful voyage, whether that journey is navigating across the Pacific, or navigating a course toward a sustainable future.

We also spent time in Bishop Museum's Hawaiian Hall, where we learned of the culture of a people who crossed the ocean to the world's most isolated archipelago. In the Bishop Museum's archives rooms, we viewed archeological evidence of Hawaiians found on the Northwest Hawaiian Islands of Nihoa and Mokumanamana (Necker Island). We were also able to see examples of kapa, cloth made from wauke (paper mulberry) bark, the scent of which awakened memories of seeing kupuna (elders) making it when I was a young boy.

From Oahu, we travelled on to Pihemanu. When I stepped off the airplane, I was overwhelmed by a sense of awe that I had arrived where the spirits of ancient Hawaiians travelled after leaving this world. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were known as Po, the region of primordial darkness where the spirits return after death. This has been a sacred place for generations, and the mana (spiritual power) of this island resonated through and around us.

Throughout our time on Midway, as we absorbed the mana (power) and beauty of Pihemanu, I received many hō’ailona (signs of nature) that spoke to me to pay attention. It was not surprising that in such a sacred place, the messages of the spirit world can transcend the boundaries of the physical world. Ancient Hawaiians knew this to be true, and with each passing day, I became more attuned to the messages being delivered.

Much too quickly, our time in this special place came to an end. The connections I made with myself, my friends, the ‘aina, the creatures, and my ancestors were life-changing. Before departing, I knew that I needed to make a ho’okupu (offering) of thanks to the island in the tradition of my ancestors. My prayer for Pihemanu is one of healing for her and our world.

Monk Seals

2010-06-23T12:54:00.002-10:00

Monk Seals
By Doug Schmid

Many of us feel a special connection with our marine mammal cousins and here at Midway we have been privileged to see the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) daily. Starting on our first day here we have seen monk seals cruising along North Beach, hauled out on beaches, swimming by our kayaks, and under the pier at Eastern Island. One mother and pup have been frequently resting and rolling in the water among the metal debris the Navy left behind at a point called Rusty Bucket.

Wherever we have seen them, their liquid grace and smoothness of movement have stopped us in our tracks. Yesterday, some of us observed a mother and pup hauled out near the cargo pier when another adult attempted to approach. The mother's immediate sharp response, with a loud vocalization and lunge at the newcomer, seemed to us a strong example of a mother protecting her baby, something that touches us all.

This morning Brenda Becker, a NOAA researcher, and Mimi Olry, from the State of Hawaii Department of Natural Resources, shared their knowledge about these unique and charismatic animals with PAA. There are only an estimated 1,100 Hawaiian monk seals left in the world, with most of them living in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument) and they are in trouble.

Brenda has been studying these animals since 1985, often at remote camps on French Frigate Shoals and other atolls. Between 1958 and 1976 their numbers decreased by 50 to 66%. They were listed under the Endangered Species Act and with that protection here at Papahanaumokuakea their numbers expanded. Unfortunately there has been asignificant decline since about 1998. The population is now declining at 4.5% a year and overall they have lost 70% of their population in the last 50 years. The problem seems to be one of lack of nutrition for the juvenile seals. They are underweight, not as robust and many starve and die before adulthood. Females are giving birth and are able to nurse their offspring, but after they are weaned, many of the young seals are not able to find enough food to survive to be the next generation's adults.

It is now believed that changing ocean currents are causing a decrease in productivity in this area and so there is less food for the monk seals. The adults may be skilled enough, experienced enough, to catch food with reduced prey populations. The juveniles on the other hand, just starting life on their own, without an abundant food supply to support their mistakes and early trials at catching their food, are in trouble. Emmaciated juveniles are increasing dying in the NWHI. French Frigate Shoals is also experiencing Galapagos shark attacks on monk seal pups. Since it may be only a few sharks killing pups, in this limited area, it may be possible to control the situation by carefully removing the individual sharks who have learned to "key in" on the vunerable young pups.

It is the ongoing research by NOAA, which looks to tag every individual seal, that has allowed this picture to emerge. The efforts of people like Brenda, living for months at a time in tents on the atolls of the NWHI, have allowed them to understand the lives of the seals. These are amazing animals, with the ability to hold oxygen in their muscles, to dive deep and see in the dark depths. They can move along the entire archipeligo, crossing the distances between the atolls and islands.

Our guest speakers also shared a video from the "crittercam" that was temporarily afixed to the back of one adult seal. This instrument recorded depth and showed the seal diving and filmed its foraging behavior. It was a real surprize to the researchers to see the seal passing by the shallow reef environment and spending its time deep- over 60 meters. Here it actually "rooted" around in the seabed, through sand and rubble, turning over rocks with its head and catching octopus, groundfish and eels. The large predator fish kept it company, perhaps looking to snatch up a meal from the seal's work.

Mimi handles coordianting monitoring efforts on the main Hawaiian Islands and shared some of the issues they face there. In an encouraging sign, the monk seal population is increasing in the main Hawaiian Islands. Over 20 pups were born last year. Although the good news is that seals are reproducing in ever greater numbers there, they are coming into contact with people, often with deadly results for the animals. Drowning in nets, getting hooked, being entangled in our garbage, lines or fish traps and being disturbed on beaches as they try to rest are problems. A pregnant female was recent shot. When a species is as endangered as the monk seals, every individual becomes even more precious and important to the chance the species has to continue to exist. After 15 million years of living on this earth, swimming these waters before the main islands were created, long before we came, they now are trying to hold on. I think we all were touched by Brenda and Mimi's knowledge, strong commitment and passion.

So the monk seals are coming to the main islands. Brenda called the islands the new "baskets of hope" for the species. We'll have to coexist, to make room for them on our beaches, and make changes to our behavior, like using new hooks. It's been said that in the end people will only save what they care about. Will we care and make room for these ancient animals?

Mimi's DNR group is always on the lookout for seals showing up on the main islands. They encourage anyone spotting a seal to call 220-7802 to share that information.

Beginnings

2010-06-21T17:56:00.003-10:00

Beginnings

After an informal gathering of a few participants for dinner at an Ala Moana pub the night before, the PAA group (12 participants, 2 alternates and program directors) gathered at the entrance of Haunama Bay on the morning of Saturday, June 12 to begin the adventure of a lifetime, time on Midway Atoll. Everyone got their chance to introduce themselves and say a little about their interests, plans and projects for the upcoming week on the atoll. Then we were all led through a couple of hours of excellent basic instruction on snorkeling by Alan Hong, even though most were obviously well versed in such activity. Although we were only able to paddle around within the very inner part of the famous bay and could only examine briefly the shallow, very near shore, coralline-algal-encrusted relict reef, everyone got a nice introduction/reintroduction to Hawaii's beautiful, always inviting tropical marine water. Doesn't seem like anyone is going to be intimidated by similar settings at Midway; but, how similar is it? Time will tell. After lunch all were indoctrinated in Hawaiian protocol as we entered the PMNM Hawaii Kai office for an afternoon of brief presentations by both monument management staff as well as participants and alternates. Everyone was still gradually getting to know each other while they were gradually owning up to the reality that they were going to Midway. A great first day - it's a process.

Sunday, June 13th, the group really started to come together. Great PowerPoint presentations and videos on a wide variety of introductory topics were presented by the staff, all of which helped to continually build expectations of finally getting to the northernmost coralgal reef atoll complex on the planet. A great presentation was made on research presently being carried out on Midway and throughout the Northwest Islands of the Hawaiian Archipelago, much of which continues to solidify one of the main aspects of the essence of Hawaii, extreme isolation. By definition, when you're the most isolated, you're unique. It seems pretty obvious that if Charles Darwin had ventured by way of the Hawaiian Islands nearly 200 years ago, these islands would be the Galapagos of the planet.

Sunday afternoon was occupied primarily by an interesting, down and dirty work project. Gathering at the Paiko Wildlife Sanctuary along the shoreline of Maunalua Bay, we proceeded to remove invasive pickle weed and then replant a few natives. An amazing amount was accomplished in a relatively short span of time, but even more importantly the group was bonded even more closely together, especially with realization of similarities in goals and work ethics; a great group of talented individuals demonstrating their ability to do great things collectively. Days can't get much better than that.

Monday, June 14th Departure Day. Well, not until late afternoon. The day began with a wonderful, behind the scenes, visit to the Bishop Museum, one of the country's best. We were privileged to be able to examine collections. I was really stoked to be able to see materials, notes, maps and artifacts from the famous 1923-4 Tanager Expeditions, the first real scientific explorations of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Items from Necker and Nihoa were displayed; we were allowed to photograph and even touch many of the artifacts. In addition were able to view some of collection of the thousands of native Hawaiian bowls, canoe models, weapons, tapa, pau, etc, etc, etc. At other locations were shown the extensive collections of thousands and thousands of invertebrates and ichthyologic specimens from Hawaii and the tropical Pacific. And finally we were provided time to wander through the wonderful displays of the museum open daily to the general public. What an inspiring place for which Hawaii must feel great pride.

Eventually the beginning had to end and the real journey had to begin. Participants were transported to the airport to first see if they made weight with their under 40 lbs of stuff. Seems like everyone made it. I as one of the hopeful alternates was sad to see all depart without me, but I felt the joy and excitement of the now well-bonded group of adventures. For me being involved in the introductions and meeting such a beautiful, talented group of people was quite a humbling experience, probably one that was somewhat necessary. I know now, more that ever, that I must get to Midway, one way or another.

Respectively submitted
Chuck Blay

My Impressions

2010-06-21T17:55:00.000-10:00

My Impressions (beyond Chuck's astute summary, below)
by Michelle Schwengel-Regala

As an alternate who didn't make it on the voyage this year, I'm writing this from my studio on O'ahu, holding the other participants in my thoughts for a safe and fulfilling journey. By going through the multifaceted orientation last weekend, I've come to understand a great deal more about this archipelago I call home. It didn't take long for me to realize that while we talked about plenty of science about the place, it seems that the cultural insights we discussed will be both grounding and driving forces behind our experiences. The words and concepts MAKA'ALA/to pay attention, 'IMI 'IKE/to search, KULEANA/our privilege and responsibility, MALAMA/to care for, among others will be significant motivating forces behind the way we interpret this place and will strongly influence the way we incorporate this experience into the rest of our lives and carry it forth to share with others. As much as we thought we had our projects figured out, one of the program's administrators warned us that "At the end of the experience, you will know why you're here. You think you know now, but at the end, you will KNOW." Even the weekend's worth of exploration gave me a different and clearer understanding of my mission, and I am looking forward to following the transformations of each member of our entire cohort. By stepping into the space to be open to this work, we are already changed by it, and for the better. I am humbled to be a part of this talented, dedicated, and inspiring group.

One small action that demonstrated the way our group is already working together was in negotiating our weight allocations. One member, Marion, was hoping to bring her guitar on the trip, but its weight plus her gear exceeded the 40# limit. Other members who had pounds to spare "gave" those to the guitar cause, and the guitar made it! I'm imagining sweet MELE HO'O LULUHI/lullabies being played to the albatross chicks...

With deep appreciation,
Michelle Schwengel-Regala

Midway: A place of Healing

2010-06-21T01:21:00.003-10:00

Midway: A Place of Healing
By:George Hanks

Today Tracy Ammerman with the US Fish and Wildlife Service led us on a tour of the historical buildings on Sand Island from World War II. Many people think of WWII in the Pacific only as a series of battles and dates that they had to to remember in grade school. Since none of the major battles were fought on the US mainland we rarely, if ever, have daily contact with relics from this war. Things are very different here on Midway. Everywhere you turn you see places, buildings, and relics connected to the two battles of Midway, on December 7, 1941 and six months later on June 4-6, 1942. During our tour we learned the personal stories of the young men who lived, fought and often died here. We saw the mess hall where they ate, the chapel where they prayed, and the beaches where they played before the start of the war. Sitting inside now empty pill boxes overlooking the lagoon where sentries once stood waiting for the coming Japanese invasion and inside 5 inch gun emplacments where the shells from enemy ships once rained down, you are instantly transported back to the tense early months of the war. You can sense the raw emotions of the young seventeen year old sailor, armed with a surplus rifle from World War I, after being told by his superior officer to do what you can, because if the Japanese take Midway, they will take Hawaii; to do what you can because if the Japanese take Hawaii, the coast of California will be defenseless; to do what you can, because the Japanese will not take you prisoner. Young men facing the very real possibility that they would die alone, in unmarked graves, in a far away place never to see their families again. Everywhere you turn you sense the power of place.

I did not expect the feeling of peace that I also experienced during the tour at each site.The sites are still. Despite the ravages of war everywhere you look the island is slowly returning to the way it was long before we arrived. On runways where fighters once turned into the wind and flew into into the sky to defend Midway, there are now thousands of albatross chicks turned into the wind flapping their wings in unison and learning how to fly to far off seas. On beaches where Seabees dug entrenchments, there are now little sand crabs digging out their burrow homes. On the shores were once pickets stood to stop Japanese troops, a mother monk seal and her pup roll around in the surf. In pillboxes where young marines once stood guard, fairy terns and tropic birds have now made their homes. In the skies above the ironwood trees where planes off to battle in formation, fairy terns dart and swoop in pairs and then soar up hundreds of feet into the sky on the incoming wind from the lagoon. Looking at what each site has now become you get the sense that the island is healing itself from the physical trauma it has suffered. It is shaking off the effects of war like unwanted dust and once again returning the island to the home that it once was for all of its true inhabitants. At the end of the tour, I walked past a Japanese war memorial near the Clipper House with offerings from both Japanese and American veterans who attended the 68th anniversary ceremony of the Battle of Midway just a few short weeks ago. During the tour Tracy told us that you cannot heal unless you know your history. After coming to Midway, I now know what she means.

Kanu nei au, aia ʻiā ʻoe ka ulu

2010-06-20T00:23:00.007-10:00

Kanu nei au, aia ʻiā ʻoe ka ulu.
“I plant and the growth is yours.”
[ʻolelo noʻeau]

Plant Module 6/18/10
By Norbert Larsen

One of the things that surprises me about Midway is the vegetation. Here there are vast stretches of ironwood trees, as well as plumeria, bougainvillea, coconut, shower trees, banyan, Norfolk pine, octopus trees, sea grape, banana, ti leaf plants and lots and lots of Verbesina (golden crownbeard) a noxious weed from the sunflower family. Prior to this visit, I had a completely different picture in my mind of what the atoll would look like. I imagined naupaka, pohuehue, native grasses and sedges, and other native ground-hugging vines and shrubs that perhaps I had never seen. I envisioned stretches of sand from one end of the atoll to other. I did not expect to see trees of any kind. I learned that tons and tons of soil were placed on the island since the early 1900s, and that thousands of people have lived here and brought with them their gardens and plants. I suppose if I had properly done my historical research prior to arriving, I would have been better prepared to meet the landscape that one finds today. The human footprint is everywhere here.

On this morning, we met Greg Schubert, Bio-Tech for Invasive Species with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He was a volunteer up here with the U.S.F.W.S. for four years before he was hired. He is going on his 8th year in his current position as Invasive Species Bio-Tech for the refuge, and his institutional knowledge is vast. He tells us that there are 259 species of plants on Midway, and that 19 of these are native. The rest are non-native, and the U.S.F.W.S. is combating 22 invasive species. One of the worst of the invasive weeds is Verbesina, and you can see it everywhere. The U.S.F.W.S. is working at restoring 300 acres on Midway—130 acres has been successfully restored. The success story is motivational. What seems like a daunting and almost impossible goal (native habitat restoration on Midway) is reachable in the optimistic and capable hands of the many people caring for Midway today.

After touring Midway’s native plant greenhouse, the PAA gang participated in our small way by planting native bunchgrass (Eragrostis sp.) on a sandy hillside once covered with Verbesina. On the same hillside, we could see an area planted by the PAA group last year, and the native bunchgrass is becoming firmly established. Greg tells us that the roadway next to the hillside becomes a vector for seeds because the wind blows down the roadway carrying seeds. Instead of carrying Verbesina seeds, the roadway now becomes a vector for carrying the seeds of the native bunchgrass. What an ingenious and efficient way to populate the nearby fields with native bunchgrass! Greg pointed out fields once covered with Verbesina, and now thriving with the native bunchgrass.

Verbesina was at one time removed with tractors, but this disturbs the soil, distributes seeds and actually encourages the growth of more Verbesina. Today, the U.S.F.W.W. uses a mild herbicide to kill off invasive weeds, or it removes the weeds manually in areas where the herbicide might threaten native plants. Our PAA gang worked near a couple of “duck seeps”—places where the ground has been dug out to reach the water table in order to make habitat for Laysan ducks. We manually removed Verbesina along with several other invasive weeds growing around the “duck seeps” where we could see Laysan ducks and ducklings waddling and paddling around. It was amazing to witness how quickly an area can be cleared when everyone works together!

The camaraderie in our new PAA family is growing, it is heartening, it is making me strong. Activities like this help to bring people together, and I am feeling the “shot in the arm” to make opportunities like this available to students at Waiʻalae Public Charter School where I work. It is clear that our islands are in need of more helping hands, of strong healthy communities, and it is clear that working to heal the environment can be a win-win for the ʻāina and for people.

Mahalo to PAA member Karen Matsumoto with the PAA group that visited Midway Atoll last year for gifting the gloves we used to do our work. The gloves stay here with the U.S.F.W.S. for others to use.

Letter from Pihemanu

2010-06-19T23:53:00.004-10:00

Letter from Pihemanu
By Marion Ano

Aloha mai e na hoa makamaka,

Welina mai ia kakou mai ka aina e kapa ia o Pihemanu. Today marks my fifth day on Pihemanu, a place also known as Midway Atoll. My journey here began on a five hour plane ride from Oahu due northwest over the chain of kupuna islands that span over 1200 miles from the island I call home. By the time our gang, PAA (Papahanaumokuakea Ahahui Alakai) 2010, boarded the plane our bonds were beginning to seal us into an ohana. At any given moment on the plane ride one could hear chatter, laughter, and the occasionally oooooo's and ahhhhhh's as we got glimpses of some of the atolls that lay below us in the distance that most of us would never set foot on.

We arrived on Pihemanu in the dark as all planes must do to protect the lives of birds that are flying during the day and the fledglings that veer to far on to the runway. Five minutes into our arrival, my dear friend and roommate, Maya, who journeyed all the way from England began our opening ceremony by sharing her thoughts, asking permission and for protection during our stay here on Pihemanu. We have continued this tradition and begin each day in a circle, pa'a ka lima (holding hands) and recite the oli, E ho mai, so that we can be open to receive the wisdom of this place and set our pono (righteous) intent for the day.

Although I am here sitting on the most beautiful place on earth as I know it, I still cannot find the words to share with you the greatness of my experience here. As I write this letter and glance over the lagoon, my eyes are greeted with the gift of spinner dolphins breaking the water's surface making their morning run to their next destination. My life here shares a similar tone to theirs. Over the last four days, I have taken close to 2,000 photos of the life and sometimes death that I see and feel around me. I cannot help but wonder if my kupuna (ancestors) set foot upon this aina (land) or if I am the first one in my lineage to. I am tremendously grateful that I have been granted this lifetime opportunity to live here for seven days of my life. It is truly a gift to be here. I knew this when I left, I feel it while I'm here, and I know it needs to be appreciated in this way for rest of my life.

I acknowledge that I am a very lucky person. However, my trip to Pihemanu has elevated this feeling and understanding to greater heights. Each of us who have been selected to come here have been entrusted with a kuleana, now lifelong responsibility to take the lessons we learn here and embody this new ike in all that we say and do.

Pihemanu lies within, Papahanaumokuakea, the world's second largest marine monument. The vision statement of Papahanaumokuakea is "to protect and perpetuate ecosystem health and diversity and Native Hawaiian cultural significance of Papahanaumokuakea. In all my time spent on land or in the water as an ocean user, conservationist, and advocate Pihemanu has revealed things to me that I have never seen in my entire life.

The first time I experienced Pihemanu in the light, I was struck by a feeling as though I were at home. There are things that are familiar here, the ocean, the sand, the naupaka, the warmth of the makani (wind). But, I am in a place that is elder to my one hanau (my sands of birth), that has been altered but possesses a genealogy that is ten times older than the island chain to the southeast. In the dawn's light the omnipresence of the birds alone struck me in such a profound way. And so I will try my best to share its story with you.

The landscape of this tiny atoll as far as one can see in any direction is covered right now with albatross fledglings. Current populations of this manu kai (seabird) are around 1.5 million birds. I know that these birds once dominated our landscape back home. On the first morning, with our new bikes and freedom (as stated by my dear friend, Randi) we explored the atoll dodging fledglings that do not move from their place of birth. These albatross that mate for life only produce one egg per season. Once the egg is laid, the male albatross tends to the egg for thirty days until the fledgling emerges from its inner world. Upon its birth, the albatross parents spends the next four to five months flying out to sea in search of food for their young. For this time of their lives the parents operate only to serve this one intent. In the beginning stages of its life the parent will return every three to five days next three to five days to feed its young. The lucky ones, or the way I see it are those fledglings that are born under a tree rather than in the middle of the asphalted roads on the island. By the time the fourth or fifth month rolls around the parent will extend the search for food for ten days slowly building the fledgling's independence and craving for food. Eventually, the parents will never return to see their fledgling again and the young bird's only way to survive is purely driven by it's own hunger. The fledgling's must break through its threshold to wait for food and dare to take its first flight out into the blue horizon gather the nourishment it needs. If the fledgling survives it will find a mate when that time comes and the cycle of life continues.

There is evidence in many places on the atoll that some of these birds do not survive. Each season, thousands of them perish in the heat, become dehydrated, or suffer from the "droop wing" syndrome from lead poisoning. The most powerful association to fledgling death for me is the ingestion of bits and bits of plastic that are mistaken as food by the parents who mistakingly feed it to their young. Whatever "food" material the albatross is unable to ingest is regerjetated in a bolus. During a bolus examination activity, my group concluded that 80% of the material in the bolus consisted of plastic materials. The message to eliminate the usage of plastic in my life speaks to me on a much more personal and urgent way.

Being here is life changing to say the least. And although that sounds a bit cliche, I know it is because I've been granted experiences like this more than once. Throughout my time here, I have struggled when I think of whether I possess the capacity to really bring you here with me if it's even for a moment so that you can feel the mana (power) of this place the way I do. The journey to Pihemanu is long in every sense of the word, it has taken me thirty years to get here. if I could wish for something for all of you, it would be for you to experience this place. But, for now, I will humbly try the best that I can to be that conduit for you. My seven days here on Pihemanu with my new ohana (family) is truly a gift of aloha and as with all makana (gift) it must be shared with all.

Me ka ha'aha'a,

Coral Snorkel Expedition

2010-06-19T23:40:00.007-10:00

The Inner Side of the Outer Reef

Robin Craig
Tallahassee, Florida

On Friday, June 18, 2010, I celebrated my 46th birthday on Midway. While there were many wonderful aspects of that day (a hand-made birthday card and a beach plastic lei from the PA’A group, efforts to restore the island, the Thai kitchen crew singing “Happy Birthday” with a huge carrot birthday cake), the highlight of the day for me was our PA’A snorkel at the outer reef of the atoll.

Snorkeling the inside reef at Midway Atoll requires a few mental adjustments, at least for this haole from the mainland. For example, we headed northeast from the Inner Harbor on Sand Island, into the prevailing wind. As a result, the waters on the inner side of the reef were calm, while waves were energetically breaking on the outer side. From the water, it took a bit of mental adjustment to realize that the waves coming at us couldn’t reach us, despite their energy.

The water was crystal clear and a beautiful light blue green. As we approached our snorkel spot, both the boat speed and the water color revealed the alternating pattern of white sand and coral formations, some coming very near the surface. We anchored about 100-150 yards from the inner wall of the atoll ring, near one of the largest coral heads I’ve ever seen. (Of course, most of us didn’t discover it until our return to the boat, because it was at the opposite end from our entry point.)

As we left the boat, we encountered an expanse of a beautiful curled and lacey Padina (thank you, Jen, for the identification) all along the bottom. This plant was structured like decoratively rolled pieces of thin parchment, making three-dimensional scrolled patterns over the bottom.

Swimming toward the inner wall of the reef, the coral became denser and more varied, with brilliant patches of purple, orange, electric blue, and lime green. Spotting the fish inhabiting this psychedelic wonderland took a moment, but once my eyes adjusted, the variety of fish was astonishing. The big parrot fish, unicorn fish, and jack were impressive, but my favorites were the much smaller squirrelfish that hung out in the shadows of coral formations in small groups. Unlike most of the other fish, these did not swim away when my dive partner, Marion, and I tried to photograph them. Instead, they often swam closer, as if to investigate what we were up to, staring at us with their wide, round, dark eyes. Their Christmas red bodies stood out brightly against the blue water, white sand, and cream-colored coral.

After most of us were back on the boat, a huge ulua swam between the boat and the coral head. The fish and the coral, both far larger than anything I had seen during previous trips to Hawai’i, attested to the health of this system and its ability to support a wealth of life.

On the way back to Sand Island, we headed out into the main channel to see the sunken water barge, some of which still juts above water. As we looked at the rusting hulk above water and caught glimpses of the even greater structure below, I found myself wondering what creatures had made the structure their own. Coral and sea cucumbers, almost certainly. Several varieties of fish, as well, I had to assume. Do sharks and honu (green sea turtles) cruise through the hulk, like they do Cargo Pier on Sand Island? What else might be there? Part of the magic of Midway, I think, is its ability to transform some of the remnants of human use (and abuse) of the Atoll into useful habitat and new life.

Shells and Plastic

2010-06-18T17:35:00.002-10:00

Shells and Plastic
below my feet
adorn my life
protection and function
life and death

-Marion Ano

Sustainability Module

2010-06-18T17:32:00.006-10:00

Aloha mai kakou,

Welina mai ka aina e kapa ia 'O Pihemanu! O au no Marion Ano. Hello to all you of you from the land named Pihemanu. My name is Marion Ano. We have been on Pihemanu for three days now. On this little atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a normal given day the population here ranges from 70 to 80 people. Although the atoll spans nearly two miles long and one mile wide the history of a much larger population of 5,000 people can be seen everywhere you go. With the departure of the military in 1996 and its officiation into the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge the number of residents decreased dramatically. Under new mandate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible "to maintain and restore its natural biological diversity, provide conservation and management of the wildlife and habitats within refuge boundaries, provide opportunities for scientific research and environmental education, maintain the atoll's historical significance, and provide compatible wildlife-oriented activities to the visiting public". Taking a look around, I can see that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife works hard to fulfill it's mission. This is evidenced by the abundance of wildlife, the restorative work that has been done around the atoll, and the number of staff and volunteer hands that have come to Midway to give back to this aina. But, they have moved beyond their mission by embracing a sustainable future for Pihemanu. There is a strong sense of community here. If you've ever lived in a small place or spent time on a small atoll it's clear that people and their relationships to place, wildlife, and each other really matter. This afternoon, John Hanna, head of Chugach took our ohana, PAA (Papahanaumokuakea Ahahui Alakai) 2010, to show us steps they have taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the island. On our bikes with the wind in our hair we rode down to the transportation warehouse to meet our guide. From there we headed to the power plant. He showed us two generators that were in use during the military's occupation of the atoll. Today, these generators have been replaced by two modern day generators. The current daily power needs of Midway can be met by running one generator which uses 400 gallons of fuel per day. At our second stop we were greeted by Mr. Sak, the atoll's longest standing water maintenance supervisor. With 25 years of experience, John boasted that Mr. Sak could find and fix any water line on Midway. I was so amazed by his humility and year's of experience. To accommodate a smaller population and move towards a more sustainable and efficient water system, he adapted a "water pillow" system that runs off of two jacuzzi powered pumps in place of the larger and inefficient pump. Our last stop was the hydroponic garden. John shared that the garden produces 250 pounds of produce per week. Prior to this hydroponic production, the residents of Midway depended imported produce from the Honolulu. The power plant, water system and hydroponic garden clearly demonstrate that residents on the atoll show a strong commitment towards making the island a sustainable place to live for all life on the island. There are future plans to expand sustainability on the island by installing solar panels and perhaps harnessing wind energy that will not harm the wildlife and the birds that make midway atoll absolutely unforgettable and most inspirational. Most importantly, the minds and hearts of the residents here on Midway exude a sense of deep commitment to the wildlife, place, and their kuleana to do their part in creating a place that will be here for future generations to come. This place teaches us that we must all move towards creating a foundation that will live on.

Me ke aloha no,

Marion Ano

A Trip to Eas"tern" Island

2010-06-18T07:05:00.004-10:00

A Trip to Eas”tern” Island

On the morning of our 3rd day, we were headed to Eastern Island. After breakfast we hopped on our bikes and headed for the boathouse. Once there, we sized our PFD’s (lifejacket) and headed for the boat. As we approached the boat, we stopped to see the Iwa (Frigate) birds resting in the Ironwood trees. I had never seen an Iwa bird that wasn’t flying.
We boarded the boat and were off to Eastern Island. The ride over was filled with excitement and wonder. What adventure would this magical place have in store for us?
As we approached the island you could see that there were no high level trees anywhere. The island was full of low shrubs and bushes. Tracy informed us that the Ironwood trees were cut down due to their negative navigational impact on the albatross.
Another noticeable feature was the sounds of the birds. They were much louder here then Midway. There was much more bird activity on Eastern. We listened to the many melodies and variations of the bird chorus. The albatross had their familiar shrills and beak claps, the terns had their high pitched whistles and screeches and the other birds filled in as background singers. The songs and bird activity became louder and stronger as we passed by tern nesting areas. The overhead hovering and midair dancing was very impressive. We walked single file with haste avoiding eggs, chicks and ground lying birds. There were so many eggs, that if it had been Easter we all could have easily filled our baskets.
The “Duck Seep” pond was a real oasis in the midst of nothing. The sighting of the ducks and ducklings was an added treat.
Everywhere you went you were engulfed by the growth of the invasive “Verbesina”.
Like most invasive species, it has spread everywhere. The tall “Verbesina” makes for a very difficult and dense habitat for the albatross and other birds. There were open areas where native “Bunch grass” and groundcovers “Nohu” and “Alena” were successfully growing.
It’s very hard to imagine this peaceful and serene place was once the setting for the hustling, bustling war effort and historical “Battle of Midway. I really enjoyed the talk Tracy gave about the war and the island.
As we waited on the pier to leave, we sat and cleaned our shoes of thorns and seeds.
We saw a big monk seal lumber by and a honu sunning on the shore but what really caught our eye were the 5 or 6 big ulua swimming in 2 feet of water only 4 feet from shore. We all laughed at the thought of telling our friends back home that we could “throw net” and catch big ulua. That would be awesome!
Our ride back to Midway was filled with new stories and lots of laughter. We all had feelings of appreciation and thanks, Mahalo for the chance to visit Eastern Island Tracy!

Aloha,
Chris Baird

Night Walking with the Birds

2010-06-17T23:17:00.006-10:00

THE NIGHT RANGER AND PAA PETROL PATROL
By Hugh Story
6/17/2010

EGG-SPRESS YOURSELF
A clear night speckled with limitless stars blanketed our Wednesday night and our group was giddy after an afternoon of sifting through albatross boluses and starting our own Olympics-bound Synchronized Cargo Pier Jumping Team. Lookout Slovenia!

Led by U.S.Parks and Wildlife Services Manager Tracy Ammerman, our group set off to complete our mission: Locate a young ‘Ua’u, otherwise known as the Bonin Petrel, during a leisurely night’s stroll through the roads of Midway Atoll.

Although similar in sound, it should not be confused with petrol. The Bonin Petrel or Pterodroma hypoleuca, is an endemic bird to the Midway Atoll. I found it to not a particularly graceful bird when it comes to walking, as the Petrel can often be found stumbling about like a man making his way home after a night of heavy drinking. But still a beautiful bird nonetheless.

The journey started out safe enough but we would soon find out otherwise.
“Crack!”
“Splat!”
“Oh my God! What was that!?”
“Get the light! Get a light!”
An egg had just come out of nowhere and several members of the group just got yoked. We attempted to CSI the situation, putting forth several theories but no culprit was located. It was written off as a prank pulled off by adolescent teenage birds out blowing off some steam. Toilet paper and shaving cream didn’t follow so we continued.

Eureka! We found one. Tracy, our Night Ranger, walks over and scoops up the confused Petrel who must have been dazed with all the onlookers around it. We examined its docile behavior and white, black and grey feathers. It was magnificent. Our mission was a success allowing us to prove once again that a ‘bird in the hand is…” well you know how the rest goes.

THE BARKING BUSH AND AVE MARIA
“Ummm..did that bush just bark at me?”- I inquired to one of my fellow patrolman, certain that I had perhaps ingested too much Orange Tang over the last few days. But that wasn’t so…the bush WAS barking in a way along with a variety of other calls of birds found on the atoll. We had arrived at the sound station designed to imitate the sounds of native birds to assist in pairing. The Bulwer’s Petrel, or Bulweria bulwerii, is known for its distinctive sound to that of a barking dog.
Next to the sound station, was a shrine with “Ave Maria” inscribed on it. That thing too would not be immune to our photography as we began snapping pictures of it in assembly line fashion. I found it all to be a bit surreal…boluses, birds, barking bushes and a Hail Mary but a perfect way to end a magical day on Midway Atoll.

Anyone with information about the recent egging is asked to call us.

Albatross Stroll Module

2010-06-17T22:44:00.004-10:00

Day 2- Albatross Module by R. Brennon

Can’t believe its Wednesday already! We’ve been on Midway now for two whole days. It’s my job to blog about our adventures this morning.

We were very fortunate to have John Klavitter, of FWS, talk to us about the albatross (or moli). He’s extremely knowledgeable, and he’s also extremely approachable – a wonderful combination. John has years of experience with the albatross and he happily answered all of our questions. It was good planning to meet with John on our second day on island, in that it gave us a deeper understanding of these amazing creatures we’re all conscientiously weaving around all day (everyone moves for the albatross – the golf carts, the bikes, the walkers –everyone). We learned a bunch of things from his talk. There’s too much to put into a blog, but here's just a couple of the facts that I thought were interesting:
There are 1.5 million albatross on Midway
There’s a chemical in the albatross’s eyes that gives them the ability to see at night
There are four common threads between the courting dances of different species of albatross: spreading wings, standing up on tippy toes, making some sort of call, and clacking their bills
Albatross chicks don’t produce their first bolus until they are about 4 months old…so that means that they collect a LOT of plastic in their gut through feeding

We've been learning about the albatross on our own, as well. We can't help but observe them as we move around the island. They are scattered everywhere, chicks sitting within a beaks reach, juveniles strutting about looking for love, hard working adults landing like jet planes in the middle of a block party. Juveniles erupt in spontaneous dances in groups of two or three or four. An earthen sea of endless somber chicks stretches to the horizon. The chicks look as if they've started getting dressed up in feather boas and wacky wigs, but quit halfway through their preparations. It would be impossible to go anywhere on the island and not look at the albatross.

They are amazingly big birds. Here's a picture to give some sense of scale...and remember, this is a fledgling, not an adult. The chicks sit back on their haunches, raising their feet up like they're lounging in reclining chairs no one else can see. They sit and patiently wait for their parents to bring their next meal. The adults move both through the air and on the ground. They are ungainly on land, waddling around on their big spatulas of feet, but once they hit the air they soar. Sometimes the chicks and adults seem to cuddle, sitting close to each other and touching each other gently.

All day long and into the night, the albatross make me laugh...not at them, but with joy. Their beauty and grace and clumsiness and goofy looks and lack of fear and novel voice all combine to create a creature impossible to ignore. They deserve our respect, and they deserve our efforts to stop impacting them negatively. One small choice by each person who reads this to change their habits in using and buying plastic can make a difference. It WILL make a difference. My choice is never to buy another plastic lighter. I've seen too many here on this island, and I know the path those lighters took to get here.

Cargo Pier Photo Shoot

2010-06-17T22:26:00.005-10:00

Cargo Pier by J. Barrett

2010-06-17T22:15:00.003-10:00

PAA Blog Post - Day 2: Cargo Pier (J.Barrett)

Wednesday afternoon we had some time to explore the nearshore waters surrounding the Cargo Pier. Aside from the mind-blowing blue hues, the most dramatic feature is the sudden drop-off. Long ago, the area just offshore was blasted and dredged to create a large dock for barges and ships. When NOAA vessels such as the Hi‘ialakai and the Oscar Sette arrive at Midway, this is where they dock.

We donned our snorkel gear and swam out over the sandy bottom, quickly reaching the drop-off. Not more than 30 yards from shore, clear warm water turned to a chilly blue abyss. Due to the depth and poor visibility from brisk winds, we headed for the shelter of the pier. The first piling we encountered was covered with small coral heads overgrown with algae and tangled with marine debris; a sad reminder of the long and complicated history of human impact on this seemingly pristine environment.

Looking deeper, we started to notice the fish. Large schools of goatfish and several species of ulua (a.k.a. Jacks) were the first to catch our attention. Then, further below, the faint silhouette of a large honu (Green sea turtle) headed in the direction of Turtle Beach where half a dozen other turtles were already hauled-out, basking on the beach. As we lingered, more fish began to emerge; nenue (a.k.a. chubs), Moorish Idol, needlefish, whitespotted toby, cornetfish and even a Hawaiian cleaner wrasse station.

This first taste of Midway marine life has everyone eager for our chance to explore part of the atoll’s reef of Friday afternoon!

Photo's from the field

2010-06-16T23:20:00.002-10:00

Group Write and Poetry

2010-06-16T22:50:00.001-10:00

In the evening of our first day we were guided skillfully through journal writing by Sarah and Doug. This was the result of the day’s experience …

“Moli kite
Ka’upu sit
Iwa soar with the sun.
Hollow bones
That uplift life
Hollow bones that make permanent Po beneath skin.” Nai’a

“Plastic Bottle Caps
Small & bright colours
They look like they bring life
They bring only death.

Sand Island
Fields of dark grey down
A mother feeds her baby
Soon Moli will fly

Surprise
Waves break on the sand,
We approach the rusting steel
Back up, it’s a seal.” Al

“albatross
sitting stone still
on the white sand near the
high waters mark
ghostly
wind blows through grey down
clouds grey
sun hidden
nearing dusk
alone
it does not move
eyes not seeing” Norbert

“Manu O Ku
Balancing in mid-air
Never far from your friend
Your fragile toughness and friendly hover
Welcomed friend to the sea farer
Lead us Home.

Young albatross
Today’s my day
I’m gonna try
Those overhead entrance me
How do they do it?
Spread my wings face the wind
Stretch, hop, hop, hop, what now?
I need to watch some more
At least there are many of us.” Chris

“I hope I always remember the adventure of today. Adults handed bikes and freedom, wind, blue skies, fuzzy moli chicks watching our careering progress with somber patience. I loved handing over my usual bag of leadership as I pedaled behind PA’A backs, straight and strong. A rag tag procession through the moli maze.

bike
sand
scrub
bike
hat
backpack
somber fuzzy moli chick
bike
tarmac
carcass
bike
sunburn
smiles
somber buzzy moli check
bike
eyewater
breathless
bike
silence
family
somber fuzzy moli chick” Randi Kika Brennon

Discovering Po

2010-06-16T22:33:00.004-10:00

Day 1

Discovering Po.

As sun broke we were able to have our first opportunity to see what lay before us in the land of Po. We were “handed our bikes and freedom” and so began our journey with Pihemanu and the opportunity to explore all that was presented before us. We all set off from the same place, but dispersed in different directions, paths crossing along the way.

Myself, Sarah & Jen cycled to the affectionately named “Bulky Dump” and left our bikes to weave around the nesting fledglings who reminded us of their stand on the island with powerful “claps” of their beaks. Here, on Midway nature has the right of way!

At the end of the spit there were beautiful vistas onto light turquoise water that progressively darkened as the reefs shelved away into the lagoon. You could see Hawaiian Monk seals in the distance and Red Tailed Tropic birds flying above with the soaring albatross. The image is one as you might of a small Atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – simply and overwhelmingly beautiful.

At the end of the spit there was a dead chick – I peeled back the feathers with a stick and the rib cage to find a carcass full of plastic – some large fishing floats and bottle lids. Nature’s genius creations of feathers and bones to protect was no protection for manmade materials. The impact of discovering this is so much more than seeing the photos – although hard to believe. Where did that bottle lid come from? Did the user ever realize it’s fate to our seas and oceans?

Do we ever stop in our daily lives and consider the journey of our latest toys, paintbrush, lighters or food packaging? The materials used to make it - the fuel needed for transportation and its eventual fate.

If one day we were all to consider the journey from the beginning of all the components of our purchases to their eventual fates and all the consequences in between – would we behave differently? We are in an era of convenience but convenience does not equate to better for us now or in the future. Life in all its forms takes time, care, and consideration to create fulfillment, health & happiness for the present and for our future and the legacy we leave behind us.

Sometimes we need to face the harsh realities of what we do to nature. The act of peeling away the feathers and breaking the rib cage and lifting the sternum – is like peeling away your consciousness. The contrast between this and the beauty of Midway does nothing but inspire and motivate change.

Consider this – in Johnstone Museum on the mainland we saw the beautiful cloak aha’ula – feathered cape of King Kamehamaha’s wife – originally. Sadly, after visiting England the King and his wife both died from measles and so the cloak was passed to his daughter. This large cloak showed the finest workmanship and was made from beautiful small golden yellow feathers from the “mamo” bird which covered the cloak. The bird catchers or “kia manu” would collect the feathers which there were only a few of on the wing and tail of each bird. The way this was done was to cover the branch with sticky sap and then once the bird landed they would carefully remove the molting feathers – clean the birds’ feet and return them to the cleaned tree. The work involved in this process alone showed how much time and care went into the making of that cloak. How happy the King’s daughter must have felt to wear such a beautiful cloak and proud the people who helped in its creation.

Do we feel the same way when we buy something that has had a questionable past and an uncertain future?

That is the magic of Pihemanu – the opportunity to let nature teach you, to consider our lives and journeys that will be influenced by Pihemanu but ultimately to think! While doing this we are so amazingly fortunate to be surrounded by the beautiful majestic creatures all around us – Albatross, Hawaiian Monk Seal, Fairy Tern and of course – all the people.

Introduction: Hugh Story

2010-06-16T11:28:00.000-10:00

Hello,
My name is Hugh Story. I'm a part-time Global Studies teacher with the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council (www.paachawaii.org) at Aiea High School on Oahu.I work full-time as a sales analyst at the Hawaii Coffee Company (www.hicoffeeco.com).I'm a former Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan ('99-'01) and worked as a small and medium enterprise development contractor in Kazakhstan and Bulgaria.I recently completed my MBA from the University of Hawaii. I'm a member of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Hawaii and volunteer annually with the Great Aloha Run and Habitat for Humanity.Having grown up in Virginia Beach, I always had a connection with the ocean. Actually, my two years in the Peace Corps ended up giving me the most appreciation for the sea. Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world. In the center of the country is a point of which you are the farthest from any ocean. My assignment was in the middle of this country. I loved my experience but pretty much vowed to never be that far from water again.I'll be working on studying elements of Midway that can serve as a blueprint for a basic educational Flash-based video game. On occasion I've used higher end 'serious games' to help educate students and engage them. The best example is the Food Force game developed for the United Nations World Food Programme. It's a free download which engages students in 6 missions which covers the core duties and obstacles faced by food aid workers. Students put themselves in the role of an aid worker. It's very engaging and students ask throughout the semester to play the game again and again. I'll be giving a short-presentation about educational gaming before the trip.Our lessons have a sustainability component and we teach kids about limits with linear systems inherent in a global Materials Economy. I'm trying to find new ways to educate on closed-loop systems and have young people care about the environment around them. If resources allow, I would be interested in creating a small documentary of the trip. I'm involved with 'Olelo community television by producing, filming and editing various programs. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and having an unforgettable experience.Aloha,Hugh

Introduction: Chris Baird

2010-06-16T11:26:00.001-10:00

ALOHA EVERYONE,
MY NAME IS CHRIS BAIRD AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING ALL OF YOU. I AM BOTH VERY IMPRESSED AND A BIT INTIMIDATED WITH SOME OF YOUR BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES.
I AM A TEACHER AT OLOMANA SCHOOLS,WHERE FOR THE LAST 23 YEARSI HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO TEACH AT THE FAMILY COURTS JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITY.I AM A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, BUT WE END UP TEACHING ALOT OF EVERYTHING TO A WIDE RANGE OF LEVELS,AGES,GRADES AND ABILITIES.I TRY TO BRING AS MUCH LIFE SCIENCE AND OCEAN STUDIES INTO THE CLASSROOM AS I CAN. WE'VE CONSTRUCTED AQUARIUMS AND TERRARIUMS,GROWN VEGETABLE GARDENS,MAINTAINED TARO LOI'S,RAISED FISH AND FROGS AND JACKSON CHAMELEONS.
I ENJOY PADDLING,SAILING,GARDENING,PLAYING WITH MY DOGS AND SPENDING TIME WITH MY WIFE MICHELLE AND MY SON NANEA.I AM A LONG TIME PADDLER AND BOARD MEMBER OF HUI NALU CANOE CLUB. I AM ALSO A MEMBER OF THE POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY AND CREW MEMBER ON THE VOYAGING CANOE "HOKULE'A".
I SPENT MOST OF MY YOUTH GROWING UP ON KAUAI. I HAD A FANTASTIC CHILDHOOD LIVING IN WAIMEA. AS KIDS, WE COULD SURF AND DIVE IN THE OCEAN, SWIM AND FARM IN THE VALLEY AND HIKE AND CAMP UP IN THE MOUNTAINS OF KOKE'E. ALL THESE ACTIVITIES KEPT US OUTSIDE ENJOYING NATURE AT HER BEST..I STILL ENJOY GOING UP TO KOKE'E AND PICKING MAILE AND MOKIHANA.
AS KIDS ,WE PRACTICED CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT. WE WERE TAUGHT TO TAKE ONLY WHAT WE NEEDED AND TO SHARE ANY EXTRAS WHETHER IT WAS FISH OR TARO OR MANGOS.
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I ATTENDED WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIV. WHERE I MAJORED IN PARKS AND RECREATION. ONCE AGAIN, I FOUND MYSELF INVOLVED IN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS.
I LATER RETURNED TO SCHOOL AT THE UNIV. OF HAWAII WHERE I GOT MY TEACHING DEGREE WITH THE INTENT ON RETURNING TO TEACH AT WAIMEA HIGH SCHOOL.WELL..........THAT WAS 25 YEARS AGO AND I AM STILL HERE IN HONOLULU.IT'S ALL GOOD!!!!!
MY MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST THESE DAYS FOCUSES ON THE REMOVAL OF INVAISIVE ALGAE FROM MAUNALUA BAY IN EAST OAHU. A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF DR.ISABELLA ABBOTT,CELIA SMITH AND DR.KIM PEYTON, MY WIFE SPEARHEADED THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE ALIEN ALGAE PROJECT. WE WORK WITH AND TRAIN HER STUDENTS WHO THEN TRAIN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS IN THE REMOVAL OF ALIEN ALGAE. MY WIFE HAS ADDED THIS PROJECT INTO HER CURRICULM AT KAISER HIGH SCHOOL.IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BECOME INVOLVED IN THIS NEVER ENDING PROJECT.
WE HAVE ALSO TAKEN MY WIFE'S STUDENTS TO THE ISLAND OF KAHO'OLAWE WHERE WE TOOK PART IN OPIHI MONITERING AND FISH (PAPIO)TAGGING.WE HAVE ALSO GONE TO THE BIG ISLAND TO PLANT KOA SEEDLINGS AND HELPED TO CLEAR INVASIVE MANGROVE FROM HE'EIA FISHPOND.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING BOTH THE ISLAND AND SEALIFE ON MIDWAY. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO I WAS FORTUNATE TO SAIL ON THE HOKULE'A TO PALMYRA ATOLL. IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO COMPARING PALMYRA WITH MIDWAY.I AM ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE REMNANTS OF WWII ACTIVITY.I HAVE WATCHED ALOT OF THE HISTORY CHANNELS SHOWS ON MIDWAY.
TAKE CARE AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON,
CHRIS BAIRD

Introduction: Marion Ano

2010-06-16T11:24:00.000-10:00

Aloha e nā hoa,

‘O au nō, Marion Ano. Welina mai iā kākou! I hope this message reaches all of you in good spirits. I can’t believe we are a week away from our trip to Midway Atoll. I look forward to meeting each of you in person this coming weekend. I know this lifetime opportunity to travel to Midway with all of you will deepen my knowledge and aloha for the ocean. Furthermore, this experience will strengthen my ability to advocate for the protection and rightful use of this amazing life-sustaining resource.
For me the ocean has been a great teacher and I’m continually humbled by its vastness, power, and greatness. It saddens me that our oceans have been incredibly depleted of its resources and polluted by humans. I look forward to discussing these issues with each of you and hopefully we can develop solutions to solve some of the challenges and problems we face.
In my current work, I am an intern at NOAA’s Pacific Services Center. As a geospatial processor, I’m working towards creating data visualizations or interactive visuals that utilize NOAA’s scientific data to help students, teachers, and the others understand the different processes, impacts, and dynamics that are occurring on a global, national, and local levels.
Mahalo for this opportunity! See you all soon!

Ke aloha no,Marion

Introduction: Sarah Wilson

2010-06-10T21:45:00.001-10:00

I grew up in a small coastal town in San Diego County, California (Vista, California). My family had a sailboat when I was growing up so I spent summers exploring around Catalina Island. I loved fishing as a child and snorkeling the most and would spend hours in the water. These ocean experiences sparked my passion for the sea and its creatures and I knew since I was 6 years old that I wanted to be a marine biologist. So that is what I do with most of my time... I am on, in, and around the ocean as much as possible and happiest when I am sharing the wonders of the sea with others! I studied marine science at UC Santa Cruz and received a BA in Biology and then a MA in Science Education from San Diego State University. I currently am the Ocean Education Manager at the National Geographic Society working on the new Ocean Now Initiative and recently traveled the world by private yacht teaching all school topics, scuba diving, and marine biology for 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students. I have worked in education management, animal care and training, exhibit creation, instruction, and program development at top institutions including Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Dolphin Research Center, and the Ocean Institute. In addition, Sarah I work as a science and education specialist publishing books, websites, and teaching guides for National Geographic, Scholastic, IMAX Films, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the multi-agency marine portal website Thank You Ocean (www.thankyouocean.org). I also have extensive marine field research experience ranging from being a NAUI Scientific Master Diver in kelp forests and coral reefs to a sea turtle and marine mammal observer. I have spent over 15 years working as a Naturalist on various ships all over the world introducing the wonders of whales in Alaska, Baja Mexico, and Hawaii to teaching snorkeling and diving around the globe.
I have dreamed of visiting this beautiful remote chain of islands for years and that desire has grown even more since its creation into one of our Marine National Monuments. A place that “seems” so far removed from human impact is filled with evidence of our capacity to harm the ocean and its wildlife. Papahanaumokuakea is an ultimate learning laboratory for the marine environment due to the presence of species that are both robust and fragile in their nature. I am looking forward to learning and experiencing a wild and special place that is a baseline for conservation as well as an area in need of preservation due to the quantity of endangered and diverse species. The islands are so unique and inspire action for protection and awe from its beauty. My project plan is to teach and inspire others about the ocean through the creation of a series of workshops to be held across the country to ocean stakeholders, such as boat captains, lifeguards, and those in the scuba diving industry. These workshops will supply ocean information and outreach materials to those on the front line of public interaction about our ocean and will enable these stakeholders to inform their visitors on ocean issues and conservation. We have the power to damage or protect our own backyard, local seashore or waterway, or a place that seems a world away like Midway Atoll.

Introduction: Doug Schmid

2010-06-10T21:42:00.000-10:00

First I would like to express gratitude to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the State of Hawaii and the entire PAA team who have worked to provide this year’s team with this opportunity to experience Midway Atoll.

I also am looking forward to this program, at this place so isolated from human settlement, to see such an extraordinary and abundant part of our world. I have read about the huge colonies of nesting albatross and other seabirds and the remarkable life in the atoll’s reefs. I come from a heavily developed place, outside New York City, where the works of people are everywhere.

Here on Long Island we have a dense population and considerable pressure on our environment and natural resources. In my lifetime I have seem a great diminishment of the natural world. As a boy my local bays were full of game fish and clams and the spring skies were vividly colored with migrating warblers and noisy waterfowl. More recently I have seen our bays unnaturally full of algae, with eelgrass meadows gone and fishermen failing to find once numerous fish. I’ve led many post-mortem necropsies with high school students on marine animals. We’ve found plastic balloons that have compacted in the stomachs of loggerhead turtles causing death.

There has been much discussion lately about how our children are becoming more divorced from the natural world that sustains us (with every breath we take!). Most people here live a busy, suburban life, divorced from meaningful experiences with the natural world. We find ourselves less connected to and less understanding of nature around us. Our technology and standard of living insulates us. I think this “disconnect” from our life support system is a real problem for our future and must be addressed. Baba Dioum said “For in the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. And we will understand only what we are taught.” If he is right we have a responsibility to be the guides and teachers for the generations to follow. I hope to be better equipped to be one of those guides after working and learning as part of our PAA team.

Lastly, as our lives become ever busier and our time for reflection less, I hope to have the gift of time at this magnificent place- time for perspective and the time to absorb and understand some measure of the natural world at the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Introduction: George Hanks

2010-06-10T21:41:00.000-10:00

Aloha from Texas!
My name is George Hanks and I am truly excited to be apart of the PAA program this year! Although I now live in Houston, I am originally from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, a small town in the heart of Acadiana bayou country (think gumbo, beignets, crawfish, zydeco music and .. . alas ¼ most recently the oil spill!). I am a volunteer marine sciences educator with the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and I have served as a volunteer educator with the Houston Bar Association’s Lawyers In Public Schools Program. As a volunteer educator, I teach children in under-served Houston communities about our diverse marine resources and the importance of their conservation. I am also an avid scuba diver and amateur underwater photographer and I have been fortunate to travel throughout the Pacific Ocean learning about our island communities and diverse marine resources. I have enjoyed bringing these experiences back to my students in the classroom. As a diver, I have served as a Naturalist On Board on live-aboard dive boats visiting the Flower Garden Banks, teaching divers about what makes our national marine sanctuaries such special and important places for all of us.
After practicing law for 12 years, I served as a district court judge in Houston for two years and for the past eight years I have been serving as a justice on the Texas Court of Appeals, 1st District.
Jacques Cousteau summed up the challenge of marine conservation when he said “People protect what they love” and preserve what they understand. The key to promoting conservation and stewardship of our oceans is showing people how truly interrelated we are on this planet and how the actions of one person affecting our oceans can impact hundreds of lives thousands of miles away in more ways than we can imagine. We need look no further than the recent oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico to see that no matter who we are, where we live, or what our circumstances, our lives and the lives of future generations are inextricably intertwined with the fate of our oceans.
Participation in the PAA program offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the special bond that we all share through the ocean. Among other things, through this program I will not only see first-hand how current international polices have affected our Pacific Ocean resources but I will also be a part of current efforts to preserve these resources for future generations. As part of this experience I will learn about the impact of these policies on the Hawaiian people. I will use this experience and the relationships with my colleagues developed through this program as a catalyst to establish an ongoing “Sister Schools in Conservation” program for middle and high school students. Through this program, students will see that there are names, faces and even entire communities dependent on our conservation efforts and they will develop a greater appreciation of the importance and urgency of conservation efforts world-wide. I want the program to empower these students to take active roles in the stewardship of our oceans and inspire other students to do the same.

Introduction: Jennifer Barrett

2010-06-10T21:36:00.002-10:00

Jennifer Barrett is an Extension Agent with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, where she coordinates a marine education program related to ecosystem restoration and management in Waikiki. Thanks to her mom, she spent much of her youth exploring the outdoors as a Girl Scout. She attributes her pursuit of "work" adventures at sites including Bishop Museum, San Francisco Zoo, Hanauma Bay and Coconut Island, to those early
encounters. It's what also inspired Jen to propose the development of a Junior Girl Scout badge as her stewardship project, the focus of which will be marine protected areas. Jen is also pursuing a Master of Environmental Management through Duke University's Environmental Leadership Program.

Introduction: Randi Brennon

2010-06-10T21:35:00.002-10:00

My name is Randi Brennon and I live on the island of Hawai'i. I am fortunate to teach 7th and 8th graders all day, getting them out of the classroom as much as possible and taking care of several sites in our community. We explore our island and our education through Project-Based Learning methods. It's exhausting and invigorating at the same time.
I am deeply excited about the opportunity to go to Kuaihelani (Midway Island). I'm looking forward to meeting the honu who live there, and the monk seals, and all those birds! My oldest son is named Koa'ekea, a bird found on this eastern-most side of the island chain, and it's exciting to know I'll be going to the nesting place of the Koa'eula on the western end of the island chain. I'm hoping to take lots and lots of pictures while we're there. One of the most exciting possibilities for me is the chance to meet and partner with people on projects. Collaboration is challenging and so rewarding. At school, we get our students involved in all kinds of things, and I can't wait to see what comes out of our adventures together through PA'A. So here's to our upcoming work and play together...see you soon!Randi

Introduction: Robin Craig

2010-06-10T21:35:00.001-10:00

My life has been a multi-start attempt to blend my love of the oceans, my interest in science, and my humanities bent into a single career, and environmental law proved to be the right vocation. I grew up in southern California, in Long Beach, within biking distance of the ocean, and some of my happiest memories of childhood are of spending long afternoons boogey-boarding at the beach. In college I majored in English, but took the equivalent of a minor in biology and chemistry -- I loved learning the science, but I quickly discovered that my tolerance for lab work maxed out at 8 hours per week. The first attempt at blending the two loves was a Masters program in Writing About Science at The Johns Hopkins University, but full-time employment as a science writer is hard to come by. However, I got to be a Teaching Associate at Hopkins, which convinced me that I wanted to teach in some capacity.
After Hopkins, I pursued the teaching goal by spending two years teaching marine biology and island ecology at the Catalina Island Marine Institute on Catalina Island, California. That's also where I become SCUBA certified -- the Institute was a licensed dive facility, and we spent most of our free time out in the Zodiacs diving. I enjoyed living with the rhythms and fluctuations of the ocean, and one of the years I was there was a strong El Nino year. Just when I thought I'd gotten the native fauna down, the currents brought all sorts of strange creatures up from Mexico and even South America. : ) I also met my husband of almost 22 years on Catalina -- he was a new teacher that I was in charge of training.
After that, more grad school, because I'd figured out that I wanted to teach at the college level. My husband actually talked me into law school, because I had absolutely no inclination to be a litigator. However, environmental law suits me perfectly, and while I was in law school I got to work in the General Counsel's Office, Natural Resources Division, of the Oregon Department of Justice. There, I got to work with the lawyers who advise Oregon's environmental agencies on new programs and regulations -- proactive work, with no litigation involved. I was hooked! While there, I got to work on salmon issues, tribal issues, and all sorts of water issues, ranging the gamut from standard water quality regulation under the Clean Water Act to helping to assemble Oregon's coastal zone management plan.
After graduation, I worked for a federal judge in Oregon, who was delighted to send all his environmental cases to my desk. Toward the end of my tenure with him, the Lewis & Clark School of Law asked my to teach a night course, and my legal teaching career was launched. That's what I've been doing ever since, and it has allowed me to focus, as one of my areas of specialty, on ocean and coastal law. In particular, I've developed an interest and expertise in marine protected areas, coral reefs, ocean sustainability, and, most recently, climate change.
Its hard to work in this area of law and remain hopeful for the future of the oceans. There are so many debilitating stresses on marine ecosystems, and the law is often completely inadequate in protecting these resources. Marine protected areas aren't the full answer, but they do provide, I think, one of the best hopes for transitioning marine ecosystems through the climate change era. I've been fascinated by the efforts to protect the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from the beginning of the legal efforts to do so and have actively compared those efforts to coral reef protections in Florida, such as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and elsewhere in the world, such as the Great Barrier Reef Nation Marine Park in Australia. This opportunity to visit the Papahanaumakuakea Marine National Monument is, quite simply, a dream come true for me, both professionally and personally. I think large ecosystem-based protected areas like this one represent one of our best hopes in making progress toward sustainable use of the seas, even with the mounting stresses of climate change and pollution, and I look forward to observing the operations of the PMNM up close. (Okay, and on a less grandiose note, I'm also hoping to observe many of the native species while we're there. Seeing a Hawaiian monk seal in person would be spectacular!)
Robin

Introductions: Norbert Larsen

2010-06-10T21:33:00.000-10:00

Aloha.

My name is Norbert Larsen. I am originally from Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai`i. I've made home on O`ahu for the past 22 years. I feel humbled to be a part of PAA this summer, and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone!

I am currently a fourth grade teacher at Wai`alae Public Charter School on O`ahu. I was an Education Specialist in Hawaiian Natural History for Moanalua Gardens Foundation for ten years, where great environmentalists and activists of Hawai`i mentored me. I hosted television series on public television exploring the Islands, Polynesian voyaging, as well as natural resources of America. I was fortunate to work at Bishop Museum on the `Ohi`a Project, with a team of people to whom I owe deep gratitude for teaching me a way to educate kids and classroom teachers about native Hawaiian ecosystems. In addition to being an environmental educator, I performed with a wide array of modern dance and ballet companies in Hawai`i during the 1990s.
I hope the PAA 2010 program helps me to achieve active stewardship of natural and cultural resources within my home community. I want to be a better, stronger leader. Great people inspire me, and wild places inspire me. I know the PAA experience will put me in touch with both great people and a very special place. In turn, I intend to evolve Wai`alae Public Charter School into a leading institution for environmental and cultural stewardship in our area.
See you in a few weeks!
Norbert

Introductions: Maya Plass

2010-06-10T21:28:00.000-10:00

Already Midway Atoll and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National monument has had a big influence on me. At the end of last year I had an email from Ron Hirschi (a participant on the PAA trip in 2009) asking if I would like to have Fred the Monkey come visit me here in the UK. Naturally, I said yes and so began an amazing journey that I am still finding hard to believe. Fred the teddy monkey came to me in a little brown box full of materials and information about this tiny island called Midway Atoll. The stories, situation, and wildlife that I learned about were incredible. He was spreading the word on marine litter, ocean conservation and about Papahanaumokuakea.

Here, in England I work in South Devon from “Learn To Sea” working with children and adults on marine conservation issues. We run beach cleans, marine conservation workshops, after school classes etc. and within this I am often found to be talking rubbish! A global perspective of the Pacific Garbage Patch and its impact was & has been really interesting for me. Fred has become a great work assistant and we have travelled to schools, local tourist attractions and talked about the impact of marine litter on Midway and locally. So it was through Fred & Ron that this opportunity arose and one I couldn’t pass up!

I feel so very honoured to be the first international participant and will take away and give as much as I possibly can. Work is already underway with a local primary school to prepare them to twin them with another school in Hawaii. I hope that they can share culture, friendship, traditions and stories and share and compare their coastline and common threats in a wonderful celebration of the ocean with a global perspective. Hopefully, this will be a pilot study that will then be rolled out to other schools in the area and create lots of sister schools! So that is a prime aspiration for this trip to find a sister school for Blackawton Primary School and develop a program of twinning.

There are so many things that I hope to achieve from this trip – new friends, experiences and knowledge. It is an amazing opportunity to share 10 days with other marine educators to brainstorm on all things ocean and coastal. All the time we will be being inspired by all the amazing wildlife and people around us. I look forward to learning about different marine education styles, tips, knowledge & experiences and gaining new perspectives.
I know this trip and magical place has already touched me deeply. I eagerly anticipate where it will take me, Learn To Sea and the children of the schools in South Devon in the future. It is a great privilege and opportunity which we will share to promote the protection and conservation of our seas both near and far.

Introductions: Al Braun

2010-06-10T21:26:00.000-10:00

Aloha kakou, My name is Al Braun, and I am a flight nurse and paramedic with Hawaii Life Flight (formerly Hawaii Air Ambulance). My wife, Tara, our daughter, Anna, and I live in Hilo, and I work in Kona. I am a former firefighter and US Navy veteran. I was born and raised here, but I have traveled extensively, and I returned home to the land of my kupuna to use my talents and abilities to care for Hawaii and its people. As a surfer and a hunter, I have been involved in conservation my entire life, but the birth of our daughter in 2007 made the importance of preserving our aina suddenly much more crucial. I am not an educator by trade, but education is part of my occupation and part of my personality. I am humbled to have been selected, and to be part of such an incredible group. I hope to incorporate the knowledge from the Papahanaumokuakea Ahahui Alakai in the development of a land lab experience to educate Hawaii's residents on the connections between our culture and environment. I look forward to meeting and learning with all of you.Malama pono,Al Braun, RN BSN EMT-P

2009 PAA Participants

2010-06-08T14:28:00.018-10:00

Carlie Wiener
Miriam Sutton

Sunny Seal-LaPlante

Anne Rosa

Terry Reveira

Karen Matsumoto

Meghan Marrero

Jeff Manker

Kathy Knoeppel

Darius Kalvaitus

Ron Hirschi

Trevor Atkins

Reflections: Terry Reveira

2009-07-23T16:24:00.001-10:00

Reflecting back on all of my experiences I had traveling to, while staying there and heading home, all have changed my perception of this place and of my role in caring for the resources found there.
The week prior to heading traveling was very chaotic. I had to balance my job and family and I almost said, “Forget it, I can not go, there is no way”. But with encouragement (mahalo Ann Bell and friends) I knew this would be a life changing experience. So, I packed up and got on the plane to Honolulu and when I got there I tried to let go of my job and home life to focus on this trip.
When Saturday came and we boarded the plane to travel to the islands and sanctuary (Pu’uhonua) I was full of excitement and awe, I kept trying to press my nose up against the plane window to see the ocean and any of the islands that we were flying over. It did not work, but when the sun was setting it was amazing and shining through the front window of the plane. This was when thoughts of the island came to me and a song was given to me. I am always amazed when this happens and I think which kupuna or kuku is sharing with me this song or is it just me and because my love of this place and history shining through.
The song came to me in Hawaiian and though I am only a conversational speaker of Hawaiian language, many times it provides a more in depth meaning in the words than English does. So, I wrote it down as it came and the feeling was very heavy (kaumaha) and my tears also flowed when the meaning of the song came to me. I tried to write the English meaning but it does not come through the same. In the song I see the Albatross taking off and flying, soaring through the skys and in their heart is the compelling feeling of finding food for their young. I see them returning to the island and searching for their young, the young calling out to their parents and their parents feeding them the nourishment they need to survive. I feel the sadness in knowing that they are also feeding poisons to their young and the result is death from the plastics. Then I see the young ready to leave and they have the strong feeling to fly up and away but they are afraid, and so they follow the other older birds. Once, they are up in the sky they receive the knowledge to fly to where the food is and then receive the amazing feeling of being apart of a plan of nature that continues each year, it is generational. The cycle starts again, but the young must find their way back home each year to keep the cycle strong and the family strong. This also speaks to me of the need to care and teach our young the same values and providing them with the “food” to connect to their source and return after they leave back home to care for the land and ocean and start the cycle for their children the next generation. We also need to watch for the “poisons and plastics” that they are being feed each day. These need to be cut off so they can again hear, see and feel the need of the land and ocean.
So that was my beginning and introduction to Papahanaumokuakea, a feeling of awe, aloha, amazement and connection before I even landed.
When I landed and stepped of the plane a wave of feelings overwhelmed me, a feeling of coming home, of welcome from my ancestors who traveled through this area, I could feel their happiness that I was there to connect and learn and to carry the message of malama to others. As I walked out the door of the plane I could not see much, it was dark but my other senses kicked in and I could “smell” the birds and plants and the ocean. It was all good and I smiled, I was here, I had made it to Papahanaumokuakea, Aloha mai.
Each morning, I awoke with a smile knowing I was there and anticipating what we would learn each day. Each night and day, I would be out late walking, talking to the birds and connecting with the island. As visitors we had a agenda to follow and classes to go to. This was fine, but many times my focus was out with the birds, on the trails and at the ocean. I wish I had more time to just sit, feel, connect with the island. As a Hawaiian this is very important to me to link to the past and the “kumu” or source the island and ocean. This helps me understand the story of the land and ocean and the change that took place here the shaped what the island looks like today and to think what is missing, what is hewa (wrong out of place).
I do not want to write forever, so I will share a few of the events that stood out to me. One was being with some amazing people who had the same love for the land, ocean and animals. Who had the same drive and excitement to wake up each day at dawn and go to sleep late at night to try to suck in all of the experiences each day. Also, the community on the island were great every day they welcomed us, so that we felt like “locals” and were soon acting as such.
One thing that stands out in my mind was the birds. Each day when I got up and got on my bike (which I loved), I would stop and talk to the young birds and the parents. The young would look at you with such trusting eyes and touched my na’au (gut or soul). It made a weight in my na’au to know and see the birds die. The longer we stayed the more our eyes began to focus on the story of the birds and island. In life, along with the happy there is the sad, it is the lokahi or balance. The sad part of the story is the role that people play in the story of how we impact our oceans and land by our “instant” lifestyle and the use of plastics.
One day a bird would make little noises to say hello or where are my parents I am hungry. The next day the same bird stops making noises, and the next the bird can not lift its wings until finally we find it has passed on to a new place. Like the birds whose stomachs are filling with plastic, my na’au is filling with stones of sadness and the need to tell the story to get others to care. It is sad that the young birds get a feeling of being full from plastic, they do not know it is a false feeling without nourishment to live on. What else can we do to help them? They continue to watch us with trusting eyes each day.
So each day I visited as much as the island that I could but always felt drawn to the east side of the island, the side that my ancestors came from and traveled past and maybe stopped to get water and food as the continued looking for a new home to sustain their people. Many loved the ocean and swimming under the pier, but I loved just being there and discovering new places, plants and animals. I loved introducing myself to each place and making a commitment to each others and share the story of Pihemanu and the other islands. To help them to connect and understand the trust that the young birds give to us is a challenge to us, a challenge to make good what we have polluted.
I thank all those who encouraged me to take this trip. What I learned and gained has changed me. The feeling in my na’au is heavy and will not be lifted until I share the stories, songs and feeling of Papahanaumokuakea to help them to care and carry on the story and songs to others. In this way we can make a difference and change our lifestyles that affect others. My last day I went to ocean to say good bye, my eyes filled with tears again of sadness again as a short oli (chant) came to mind of the love and care of the ocean and land and of farewells. A hui hou (until next time) I said and turned and left.
Thank you everyone, I hope my journal and thoughts will help you gain a new feeling of Papahanaumokuakea and want to be involved of the care of such amazing place, a place of my ancestors. I also hope each of you will take the weight of the pohaku (rock) and tell your stories to lighten the load and create a aumoana (ocean current) to help the birds, land and ocean heal.
Mahalo ke akua, na kumu, na kupuna, ko’u ohana ame hoaalohaa a pau,
Terry Leianuenue Reveira

Reflections: Kathy Knoeppel

2009-07-05T18:19:00.004-10:00

First, I would like to sincerely thank all the people involved in creating the Papahānaumokuākea 'Ahahui Alaka'i (PAA) program. Without their dedication and foresight; we could not have had the awesome learning experience that the program was for us. Ann, Linda, Tracy and Dani; a big Mahalo! My week on the island passed all too quickly and I am now back at home in Wisconsin; reflecting on my extraordinary experience.

For a week that sped by all too quickly, we were deeply immersed in the ecology of Midway and the passion of the researchers and fish and wildlife personnel who work and live on the island. While on Midway, I often reflected that our Earth is in fact an island and we have a finite set resources; that we have a kuleana (responsibility) to malama (take care of) our island home. As I pick up my routine with my family, I look around and see the connections - some good and some bad links between the island and home.

If we only look at the problems face; we can soon be overwhelmed. I think the challenge is to make continual and lasting changes, living more mindfully and not just thoughtlessly consuming. I hope that each person who reads my blog will take away the idea that you don’t have to journey to Midway to make an impact. Consider the adage of growing where you are planted! Many of the environmental issues my fellow PAA participants have highlighted are mirrored in all of our cities and towns across the U.S.

Karen Matsumoto’s blog summarized how the nesting habitat of the Albatross has been changed by “the lovely yellow sunflowers” - Verbesina encelioides. Biking around the island, I saw first hand how the Verbesina; a native to Southwestern U.S. choked native species and I felt the hot, stagnant air as the plants intensified the temperature heat stressing the Albatross chicks causing many to perish.

Verbesina has counterparts in Wisconsin. Sadly, we too have invasive species that on the surface are quite lovely; but upon examination one can see their true effects. In Wisconsin and in many of the Midwestern states; purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) takes the place of the island’s verbesina. Like verbesina, once purple loosestrife gets a foothold; habitat where fish and wildlife feed reproduce and rear young quickly become strangled under a monoculture of purple flowers. As on Midway some wildlife do are not always able to find better habitat. Animals, plants and insects that can't move are killed by this invasion. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources estimates 40,000 acres of wetlands, marshes, pastures and wet meadows in Wisconsin are affected by purple loosestrife. But like on Midway, there are people who are working to eliminate and mitigate these thugs. In Wisconsin, as across the country there are groups that would love to have volunteers help. In our area, we are fortunate to have the Wild Ones Organization www.for-wild.org/ which promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities and opportunities with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/voljobs/volseek.html

I enjoyed biking around the island with Jeff Manker and Ron Hirschi; however as we biked we were increasingly dismayed at the toll plastic had taken on the wildlife. It was alarming to see the number of dead birds scattered across the roads and in the fields. Jeff, ever the science teacher, was moved to open carcasses of albatross we found it was clear to see that the birds had died from ingesting plastic debris. It was shocking to see the quantities of cigarette lighters, fishing line, toothbrushes, bottle caps, and bits and pieces of plastic of all colors, shapes, and sizes. The floating plastic had been disguised; covered with a coating of fish eggs. Typically, these eggs would have been on natural material which the albatross had evolved to process not the sharp plastics which take up the space of food and often pierced and cut the organs of the adults and chicks.

Once again, one does not need to travel to a tiny atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to see the effects of our society’s dependence on plastics. Every grocery store has taken up the cause of plastic reduction by asking consumers to bring reusable bags when shopping. What else can we do? Can we think for ourselves and realize that it might be trendier to drink water out of the tap instead of out of a plastic bottle that has hidden costs? When we purchase children’s toys, spend our dollars wisely and environmentally – try to avoid buying plastic trinkets that can find their way into the ecosystem or if you do purchase toys/games – donate them when your children grow out of them.

When I returned home, I was happy to see how much my garden had grown. Every year, I cannot wait to taste those home grown tomatoes! At Midway, gardening is also a way to enjoy fresh fruit and veggies; but it demonstrates the idea of sustainability. It is heartening to see Michelle Obama re-inventing the idea of Victory gardens by planting an organic garden at the White House to provide an example of how growing food locally, and organically, can allow families to eat healthfully and at the same time reduce our nation’s reliance on industrial farms that use chemicals for fertilizers and pesticides; as well as oil for food shipment.

I invite and challenge each of one of our blog readers to join our ‘Ahahu‘i (club) and become Alaka’i (ambassadors or leaders) at home. And PA‘A (remain steadfast and strong) in your dedication to leave a rich legacy to our children.

Reflections: Ron Hirschi

2009-07-05T17:56:00.002-10:00

It is so good to be home, but I return feeling even more responsibility than ever before. I carry my laptop around and have done many impromptu slide shows at the Post Office, grocery store and up at Marty's print shop too. Then too, I have been sending off the postcards to kids, Postcards from Papa that many of you participants kindly replied to. It was the set of questions from kids that really sent me on this journey and I feel a special bond with young Evelyn who wrote the most difficult of questions, one we all need to find answers to.

I want to share this with all of you.........the last morning at Midway, I looked closely at a handful of sand at my study site, a place where I had come each morning to collect data on visible chunks of plastic (lighters, toys, bottle caps, and assorted debris)..... I was admiring the beautiful white coral pieces chomped by uhu and wrasse. Mixed in the beauty were tiny bits of red, blue, and lavender. The ocean's plastics have, sadly, gone micro to add their toxins to food webs other than those of the Albatross. So I got back in touch with John Klavitter, biologist on Sand Island and posted a note on Scuttlebutt, asking for sand samples. Already, people from around the world are sending me sand so that we can collaborate on a new project, Serious Sand. Sinister Sand. John told me that plastic absorbs PCBs and other toxins and so I am diving into the current research into how the fragments of plastic work their way into the food of fish, seals, and whales. Tonight as I walked the beach here on Marrowstone Island, I picked up yet another stream of plastic debris now destined for recycling. We can all do these endless beach cleanups but it is for sure, time to go to the sources to find solutions. Aloha nui loa, Ron Hirschi. www.ronhirschi.com

photo credit: Ron Hirschi

Reflections: Jeff Manker

2009-06-30T17:15:00.005-10:00

Revivial

Wow! It’s already been a week since we left Midway for our separate homes. Without giving it concentrated thought the things I learned from this trip have permeated my life. I left the island with a profound feeling of a need to stop the destructive forces that assault the animals and habitats of Papahanoumokuakea. I made plans to make videos and write articles and speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. But in the intervening week, things have slowed down. I’ve taken walks along the beach and in the redwood forests and found myself chanting,

“E ho mai ka ike mai luna mai e…”

I have thought about the friendly competition that Trevor proposed between different schools to find the beauty in their surroundings and tell each other why their place is the best. It has made me slow down and look at the kelp on the beach and smell the dune sage. It has made me smile at the Great Horned Owl swooping under the canopy and the coolness of the redwood sorrel.

I have thought about the commitment of Greg Schubert, who despite overwhelming odds in the battle against the invasive Verbesina he continues to get up everyday and plot his tactical take back of the island for the birds. His ability to see the possibility has been a huge boost for me when I have been looking at entire cities with barely a native plant in sight and despair. For many years I have thought of the city where I teach a lost cause, and looked for beauty in nature elsewhere. I was wrong.

“O na mea huna no eau o na mele e…”

I have thought about three Hawaiian words that I learned: malama, kuleana and ahupua’a. I love that there are groups seemingly all over the islands specifically to malama their piece of land. I want to try to institute the same idea here and like Greg, take back a piece at a time. Kuleana is a great word in that, as I understand it, means both responsibility and privilege. It reminds me to find joy in protecting our wild places and creatures. The concept of an ahupua’a is not new to me, only the name. Here, at the southernmost end of Salmon country are tribes or races of salmon each unique to their own watershed. Years ago I thought we should abandon traditional county lines and adopt watershed boundaries as natural lines of division and responsibility. I want to teach my students to see the world in this more natural way.

“E ho mai, e ho mai, e ho mai e

I have thought about my new friend Ron Hirschi and his playful way of engaging others in nature. I want to emulate his passion and child-friendly way of encouraging curiosity and engagement with our surroundings.

All these experiences along with a thousand others have revived me. I see the world differently than I did before this opportunity. I’m sure that what I have learned from all the participants will continue to permeate what I teach, how I teach and what my students will take away. For certain, I do not want to leave them with a feeling of anger or despair (as I exhibited over plastic bottle caps) but with a sense of marvel and love for nature. For that I go back to one of my favorite quotes from Antoine de Saint-Exupery,

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

Thank you to all who made our voyage possible.

Sincerely,
Jeff Manker

photo credit: Jeff Manker

Reflections: Darius Kalvaitis

2009-06-30T17:11:00.002-10:00

After a week on Midway Atoll the world began to look somehow different. This was both in a personal and an ecological fashion. I know that I had gone through some changes in that week spent in the middle of the pacific ocean; both because of the shared experiences as well as the influence such moving raw nature provided. Boarding the plane we knew that it was coming to an end and did not hesitate to bring what we had learned back to the wider world. Soaring during the middle of the night over a vacant ocean on the way back to civilization was surreal. After deplaning in the middle of the night back on Oahu I stepped back into my other life, one filled with the real of many humans, machines and an ever-increasing pace to the day-to-day events that fill my life. From this place, I know I will look back at my PAA experience on Midway and recall the moments of organic connection to the ecology of the place as well as the people who shared it with me.

Reflections: Anne Rosa

2009-06-30T16:50:00.012-10:00

The participants of the PA'A program call many areas their home. The strength of this group was making ties between the kupuna islands and each of our homes. My way of bringing my experiences in Papahānaumokuākea home are to talk about the “two oceans” that I swim in. One is in our younger Hawaiian Islands at Hanauma, and one is in our Kupuna islands at Pihemanu(Midway).

Aloha ke kai o Pihemanu
Aloha ke kai o Hanauma
Noho nā kūpuna i ke kai o Pihemanu
Noho nā keiki i ke kai o Hanauma
The keiki travels to meet the Kupuna
Honi kaua, a greeting is exchanged
Piha me ka mahalo, filled with grattitude
Nunui nā i'a kupuna o Pihemanu
Pehea ho'i nā i'a kupuna ia Hawai'i?
Piha na manu i ke kai o Pihemanu
Pehea ho'i na manu i ke kai o Hanauma?
A pehea ka make 'opala?
A pehea ka huli aniau?
Ke ho'i au me ka hana nui
Ke ho'i au me ke aloha nui
Aloha nā kai o nā keiki
Aloha nā kai o nā kūpuna

Papahānaumokuākea is a conservation area where fewer people go, Hanauma is a conservation area where many people go. I talk about my love for both places. I compare Hanauma and the younger Hawaiian islands at the place of the young, the keiki, and Papahānaumokuākea as the place of the kūpuna, the elders. I traveled to the place of the kūpuna. I was humbled by this place and greatful to be there. I was inspired by the return of life to Midway, how the marine life can thrive, how the birds have come back. Seeing the abundance of bird life at Midway made me wonder if more seabirds could return to Hanauma. Hanauma is a good place for the keiki, the young marine life are sheltered here. There is a challenge for us to have more protection throughout our Hawaiian waters so that we don't loose too many of the i'a kupuna, the large old fish that help to keep the stocks going. Other challenges come in the form of global problems like climate change and marine debris. How do we avoid death by plastic? How can we lessen our contribution to climate change? As an educator at a marine protected area my role is to share information with people on how they can help to make a difference and protect these special places in the ocean. I return from this journey with new energy, knowledge and inspiration to do my part.

photo credits: Anne Rosa

Reflections: Meghan Marrero

2009-06-30T16:49:00.001-10:00

The morning after arriving home in New York, I woke to the sounds of bird chirping. I’m sure they do that every morning, but I don’t think I had noticed before—birds just weren’t my thing. Hearing the feathered friends outside my apartment transported me back to Midway, where I had fallen in love with the thousands of albatross chicks within sight of my window at Charlie Barracks, and the little pairs of highly endangered Laysan ducks waddling by.

My experience at Midway will not easily be forgotten. I even have my own battle scar—12 stitches will leave a mark! I learned so much in so many different areas including science, history, and culture. Who knew that short-tailed albatross flirt with decoys, or that an ecosystem can be dominated by apex predators? I fell in love with the albatross chicks as I got to know those that sat in the way of my daily travels, the first time in my memory that I have demonstrated even a remote interest in birds. I profoundly appreciated the presence of so much World War II history, and imagined the young men who sat in the middle of the Pacific, understanding the gravity of their mission while shaking in their boots and hearing terns and bombs shriek overhead. I also felt the tug of the spiritual and cultural connection. Understanding the importance of the kupuna islands makes Midway even more special.

As PAA participants, it is our kuleana to remember this place, to reflect on our journey, and to pay it forward so that the lessons of Midway will be far-reaching.

Reflections: Miriam Sutton

2009-06-30T16:22:00.004-10:00

PA’A: “steadfast, learned, determined, strong, to hold, keep, retain.”

I walked along the paths with the albatross once more today and even made an attempt to teach them about their parents’ journeys out to sea. It is hard to imagine what tomorrow morning will be like without waking up to albatross calls at dawn or hearing the puttering of their feet just before take-off or ducking to avoid a collision with an adult returning from a 2-week, 2000+ mile journey to the Arctic. I will surely miss those encounters.

Our PA’A project presentations were completed today and most of our afternoon was free for us to enjoy Midway. After a final snorkel at the cargo pier, I biked around the island for one more chance to absorb as much as I could from the wildlife and the aura of PA’A that engulfs Midway. I met so many wonderful people this week who were devoted to making our experience at the Midway Wildlife Refuge unique and memorable. To each of them, I am truly grateful. I have many new friends who I will carry forward in my heart as I work to implement my PA’A project back home.

Things I will miss when I leave Midway: monk seals and sea turtles hauling out onto the shore to warm themselves in the hot sand and sun; watching the albatross surf the waves on the south shore of Sand Island; and watching the albatross chicks practicing for flight with all the awkwardness of a teenager trying to manage gangly growth spurts.

What I will not miss when I leave Midway is the plastic-filled stomachs of dead chicks or the mournful cries of the adults as they search for their chick who died while the parents were out to sea foraging for food.

Things I will take with me when I leave Midway: a deeper understanding of the factors that affect the wildlife struggling to survive among the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; the support of my PA’A ‘ohana (family); and the compassion of the scientists and volunteers who live and work on this remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I take with me “PA’A,” to guide my thoughts and actions with my students as we work within our community to monitor and conserve our pristine estuarine environment.

Mahalo! (Thanks!)
photo credits: Miriam Sutton

Reflections: Trevor Atkins

2009-06-30T16:20:00.001-10:00

Final Reflection – Rusty Bucket, Sand Island, Midway Atoll

I sit here with much in front of me. A vine of pohuehue creeps out from my feet toward the water, wishing to swallow the rusty mess of gears and axles that constitute the coastline. An albatross chick preens and sleeps on the sand, away from her nest, perhaps premeditating a great sea voyage of many years that could begin tomorrow. A monk seal finds peace, like me, in the protection afforded by this massive ring of coral reef that surrounds us all. We are ants clinging to the tip of a sinking rockberg. The sea would like to gulp our little islands and extinguish our existence, but we humans will probably kill ourselves and the seals before the seas transgress.

Midway is an end – and island’s last dying breath before sinking out of the terrestrial world
Midway is a beginning – a place where the banished creatures have come to hide from men
Midway is an end – a battlefield of war and a graveyard of heavy metal corpses, toxins, and lead
Midway is a beginning – a place where America wants to give nature a second chance
Midway is an end – a five-mile wide collection dump for the world’s plastics
Midway is a beginning – a haven for Laysan ducks and noddies and terns and albatross to procreate
Midway is an end – a last stop off for our dying tropical species before they leave forever
Midway is a middle – a middleplace to give the world hope, to bring continents together in global efforts to save one of the last beautiful places; a middletime between our ugly (and beautiful pasts) and our ugly (and beautiful) futures; and tonight, Midway is the middle of the world

Reflections: Sunny Seal-LaPlante

2009-06-30T16:15:00.003-10:00

Ah Midway, what can I say? What impressed me most was the wildlife. The white terns who fly so close to my head, the Laysan albatross chicks that wait patiently “cooling their heels” in the hot sun, the parents who fly in for such a short time to feed their ‘one and only” which they have found amidst all the others, they feed their chick and then right back out to sea two parents sharing the responsibility.

Red-tailed tropic birds, why are you declining? You have the cutest babies with halo fluff. And Laysan ducks happy in puddles or sitting on whale bones need assistance to continue to increase their population. And I haven’t yet mentioned the great frigate birds, the black footed albatross, Bulwers petrels and so many others. Monk seals especially the young are playful, entanglement a problem for them.

Then there is the sea, its indescribable beauty coloring the clouds green and being a foil for white bird portraits. Under that turquoise and azure color is a predator dominated ecosystem, meaning plenty of large uluas and sharks! Seeing nudibranch for the first time and being where the animals studied me as much as I looked at them was novel. And yes on the beaches and shores was a large amount of plastic which compels me to do even more about it. And the albatross chicks that have died from ingesting too much plastic is heartbreaking and a grim warning for humans who are filling the ocean food chains with plastic. No, you didn’t mean to and I didn’t mean to, but plastic is everywhere, getting into the ocean food chains, breaking into small pieces and becoming more numerous than plankton in some parts of the ocean. So fish and marine life are more likely to eat plastic than food. Now that you know, what will you do?

This is now our kuleana, our privilege and responsibility to do something and for those reading this I give it also to you.
photo credit: Sunny Seal-LaPlante

Reflections: Carlie Wiener

2009-06-30T16:13:00.001-10:00

Perceptions of time are non-existent at Midway Atoll, a healthier sense of awareness lives. Rising with the sun and surrendering your schedule to that of the birds. This week, has passed so quickly but I could not even begin to describe how much I have learned. The quiet is filled with the calls of so many different birds, ones that I now recognize. Each albatross taking on its own identity, like a proud mother I am excited about the fledgling’s progress. They spread their wide-spanning wings for flight, their unsure take offs and uncoordinated landings, preparing them for their upcoming journey. I will forever long to hear the sound of quickened footsteps, the adult albatrosses taking flight on a make shift run way. The stark white turns hover gracefully amongst the trees, never straying far from their fluffy white chicks. The varying shades of blue in the ocean are indescribable drawing you close like a calling. I often look back just to make sure the beauty is still there, not something I must have imagined in my wildest dreams. Swimming in the cool, Pacific waters is like a reawakening. Healthy corals and fish demonstrate the importance of our reefs and protected places. This week has been a mix of feelings joy, motivation, appreciation and mostly of importance.

You can see the bonds of the group growing stronger as we build our experiences together. The energy is motivating but I fear that my abilities will not live up to the groups expectations. I want so badly to do right by the world, make a difference for the earth and the people as well. I am increasingly aware though that life has its obstacles, the pull of the everyday, the deadlines and commitments. I fear that the feelings and motivation that I hold right now will not be strong enough to overcome the day to day workings of life. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands will always be a special place not just to me but to anyone fortunate enough to experience its power and pure natural beauty. Midway is a place of contradiction, filled with wildlife: monk seals, sharks, birds but also a keeper of the past; remnants of wartime, contaminants and indestructible waste. I fear that these too will play a part in the future of this Atoll. Not just the direct impacts which have been brought upon Midway but all the other debris and floating fishing gear that ends up on this island. Its effects reach far from the litter scattered across the shoreline, to the coral reefs, monk seals, sea birds and honu all who fear its deathly grasp. The colorful plastic lies as a reminder of how we need to change our lives and priorities. Bright and colorful its once useful and happy existence turns dark and looms forever in our environment.

For me though, the things I will take away from this experience will forever stay. The sense of belonging to a group where people have the same drive and passion. A sense of hope for the future and a reminder of why I went into this field in the first place. The passion is relit and the messages are clear. Not just for myself but for any thinking, breathing person. In order to care you must feel and in order to feel you must experience. I indeed have experienced nature at its best, it is up to me and every other person in our communities whether that be families, schools or towns, to show the beauty and importance of our natural world. Mahalo nui loa for the opportunity to share this special week and for the bonds that are now cemented for life.

Reflections: Karen Matsumoto

2009-06-30T16:06:00.003-10:00

In this final journal entry, I want to share some of my observations of Midway. Reflecting on my recent experience, I can already see it from several different vantage points. Its meaning for me is deep and will be lasting, I am sure, but it is not a single meaning. Like everything else in life the message of this amazing time depends on where you look from and the lens you look through.

First, I feel humbled by the privilege of having been one of twelve participants in an amazing environmental leadership program in Midway Atoll. I hope to be an environmental ambassador for the NW Hawaiian Islands as a result of my experiences there. The home communities and work of all twelve participants vary widely, but our shared experience here on Midway help us to find common ground.

Sand Island on Midway Atoll fits most people’s idea of a tropical paradise. Bicycling across the island, I dodge baby albatrosses waiting for their parents to return with food. I will learn that the adult birds fly 1,200 miles every other week to the Bering Sea and points beyond. The young birds are not wary of humans. Now and then one of them will look up and clack its bill at me and I hear moaning coos or high-pitched peeps from near and far as they call out to their parents. The fledglings sit neatly spaced in fields of fragrant white fragrant flowers in roughly formed nests. The parent birds ignore humans as they feed their chicks, regurgitating the squid and other food they have foraged from distant seas. They are dedicated parents, and it is a joy to watch them with their young.

Walking down the trail, I see white terns roosting on branches and cliff ledges. They swoop and hover around me like little fairies, usually just checking me out but sometimes even landing on an outstretched hand.

Further down the trail thousands of yellow sunflowers bloom in the fields with their rich green foliage, a gorgeous contrast of color against the clear blue sky. These fields of sunflowers outline the sand hills of the northernmost part of the island. More albatross fledglings and other sea birds sit among the plants waiting for their parents to return.

Going down to the beach, I stoop to pick up some colorful striped cone shells, and the tiniest chubby sand dollar I’ve ever seen, bleached white like the coral sand. Walking down the smooth, peaceful stretch of sandy beach, I spot a monk seal sunning in the sand with its sleepy pup. A honu, or green sea turtle, basks on a large rock nearby.

Walking back from the beach through a forest of trees that look like some kind of pine, the branches are dotted with more tiny white terns. There is a peaceful-looking cemetery nearby, the old headstones a memorial to island residents otherwise unremembered.

I later learn that the island has been an important site for religious and ceremonial purposes for centuries by early native Hawaiians. More recently around the middle of the 20th century, buildings designed by the renowned industrial architect Albert Kahn were constructed here. The clean lines and distinct design features of the buildings remind me of Frank Lloyd Wright. It wasn’t that long ago this island was a bustling community, built with care and serving important purposes.

Roads criss-cross the island and the old airstrips built by the U.S. military during WWII are still here. Many of the albatross nesting grounds are alongside and even on the roads. Albatross babies sit on manhole covers their parents chose as nesting places. Many wait in less developed areas that have been taken over by invasive non-native plants, and some sit among fields of Alyssum plants that were introduced to keep down noxious weeds and provide groundcover.

The ground around the nesting areas is strewn with bits of plastic garbage: cigarette lighters, bits of fishing line, lego blocks, toothbrushes, bottle caps, and pieces of plastic of all colors, shapes, and sizes. These have been brought back by the parents mixed with the squid and fish eggs collected to feed their young. Floating in the sea, they were first swallowed by the parents, then regurgitated and swallowed by the growing babies along with food. Albatrosses cough up indigestible parts of their diets such as squid beaks and eyeballs – and all kinds of plastic debris - as boluses similar to owl pellets. The organic components of the boluses eventually decompose, leaving the plastic bits on the ground. Here and there I come across a decomposed albatross carcass and I can see the mass of plastic debris that filled its stomach.

The lovely yellow sunflowers that cover much of the island are Verbesina encelioides or golden crown-beard, an invasive weed that can quickly choke out all native vegetation. The thick foliage of Verbesina, up to four feet tall and dense enough to block cooling breezes from the sea, can create stagnant “dead zones” where it can be ten degrees hotter than surrounding areas. Many fledglings, whose instinct is to stay where their parents leave them, die here with no escape from the heat. Thickets of verbesina can also make it difficult for parents to find their babies, and for other ground-nesting or burrowing birds to find a place to nest.

On the sand around the monk seals on the beach are plastic buoys, colorful laundry hampers, and tangled piles of rope. A monk seal pup playfully investigates a plastic jug washed up on the shore. The honu’s basking place is actually a concrete boat ramp strewn with plastic marine debris.

The pine-like forest is made up of ironwood trees from Australia, another non-native species that has replaced naupaka and other kinds of native shrubby vegetation. Albatross and other birds have trouble flying around and among these trees and often crash into them and die. In this area Verbesina and ironwood have also taken over precious habitat for ground-nesting birds.

The historic Kahn-designed buildings, as well as many of the former shops and maintenance sheds on the island, are in varying stages of decay and disrepair. Many of the white terns use crumbling windows sills as nesting “cliffs”. Falling roofs and eroding walls are hazards to people and animals. I see young birds standing listlessly, unable to hold their wings up off the ground, the effects of poisoning from eating lead paint chips.

I learn that the peaceful cemetery we observed had gravestones marking the final resting place of several key American military doctors and others whose lives were lost during World War II. Most Americans, if they recognize the name “Midway” at all, know it only as the site of a battle considered an important turning point in the Pacific war. In June of 1942 four Japanese aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser were sunk in exchange for one American aircraft carrier and a destroyer. Over 300 Americans and more than 3,000 Japanese soldiers lost their lives in this battle.

As I write this I feel heaviness in my heart and a deep sense of tension between these two views of the beautiful island. It is an idyllic tropical paradise and at the same time, it is also an example of an ecological disaster caused by the thoughtless development of our throw-away society and the narrow purposes of the military. But these two views alone do not encompass the whole story of Midway.

In many parts of the world there is growing concern and organized action to undo the effects of ocean pollution and the many threats to wildlife. On Midway itself I have participated over the past days in active efforts led by dedicated refuge staff to save endangered wildlife and restore badly needed habitat. While the effects of environmental degradation caused by historic human impacts are still obvious, now I can also see where people have begun to make a difference.

I know now that the Laysan duck, monk seal, and green sea turtle populations are rebounding from near extinction, due to efforts of dedicated researchers and wildlife managers. Thanks to an enormous effort by the military, the accidentally introduced black rat was finally eradicated in 1997, allowing small ground nesting species such as the Bonin petrel to make a comeback on the island.

The Verbesina that once covered most of the island has been cleared from large areas through the dedication and tremendous efforts of refuge staff and volunteers. Native bunchgrasses are taking root, providing shade and cover for ground nesting birds. These grasses were raised in greenhouses and carefully planted by hand. A management plan has been drafted that will guide the removal of many of the ironwood trees, and their replacement with native shrubs and tree species.

An enormous quantity of non-native soil was brought to the island in past years, making the island no longer a totally natural area, but people are working hard to repair the damage caused by past “standard” practices, and are making increasing efforts to integrate nature with human occupancy and use. Having spent a few days on Midway I can now see the results of restoration efforts all over the island: rehabilitation of natural seeps, invasive plant control, historic building restoration, and marine debris clean-up.

There are even plans to restore many of the old Albert Kahn buildings on the island. Many of the salvageable buildings are currently being renovated for use as housing and offices for year-round residents of Sand Island. There are extraordinary efforts underway to make habitation on the island sustainable. Hydoponic gardens supply many kinds of fresh produce for islanders and strategies to save energy and water in line with sustainable practices are happening now.

The most important message I took with me when I left Midway was that natural world here has endured through years of changing uses: from a communications depot, an important military installation, and finally a wildlife refuge of global significance. Scientists, educators, and visitors to this special place are spreading the word on marine debris and its impact on the ecosystem. Conservation groups such as the Surfrider Foundation and World Wildlife Fund are helping in this effort.

These and many other efforts are starting to link up worldwide, leading to a growing sense of questioning the purposes and methods of a culture based on disposable products. For the first time since the plastic boom that began in the 1950s, people are beginning to see that we can’t go on this way, as the truth on plastics is reaching the general public. Cities in Ireland, Australia, and China have already banned one time use plastic bags, and the UN is now calling for a global ban. I have been a lifelong conservationist and supporter of environmental causes, but it was not until my trip to Midway that I really became fully conscious of the consequences of my unexamined consumer habits, especially my use of one-time use plastic products.

When I feel as if the glass is half full, I think of Midway and the loveliness of a tropical island paradise with abundant sea bird populations and clear blue ocean waters. When it seems the glass is half empty, I see a trash-strewn and weed-infested island, where coral, birds, seals, and sea turtles have an uphill battle to fight extinction. But what is really happening is that people - seeing Midway through the lens of hope supported by inspired action – are devoting themselves to the painstaking effort of restoring this beautiful place to keep the legacy of the refuge alive for future generations. Like ripples on a pond, this message is continuing to travel across the world. Now that I have experienced and fallen in love with Midway, I know this is the direction we must travel together.

With aloha and kuleana,

Karen Matsumoto deChadenedes

A Message from Ron: Nichol and Fred

2009-06-27T19:42:00.004-10:00

Photo credit: Ron Hirschi

When I was on Midway, I learned that our daughter, Nichol, had been hospitalized with a serious condition......This was not easy as a Father. But home now, Nichol is doing better and has been sent many kind words from PAA Ohana. Here she is on Marrowstone Island with Fred. Fred is a monkey who kinda stole everyone's heart on our journey. He messed up a Kindergarten Classroom last year and will continue to travel with me to share our work with kids in a fun and postive way. Fred wears a band from a Papahanaumokuakea Albatross and talks story with the best of monkeys. Look for him and his sister, Coco wherever you travel.
Ron Hirschi, Marrowstone Island, Washington

PAA Last Will poem: by Carlie Wiener

2009-06-27T19:35:00.001-10:00

To the PAA group on your final day
This last will and testament will be my final say.
This trip has been amazing and oh so much fun,
And we’re all going back 20 pounds heavier, our gluttony is done.
Where will we go at 4:30 next week?
Captain Brooks will be far away and the boluses with squid beaks.
So with this farewell, here we go,
What I leave to you based on what I have gotten to know...

To Annie a song for the world to hear,
And to Terry some fish nets making traditional Hawaiian gear.

To Darius, well um what can I say?
Dessert perhaps, with your plate of whip cream everyday.

To Jeff we wish we could leave you here,
To become one with the albatrosses and soar far and near.

And to your partner in crime, yes Ron that is you.
Swimming with the fish and then we will ID you too.
And while you’re at sea being one with the fish,
We will send you a postcard with our environmental wish.

A ray of sunshine our Sunny is,
And for you dear Sunny we leave you a green harvest biz.
With all the room on the Hilo side,
We will take the profits sand make you our monk seal guide.

And Karen, wow have you stopped smiling yet?
Your positive energy is not easily met.
And for you, well what do we give?
A journal for your amazing work and a marine debris sieve.

And Miriam our triathlon champ,
A jar of peanut butter for snacks while at camp.

Kathy my roommate with your energy and heart,
To you I give an alarm clock that never really starts.

Trevor kept the kokua the whole trip through,
And we should leave him a life jacket for when he goes overboard too.

Now Meg how about a pair of walking shoes?
Your falling fate would not make the Midway news.

And now for the facilitators, where would we be without you?
Well how about lets start with the biggest mahalo for all that you do.

To Dani, we leave your interviews done,
So you can get on with it and have some fun.
We also leave you any Midway sport,
From darts to bowling she’s the best in the court.

To Linda we leave you a funny hat,
And an official schedule with no changes, how about that?

To Anne we leave lots of string to perfect your braiding arts,
And find your wow moment in tiny sand dollar parts.

Walter Bea is next with her patience and smile,
I promise one day our E Ho Mai will get some real style.

And last but not least Tracy our faithful guide,
To you we leave a day off to enjoy the outside.

And so this concludes the PAA Last Will.
I can't believe its over, I really have the chills.
I will miss this group and the inspiration they provide,
We are now connected tested, trued and tried.
So please remember each other in the projects that you do,
And our time at Midway this special place and our friends here too.
Although you won't get to sort through carcasses everyday,
The messages you bring home will be the inspiring way.
And to you all I bid a safe trip home,
To release your environmental ethics under the education dome.
And once more a mahalo to the Midway staff team,
For you really all made our whole group beam.

Midway Day 7 - Culture and Science: by Karen Matsumoto

2009-06-27T19:28:00.004-10:00

Ron started off with a “Guess how many spines on an urchin” guessing game, based on a question asked by one of his Ohio Kindergarten students. Terry came closest with 275! Ron reminded us that the total number of spines really depends on the species of urchin.

We continued to learn about the cultural connections of first peoples in Hawai’i and the places we live. Ron specifically pointed out the traditional hunting and fishing grounds of Olympic Peninsula in Washington that were guaranteed by the Point-No-Point Treaty of 1856. The traditional subsistence fishing and hunting areas went from the coastline to the sea, similar to the Ahupua’a land divisions in Hawaii that were based on sustainable units that include fresh water, beach access, and ocean waters.

Terry helped us to learn traditional learning pedagogies that included the use of riddles and song! We all tried our hand at composing riddles about the things we have seen and experienced on Midway. Here’s a sample from Walterbea:

Here and there
we’re everywhere.
Without a care in the world.

Answer: marine debris

Terry also facilitated a traditional way of learning navigation without GPS or a compass. Hawaiians found their way to their destinations by making songs about the various waypoints along the way, using landmarks and stories. These were called traveling songs. We broke into groups and each made a traveling song about Midway Island.

Photo credits: Karen Matsumoto

Midway Day 6 - Laysan Ducks: by Trevor Atkins

2009-06-20T20:57:00.002-10:00

Birds don’t interest me. I’m not sure why, but I suppose that for every passion we have, there is something else to which we are ambivalent. My passion is plants. I was raised to love them. I grew up growing them up. I think our loves often develop when we are very young. My ambivalence is birds. I can appreciate the big ones, because I grew up with them: pueo (owl) and `io (hawk). But the rest are all the same to me: feathers, beaks, brittle bones, and little legs. I can’t see them the way Jeff sees them, the way Ron and Karen see them.

But after hearing the story of Laysan ducks from the one and only John Klavitter (Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), I can appreciate their presence here. They are one of only three native ducks/geese left in Hawai`i, along with koloa and nene. Eight other species have gone extinct and the Laysan duck was casted to be the ninth. It came one animal away from extinction!

Once found throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago, the ducks were reduced to a single colony on Laysan island: 10 males, 1 female. Huge efforts went in to habitat restoration, monitoring, and medical intervention. The population quickly flourished and Laysan was soon full to capacity with them. So, in order to diversify their distribution, researchers created new habitats on Midway. They dug a few feet down through the concrete and coral to the water table, creating wetlands from freshwater seeps, landscaped with makaloa and native bunch grass. Eventually, 21 ducks were brought in and all survived the translocation. To everyone’s surprise, the one-year old ducks reproduced offspring that spring. Each year since then, the population has doubled.

Now they face a new challenge. Avian botulism, a disease caused by toxins from warm-water bacteria, broke out in the hot summer of 2008. The disease attacks the nervous system and causes an inability for the ducks to lift their heads. Many drown. Nearly half the Midway population was lost last summer. Then, this past Saturday, as summer temperatures rose, the first case in 2009 was reported.

This afternoon, John Klavitter treated one duck with a vaccine. Meanwhile, the “dead albatross undertaker” and others are collecting albatross fledgling corpses across the island to prevent the possibility of maggots carrying the now isolated disease around the island.

I still can’t tell the difference between all these terns and noddies and shearwaters, but the Laysan duck has captured my heart.

Photo credit: Dani Carter

Midway Day 6 - Eastern Island: by Ron Hirschi

2009-06-20T20:23:00.003-10:00

Okay. It was a day of dolphins streaming past our boats, Sooty Terns, Iwa and Redfooted Boobies, and life-listing birds for Jeff….Christmas Shearwaters glistening black just above the rubble where a huge school of Aholehole linger. Gray-backed Terns at their “nests” – a simple drop upon the ground. Noddies as if painted by chocolate bars.

We were treated by Matt Brown, to the most hopeful of sites --- Short tailed Albatross decoys standing in wait. This past year a mated pair scooped out a nest bowl. Matt’s positive smile confirms: They will come back to lay eggs and raise young next year; this, one of the rarest of the rare. Then too, Matt shared with deserved pride, how the Laysan Ducks have rebounded here thanks to habitat restoration. Their pond was alive with ducks when we were honored to visit.

But now that we are back on the “Big Island of Sand”, all hearts go out to our friend and partner in this adventure, Meg who cut her knee in a fall! The entire town came out to help and wish her well when she fell. Carlie quick with the flush of water, Jeff with a first aid kit handy, and Darius the cobbler repairing the blown out flip flop. Then off island and to stitchery quick. All hands deserve many thanks and all hands give Meg a big Aloha.

We can only wish that Meg will get to take a ride with John Miller out to see the dolphins.

Photo credits: Dani Carter

Midway Day 5 - Marine Research: by Trevor Atkins

2009-06-20T20:12:00.003-10:00

I’m warm and I’m home. Captain Charlie Barracks is my residence. Jeff, Ron, Carlie, and Dani are my family. My body is worn from adventure today. I awoke at 5:30 am and went southeast to wake the sun. I bumped along the southern shore and across the vast runway to the most desolate point on the island. The terns and shearwaters, guarding their eggs, attacked me, the ignorant intruder. I pedaled home hard and found Radio Hill as the sun peaked over the many ironwoods in Midway town. In the Radio Hill ruins I found Laysan ducks and again I felt invasive. We men are nothing but destruction. We leave no rock unturned. My bike to them is an F-16 fighter jet flying low over a small town. I’m sorry. Humans don’t deserve to see this. We only ruin it. Can anything exist without us interrogating? Can a tree fall in a forest unquestioned? Silly humans. We’ll be gone soon and the albatross will live on.

I’m still saturated in salt from this morning. My hair is deliciously knotted into bunches from today’s perfect sequence of events. We motored out to the far side of the emergent reef and snorkeled around Reef Hotel. The corals were purple, the fishes were blue, and the rusty rubbish was everywhere as always. I wanted to stay longer. I wanted to wander the whole atoll, circumnavigate it with my eyes underwater. But we had work to do. Or Kate did anyway. She’s a researcher from Santa Cruz looking at how marine life responds to different levels of sedimentation in various locations around the atoll.

We found our GPS location to within a few meters. The sea was choppy, even inside the atoll. Darius, Terry, and Ann jumped in with Kate and dove down to sample the sea floor. Karen and I stayed onboard and got a little seasick in the rough swells. Our anchor got stuck as we tried to leave, but we survived. Then we motored out of Wells’ Harbor, the atoll’s natural opening. Outside the reef, the waves were 3-5 feet swells, crashing hard into the emergent reef. We must have been going 30 knots, slapping the water with our bow. It was rough and wet. We came back past Sand Island and zoomed out the artificial south channel to see Eastern Island, the rusty barge and more birds feeding on the water. When our spines were sufficiently compressed, we returned for lunch.

photo credit: Dani Carter

Midway Day 5 - Snorkeling: by Carlie Wiener

2009-06-19T01:41:00.006-10:00

The Many Shades of Midway

The many shades of Midway awaken the senses, never before have you seen so many hues of blue. Underwater the vibrant colors jump out at the eyes, flashes of greens, oranges and pinks swim by as fish dart between the corals. Crystal clear waters gently lap the reef crests displaying the pristine reefs. Lace coral decorates the ocean floor along with huge sea cucumbers and bright red pencil urchins. The eager faces of the participants show the excitement which they can not contain.

Today, the group was treated with the unique opportunity to swim in one of the last predator dominated ecosystems. Awestruck and intimidated by the vastness of turquoise blue waters, participants rode the U.S. Fish and Wildlife boat to our snorkel destination, Hotel Reef. The group could not wait to enter the water, excited by the chance to swim in the middle of an old volcano. Swimming in the surprisingly cool Monument waters the group swam the perimeter of the reef watching brightly colored uhu (parrot fish), mimicking the swift movements of the giant ulua (blue fin trevally) and admiring the healthy coral. Excited to share their snorkeling experiences, the group exchanged stories back on the boat and looked up the fish they saw in the ID books. Today’s snorkel excursion was just one of the many amazing activities offered this week. Teresia Teaiwa in Epeli Hau̒ofa ‘s We Are The Ocean quotes “We sweat and cry salt water, so we know that the ocean is really in our blood”.

photo credits: Carlie Wiener

Midway Day 4 - Invasive Plants: by Terry Reveira

2009-06-19T01:20:00.005-10:00

Today we met Greg Schubert and he talked to us about invasive plant species and how they are trying to control them here. The one we learned about and will be doing a project with is the Verbacina. It is has a pretty yellow flower like a daisy and looks like a bush. It grows very quickly and takes over an area in a few months. The good thing is it can be removed easily because it has a shallow root system so you just yank it out of the ground. A problem that occurs is after you remove it the seeds in the ground begin to grow as soon as there is rain, so you have to remove it before it seeds or during and then continue to weed the area for regrowth. You also have to plant another plant to take over the area. We planted a native grass - about 400 plants! It was great. Everyone was pulling up plants, piling them up, then planting the new grass plant. We could really see a big difference in the area!

photo credit: Dani Carter

Midway Day 4 - Monk Seals: by Meghan Marrero

2009-06-17T23:22:00.005-10:00

On Saturday, while taking in the Midway sights—pristine azure water, fine white sand, impossibly blue sky—a Hawaiian Monk Seal and her pup came cruising toward us, parallel to the shoreline. As the pair got closer, they lifted up their heads, curiously spying on us, and then began swimming closer and closer. Eventually, they got so near to us that we had to scurry up the beach to keep the requisite distance of 150 ft!

Unfortunately, not all seal encounters are this friendly. Hawaiian Monk Seals are one of the most endangered seals in the world, with approximately 1100-1200 individuals remaining, and a declining population. Their Hawaiian name, “’Ilio holoi ka uaua,” literally means, “the dog that runs in the rough (seas).” Most of the threats to these beautiful native animals are human, including entanglement in ghost nets, hooking by fish hooks, and habitat disturbance. When humans encounter these animals, they may not realize the importance of keeping their distance so that the seals can get their much needed rest on the beach.

During today’s seal module, PAA participants met with scientists Brenda Becker and Krista Graham, who introduced us to Hawaiian Monk Seal life history and some of the important research projects that they and other scientists are conducting. We then got to watch the team place a flipper tag on a newly weaned Monk Seal pup. These tags, along with photographs, allow scientists to identify individual seals and track them through adulthood, at least 25-30 years.

If you do happen to encounter these or other seals on your local beach, be sure to keep the following ‘rules’ in mind:
• Enjoy them from a distance, at least 150 feet
• Do not disturb them
• Keep dogs and other animals away from them
• Clean up after your pets—feces can carry disease
• Pick up your garbage and do not litter—most marine debris comes from land!

Photo credits: Meghan Marrero

Kaneloa

2009-06-17T00:44:00.000-10:00

The Voyager’s Dream
By Walterbea Aldeguer
June 16, 2009, 2:23 A.M.
Charlie Barracks, Midway

Look where the dream has taken me, oh sweet kupuna kane
Westward to the far reaches of the sun to Pihe Manu
Your head touched the sky
The horizon only knee deep
You said follow me and
I replied, “But I am not a strong swimmer.”
You smiled and said to me,
“Overcome the fear and you will understand. Follow me.”
O sweet kupuna kane, how I love your teachings of the night
O sweet Kaneloa, the voyager and revealer of dreams.

Midway Day 3 - Fish Hooks: by Sunny Seal-LaPlante

2009-06-16T20:16:00.005-10:00

Terry Riviera from the Big Island had wooden fish hook shapes and kukui nuts for us to work with as a craft, to learn about how fish hooks were made, some of the uses for the kukui, and the story of Maui.

Some of the fish hooks were made in two pieces so that if the fish was so strong to take the hook only half of it would break off. For opelu fish hooks were made from shiny shells as they are attracted to that. The kukui tree is a common plant brought by the Polynesians as the nuts are used for lighting. Strung on a midrib the nuts are so oily they burn like mini-torches. Kukui also has the word meaning of “enlightenment.”

So we as a group spent a good hour using coral and sandpaper to smooth our fishhooks or kukui nuts, then using Kukui nutmeat to oil up our wood and braiding or twisting cordage to make the part that goes around our necks. Each one of us had some success.

Meanwhile we heard about Maui the demi-god whose fish hook still hangs in the night sky- the constellation of Scorpius, and how his Grandmother told him a chant for his fishhook so that it could catch anything. Then he and his brothers went out fishing and snagged the islands. He told his brothers “Don’t look back!” and “keep paddling, paddle harder!” He was pulling up the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, but then one of the brothers looked back and then the islands couldn’t be pulled up any higher. Stories about Maui are known through out the Pacific. There is one about how he tricked the Alae bird into giving fire to man. On the Waianae side of Oahu there is a silhouette of Maui most visible in the early morning.

And so went that part of our afternoon with arts and culture, storytelling and hands-on activities.

Photo credit: Dani Carter

Midway Day 3 - Sustainability: by Kathy Knoeppel

2009-06-16T20:14:00.003-10:00

It’s Monday on Sand Island in the Midway Atoll. As part of learning about the Hawaiian culture we have been learning Hawaiian words. Two words that we learned today are malama – to take care of and kuleana – responsibility. I thought about these words as we visited the islands hydroponics greenhouse, the power plant and the water purification plant.

As Tracy and Matt, our U.S. Fish & Wildlife guides, talked they impressed upon us the importance of the island being self-sustaining. For instance, at the hydroponics greenhouse, we were told that the amount of vegetables grown using this system saved the cost of one transport flight to the island. This was equivalent to the salary of the hydroponics person’s for a year—not to mention the bonus of the fresh veggies we have been able to enjoy.

The idea of sustainability is lived every day at Midway. I like the quote that we learned about earlier this week where an 8th grader defined sustainability as “enough for everyone, everywhere; forever”. Sustainability as I saw from the hydroponics greenhouse does not come from want but from abundance.

photo credit: Dani Carter

Midway Day 3 - Albatross: by Jeff Manker

2009-06-16T20:11:00.012-10:00

Call of the Albatross

Besides being surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean, the most significant natural phenomenon on this island are the albatross. You cannot go anywhere or even look out a window without encountering them. The sleek, smooth-feathered adults with their smoky eyes and regal posture to the gawky, fuzzy-headed or Mohawked youngsters scattered across acres and acres as they patiently await the next incoming flight of food.

Today John Klavitter, the refuge biologist, gave us a primer on the three species of albatross. An unfortunate side of his talk had to do with marine debris. Twenty tons of plastic accidentally arrives on the island every year. Twenty tons! Twenty-two percent of that is identifiable as coming from land sources, eighteen percent from ocean sources and the remaining sixty percent’s source is unidentifiable. He told us that fifty-five percent of the terrestrial plastic was bottle caps. With a few quick calculations I came up with 4850 lbs of bottle caps coming to this island per year! I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that at least half of those (probably more than a ton) are being fed to albatross chicks.

I am committed to make a difference in stopping this unnecessary deluge.

photo credits: Carlie Wiener and Mir iam Sutton

Midway Day 2: by Miriam Sutton

2009-06-16T00:37:00.006-10:00

Midway History Tour

A home isn’t a home until you know its history; whether that history be happy, sad, trivial, or monumental. We headed out on our bikes for a historical island tour of the island, led by Tracy Ammerman (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). In 1903, the Commercial Pacific Cable Company (building shown at left) became the first guardians of the island after President Roosevelt placed the US Navy in charge to prevent poachers from devastating the wildlife for eggs and feathers. (The eggs were harvested for their albumen, used in photography).

PanAm Airlines brought the first visitors to Midway in 1935 to enjoy 4-star accommodations (built by PanAm). The historical event Midway is most noted for is the Battle of Midway which took place June 4 - 6, 1942. Midway’s first encounter with war actually occurred on December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day) when Japanese ships opened fire on the island about 12 hours after attacking Pearl Harbor. The Command Post and other Midway facilities, were hit. Six months later, the Battle of Midway became a critical battle in the Pacific and provided a turning point for the war. At one time, 5000 residents called Midway their home.

Most of the buildings constructed in 1903 lie in ruin today. Many of the buildings constructed during the military occupation in 1941 are still standing and have been renovated for use by the current residents (70 people) of Midway. The wildlife of Midway continues to utilize the abandoned buildings and grounds for nesting areas. It amazes me to observe how many of the birds have adapted to the anthropogenic impacts on the island. Some of them have even managed to find a use for marine debris that has washed ashore.

photo credits: Miriam Sutton

Reflections on the first day at Midway: Saturday, June 13th

2009-06-14T22:55:00.005-10:00

Activities for the first day on Midway included a Scavenger Hunt to allow participants to explore and get oriented on Midway, as well as an evening session, led by participant Karen Matsumoto, on Nature Journaling. The following are everyone's favorite (or "wow") moments of the day:

Anne – seeing the Fairy Terns hover close overhead

Sunny – seeing all the sea turtles

Meg and Carlie – having to move off the beach when a Hawaiian Monk Seal and her pup came ashore nearby

Darius – swimming/snorkeling at the Pier and overcoming many stereotypes of animal-human interaction (i.e. not fearing the sharks that he saw)

Karen and Ron – having the plastics issue really sink in when seeing a dead Albatross chick full of plastics; and being awed watching Jeff make a lesson of it on video for his school kids

Kathy – breaking the dead Albatross chick’s wishbone with Ron and both wishing for “no more plastics”

Miriam – being wowed by not having the words to describe her experiences so far

Terry – seeing a line of Black-footed Albatross stretching and flapping their wings

Trevor – being surprised to learn about and see the amount of human impact and development on the island, and thus appreciating the restoration efforts that have occurred here (and witnessing the results of those efforts) all the more

Jeff – seeing the beauty of the Red-tailed Tropicbird

Dani – having the unexpected joy of getting lost in the forest during the scavenger hunt with her teammates (it is also a wow moment, as in “wow, how are we all this bad at reading a map?”)

Ann – seeing two Laysan Ducks trying to get into the Visitors Center (she would have never imagined, 10 yrs ago, not having to search for them!)

Walterbea – having several special encounters with a Fairy Tern, including singing Aloha Moki Hana and Lei Mamo to it.

photo credit: Darius Kalvaitis

Midway Day 1: by Darius Kalvaitis

2009-06-14T22:14:00.006-10:00

As the sun came over the lagoon, the majority of PAA participants were dreaming while a few were out and taking in the morning rays and the joy they bring from being in a magical place. When I did finally emerge from the comfort of Charlie Barracks, I found a sight before unseen by my open eyes. Got birds? The numerous birds that I had seen by headlight the previous night were now in plain view! Not just a dozen or so albatross, but more like a hundred dozen on a small lawn outside the barracks. What a sight! All the background information and photos of the Island simply had not made an impact on me like seeing, smelling and hearing firsthand.

After a marvelous breakfast the group headed to the visitors center for greetings from the park manager and basic information for our safety and comfort. It was obvious that we were amongst a community of people that both cared about us and strove to make our stay as wonderful as possible. The ground team on Midway is simply fabulous.

Having come from a more transportation-oriented background many of us were missing our “wheels”. Well, here on Midway we then received our own wheels. Except rather than the four-wheeled variety of transport that thrives on fossil fuel we received the two-wheel type that not only get us there cleanly but also help our health and happiness. Beach Cruisers in blue, silver, black and of course pink were checked out and we were off on a scavenger hunt for the larger part of the rest of the day.

As the scavenger hunt teams (groups of 3-4) departed in exploring the island from tip to tip the atmosphere of freedom ran through our veins. Some groups choose to spend some time underwater and look at fish as large as themselves while other groups investigated the marine debris inside birds that had perished and others even sang love songs to the birds. When we all did return together as a larger group the magic of the day was celebrated and shared.

Then after an evening filled with more action and nature journaling we laid down our tired bodies and stimulated minds to rest anew and prepare for the adventure and learning which we would face as the sun rose again.
photo credits: Darius Kalvaitis

Looking back on Oahu: by Miriam Sutton

2009-06-14T09:06:00.010-10:00

Before arriving at Midway Atoll, the PAA participants spent 3 days on Oahu getting to know each other, learning about Papahānaumokuākea, and preparing for the trip. The following are excerpts from participant Miriam Sutton's blog for her school kids back in North Carolina. (http://web.me.com/msutt/AdventuresbytheSea/Blog/Blog.html ) Photo credits for the posting below: Miriam Sutton

Aia ka mo’olelo i ka ‘aina (The story is in the land)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Papahānaumokuākea ‘Ahahui Alaka’i (PAA) workshop began today with a trip to the windward side of Oahu where all the PAA participants finally got a chance to meet each other and start forming our bonds for our upcoming adventure to Midway. After a brief orientation at Windward Community College, we were shuttled to Coconut Island, and the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). If you’ve seen an episode of Gilligan’s Island, you’ve seen Coconut Island. (It’s the island shown in the background during the opening credits of the show.) When we left the island today, we asked our boat captain to take us for a spin around the island. He agreed and proceeded to circumnavigate the island in about 3 minutes. Don’t let the size of this little island fool you... it is jam-packed with science and some of the highest technological equipment I’ve ever seen.

The photo of the day goes to Dr. Chuck Burrows (age 76), a retired educator who is spear-heading efforts to restore Hawai’i’s largest wetlands to its original status. Chuck introduced us to the 450-acre wetlands site with a hike and a stewardship activity designed to familiarize us with his restoration efforts to remove invasive plant species and reintroduce indigenous species.

Final Day of Preparation and Departure for Midway

Friday, June 12, 2009

Our last day in Honolulu focused on final preparations for our voyage to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. As this week has progressed, there has been an absorption of the culture and heritage associated with the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and today I truly began to feel what the locals refer to as the “Aloha” spirit. Each day of the workshop began with a Hawaiian pule (prayer) asking for guidance and knowledge as we prepared for our journey to the monument. Each day, we met with policy officials and Native Hawaiians to learn about proper protocols and beliefs. Each day, we were surrounded by wise stewards who are passionate about their research and their contributions for sustaining Hawaiian history and culture for generations to come. We have been charged with their honor, challenged with their commitment, and blessed by their guidance for this journey. We are humbled to have this privilege granted to us that we might learn from Papahānaumokuākea and transfer this knowledge back to our own communities.

Before leaving for the airport, we had an opportunity to meet another group of voyagers and help them to load their vessel for a journey to one of the neighboring islands. The Hokule’a (shown in the today’s photo) is a two-masted outrigger canoe used in education/outreach programs and has played a pivotal role in bringing ancient Hawaiian culture back to a new generation of Hawaiians. The canoe’s design is based on the original voyaging canoe design used by the early Polynesians who traveled to these islands centuries ago... before GPS... before satellite navigation systems... before radar. These brilliant voyagers traversed the oceans using celestial navigation and interpreting wave deflections and local bird knowledge to infer the location of islands in the sea. In 2012, the crew plans to circumnavigate the globe with Hokule’a while providing education

We departed Oahu around 5:00PM with all the well-wishes our hearts could hold and arrived at Midway after 9:00PM. As we touched down on the runway, our heads were pressed into the windows hoping to penetrate the darkness that shrouded the island and all of its inhabitants. As we were shuttled to our rooms via golf carts, albatross chicks and their parents flanked our pathway as if honoring our arrival with their presence. After a quick stroll to the beach by flashlight, we headed for our beds and some much needed rest. It seems so much like Christmas eve, as we anxiously await the morning light to see all the surprises laid out before us. I have never seen 12 educators so excited to be in the same place.

Introductions: Trevor Atkins

2009-06-13T23:32:00.001-10:00

June 8, 2009

E kū i ka māna! Mālama kuleana. E hana ana au i ka ha`awi aku ka `ike i ko`u `opio.

I question my privilege. I stare at the Mahealani moon in the early night sky over Honolulu. Tonight, the moon is a mirror. I can see the eyes of Hawaiians from several generations peering through time. Their eyes transcend time to meet mine on the surface of the moon. They see me, surrounded by this glowing city on this polluted `aina. I do not escape their disgust. Their eyes interrogate:

Why is it me, a haole, and a son of sugar plantation owners, who shall set eyes on Papahanaumokuakea, while my students suffer the pangs of hunger, rape, and loneliness this summer on polluted `aina? Why is it me who is allowed to escape to see the turquoise waters that once formed a lei around these islands before my ancestors arrived? Why is it us that get to gaze as tourists at those old islands when it is us who are still erasing the beauty of the newer ones?

I have no answers. I am going. We are going. It is our kuleana to absorb this experience to the point of saturation and to let our `opio squeeze it all out when we return. We take the `ike, chew it into community stewardship projects, and spit it in their mouths. This is not about me. This is about creating systemic change. E pule au i hiki ia`u.

June 9, 2009

I am humbled and inspired by the first reflections of my fellow PAA participants. They have done so many great things and are doing so many more. I hope their energy rubs off on me and mixes with my creativity and initiative to become transformative for the students and communities of Hawai`i.

When I come home I’d like to build a stronger network between the many stewardship projects happening right now. Conservation work is intimidating and it is imperative that we do not feel alone in our efforts. I pulled weeds all day today and my sweat would have been futile if it were not for the 19 fellow teachers beside me. In that sense, I think the most important thing I can bring home is a more comprehensive awareness of what each of you are doing to move our world in the same direction. 'A'ohe hana nui ke alu 'ia.

Postcards from Papahanaumokuakea

2009-06-09T16:10:00.001-10:00

Aloha and Happy Summer to One and All,

Many of you asked me to send postcards from Midway Atoll during my journey to Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Some of you have sent me the most wonderful and inspiring questions from your students and because of those questions, I have a very clear sense of my mission and wanted to share the beginnings of my project, a project that has already begun, thanks to one child.

Her name is Evelyn. I met her on Earth Day in Columbus, Ohio. She is a student in Debbie Charna's Book Club. Evelyn has asked me a series of questions I will attempt to find answers to on Midway. They all relate to the issue of our continuous production of plastics and how they end up in the ocean and enter marine food webs. Some of Evelyn's questions relate to how the plastics got there in the first place. Others are very specific and relate to how much an Albatross Chick can eat, safely. If there is a safe amount. She also wondered if we might form a research ogranization to help the albatross and other life affected by our discards.

My first response was to suggest something that seems to be catching interest. My second response was to collect plastic on the beach by my home and do a research investigation into the kinds of plastic and the sources.

That is how SOAR was born.

Save Our Albatross - Research.

More on that in later postcards. For now. THANK YOU Debbie and Evelyn!

And here is a one week cleanup of Marrowstone Point beach. Marrowstone Island, Washington. Approximately 1.5 miles of beach, the first seven days of June, 2009:

1 chair leg
1 comb
11 drinking water bottles
3 beverage bottles
1 bathroom cleaner bottle (cleaner included)
3 mediceine containers
14 clean plastic bags
1 bucket
1 sign
1 chewing tobacco container
3 packaging wrap
4 cups
9 ropes or strapping
1 sharpie
1 bic pen
15 pieces of unidentifiable plastic
9 lids
1 lego
5 balloons
2 oil containers
2 pieces of crab buoy
4 flip flops (no matches. darn)
22 chunks of styrofoam
3 styrofoam cups
1 plastic flower

Brand names of 13 items recorded for use in our project to help reduce plastic entering the sea. The plan is to make stickers to give to compaines who find ways of reducing or eliminating plastic in their day to day business.

I will do a seven day beach cleanup on Midway and ask all of you to try to do a cleanup of seven days along a lake, pond, or ocean shore or along a river or stream. All plastic debris comes from the land, ultimately and all our waters are connected to our one ocean.

My friend Anne Murphy at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center has opened my eyes to the ways in which plastic enters far more food webs. Most of us woke up to this issue when we learned of the Albatrosses feeding plastic to their chicks. Many other seabirds from gulls to gannets accidentally ingest it and pass it along to their young.

I also want to share this fun project.........Apparently, a monkey named Fred has been disrupting Paula Vertikoff's Kindergarten class all year long. I can't seem to find him, but I am told that Fred snuck into my suitcase and will be popping up on Midway. I hear Fred has "Gone Green" --- you know, one of those obnoxious environmental types! He's going to rid the world of plastic or he will be doing some illegal fishing with me in the sanctuary!!!! Watch for news of Fred and tune in for more Postcards from Papa!

Aloha nui loa,

Ron Hirschi

Introductions: Darius Klavaitis

2009-06-08T12:10:00.000-10:00

I hope to gain a new perspective about the oceans of the world. Being a landlocked creature I have had a draw to the open waters and connection to the underwater creatures. This will be an opportunity to focus on those connections and begin to see more clearly how the entire web of ocean life fits together here and all over the earth.

I intend to integrate my experiences from this journey into my professional live as a University Assistant professor and share many of my experiences with students in years to come. I would like to be able to produce several short films highlighting Papahanaumokuakea and display it to viewers who will not have a chance to go and see for themselves.

Introductions: Meghan Marrero

2009-06-08T12:09:00.000-10:00

I cannot even begin to describe how eagerly I am anticipating this experience! It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I hope to gain because I feel like there is just so much to be soaked up. I am excited about so many different aspects of this trip.

I have always been interested in marine biology, so I am really interested in talking with the scientists about their work and then thinking about the educational aspects of what they are doing. In particular, through the NOAA-sponsored ACES program, we have done a lot of work with marine animal tracking, including albatrosses and sea turtles. I have never seen an albatross before, so that will certainly make me feel more in touch with the animals whose paths I have been watching as they crisscross the Pacific. We have done curriculum modules about marine debris and the Pacific Garbage Patches, so I anticipate being able to add to those discussions after my own experiences and talking to the scientists.

Another aspect about which I’ve become extremely curious is the Native Hawaiian cultural ties to the islands and to the ocean. In our Climate Change program, we have worked closely with Alaska Natives and I am so intrigued about indigenous traditional knowledge, and how to bring that into education for scientific literacy. I believe that bringing in this rich knowledge and history will only help students to better understand and be engaged in science. I think that working with folks who have a strong background in this area will help me, a white lady from New York, to better solidify how this can be done—I have many ideas flying around in my head but I’m not quite sure yet how to tie them all together.

My plan for my main project is to incorporate what I have learned into a professional development course that I teach called Lessons from the Ocean. In this course, we discuss how to use the ocean as an engaging context for standards-based science topics. I anticipate being able to use some of what I gather for biological topics, i.e., ecosystems, human impacts, genetics, as well as physical topics, i.e., atoll formation, plate tectonics & hot spots, etc.

Introductions: Anne Rosa

2009-06-08T12:04:00.001-10:00

A young student steps up to the microphone and starts reciting a vivid, descriptive poem about Papahānaumokuākea. Students sing songs celebrating the wahi pana of their home. Students express their desire to mālama their home. The inspiration that Papahānaumokuākea can provide to people to appreciate and conserve our ocean is valuable. This year, I worked with students participating in the Navigating Change curriculum program. Seeing how much the students get out of this type of learning makes me look forward even more to my trip to Midway.

I hope to make learning connections between Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and marine reserves in the main Hawaiian islands such as Hanauma Bay. I would like to make connections with other educators interested in marine conservation. I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, and share what I learn with my community. I would like to learn more about my cultural heritage as it relates to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

I would like to create a project that draws from my personal experiences and learning, and that uses multimedia and my song writing skills to teach and inspire others and promote conservation. As an educator at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, I have contact with many school and community groups that come to learn about marine conservation. I also help to train community volunteers that communicate conservation messages to the general public. I would like to be able to offer presentations to, and share my project with community members that attend the outreach presentations at Hanauma Bay, school groups coming to the bay, as well as Hanauma Bay volunteers. I would also like to share my project with the members of my community that participate with Malama Maunalua. A much larger audience could potentially be reached with a hawaiian song written for Papahānaumokuākea.

Introductions: Carlie Wiener

2009-06-08T12:03:00.000-10:00

Teaching daily about the Monument, I am aware that these islands represent a culmination of sciences, culture and conservation making a globally unique area. Through participation in this program, I hope to be able to continue to improve my abilities to carryout one the mission of bringing the place to the people. By working with a new group and gathering inspiration and experience from visiting Midway, I will be able to translate this to the public in the form of community programs, targeting local students to take interest in their Kupuna Islands and marine conservation. I also hope that I will personally be able to grow my depth and understanding of this special place by spending some time with new people from different places. Developing fresh ideas and forming new relationships is also important to me.

Upon my arrival back to Oahu I would like to incorporate my trip experience into my outreach programs. Working with the local communities and school groups, I hope to teach about marine science and conservation using these trips lessons, photographs and new activities developed. I would like to focus on using intergenerational learning to reach both parents and their children at the same time. The most important message for me is that the public understand that the marine impacts in the main islands can affect the entire Archipelago. A focus on hands-on activities highlighting important biological and ecosystem function aspect of the Monument will also used. I am also a large advocate of using interdisciplinary learning using a combination of arts and sciences in my programs. Not only would I like to work with the local community, I am interested in bringing ocean conservation messages and information about the Monument into classrooms where students do not have direct access to the ocean. This is important because it demonstrates the Monument as a global treasure.. Those who do not have ocean access often lack an understanding that their actions can have direct impacts on our marine environments.

Introductions: Kathy Knoeppel

2009-06-08T12:01:00.001-10:00

Mayville, Wisconsin’s motto is “Gateway to the Horicon Marsh”. The Horicon National Wildlife Refuge is an extraordinary asset and is designated as a Wetland of International Importance and a Globally Important Bird Area. Through real-life experience gained from learning about the NWHI; I want to draw connections throughout my science curriculum with Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and its environmental and cultural designations.

Being a science teacher puts me in a unique situation to build community involvement starting first within the classroom with students and then networking with local organizations to effect changes on a small scale. I am especially interested in creating hands-on learning experiences for my students and incorporating technology into lessons. One thing that I especially want to do is set up an on-line group activity for my students to work with students in another area of the country.

Due to the close proximity to Horicon Marsh, I would like to make learning connections with other schools near other refuges/stop-overs for endangered birds along the migration route for science projects. I am hoping to network with contacts I have made in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge and make contact with the National Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI to create an on-line community of schools along the flyway.

I think it would heighten student interest even more to make connections to the plight of birds in Hawaii, especially the birds living in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and its environmental and cultural designations. I would love to work with a school in Hawaii to have an internet exchange between our students. I would like to start off small partnering with another interested school or two and then see what the project evolves into.

The larger goal of the project would be to work with the students on developing a more global view of the importance in changing their own and hopefully family values and behaviors to maintain or restore other environment resources especially coral reefs and related marine environments.

Introductions: Miriam Sutton

2009-06-08T12:00:00.000-10:00

May 12, 2009 – I paddled my kayak through the estuary this afternoon and observed the multitude of shore birds that raise their young along the protected sand spits, barrier islands, and salt marshes. I savored every moment in the waning sunset and wondered how my little corner of the world might compare with the protected ecosystem of Midway Atoll. I am but a mere month away from a summer adventure that will allow me to explore cultures, geology, and species I have never experienced. The anticipation quickened my paddle stroke and I calmed my excitement with a deep breath as I allowed my kayak to glide over a tidal flat. The Rachel Carson Estuarine Research Reserve is awe-inspiring. The estuary is also surrounded by anticipated development, currently being suppressed by a waning economy. My travels to Hawaii and Midway will immerse me into the Papahanaumokuakea culture and allow me to absorb the conservation strategies being implemented to preserve the pristine habitats of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. I hope to translate these successful conservation methods through awe-inspiring education and outreach projects that will foster the protection of our estuary reserve as development in our region continues.

Introductions: Ron Hirschi

2009-06-08T11:59:00.001-10:00

My main goal so far is to learn from the experience so that I might help Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribal kids find ways of identifying and protecting their cultural resources. The tribe is a canoe culture, so share many ocean connections with other Pacific Peoples. I think it is important to find ways of connecting Hawaiians and Pacific Northwest Coast peoples. I have this idea of creating a “Pacific Box” that we start on Midway and pass along to others – a box of story, song, poems, art, research projects...........just an idea brewing. Along with this is the notion of creating a literal and imaginary path from watersheds where I work with kids to the sea and on to Papahanaumokuakea. A trail with markers and maps and ways of learning about the connections in our one ocean. I've thought about canoes, paddles, and orcas as symbols for the path markers........I also work with a small Catholic school and have discussed with them some spiritual form of ocean connection, something you can't do in public schools. Maybe some shrines in their watershed?

I also have a mission to find a way to bring a whale home to Hawaiian waters. I have worked with schools in the greater Columbus, Ohio area for 20 years. One major project has been to help kids find ways of connecting with the sea by way of studying and helping their watersheds. At one school, we eventually created a life size humpback whale tail sculpture. The whale dives into the earth in Ohio and wants to surface back home. Many stories, books, songs, and more have been created in relation to this steel whale. I want to find a way to bring the whale home so that kids back on the mainland can continue to be inspired by its long journey. My friend, Dr. Mary Sheridan also applied for this project and wasn't able to come along, but I do this whale journey with her in mind and spirit. She will be starting at a new school next year and will certainly take what I bring home and give thousands of kids a new way of thinking if we find a way to help the whale. Maybe this will combine with the Ocean Box to become a whale that continually travels around the earth........a perpetual learning and inspiring box of magic........

I will also be sending out “Postcards from Papa” as a way of answering questions sent to me by kids. This project seems simple enough, but may also be the most important. I could see turing this into a book of sorts or an ongoing way of “Teaching Papahanaumokuakea” with a newsletter perhaps.

Introductions: Sunny Seal-LaPlante

2009-06-08T11:57:00.001-10:00

I hope to gain knowledge and experience this jewel of a place, a major bird nesting, turtle nesting, monk seal pupping area. I hope to understand the cultural aspects and be better informed to preserve and protect the N. W. islands. I would like to see the incredible diversity of marine life that is there and the plastic plague that needs to be dealt with. I find that traveling to a place inspires and makes me enthusiastic in teaching about it, and I hope to paint and exhibit art about to benefit the Marine Mammal Response Team.

To promote stewardship I would like to use the students in my class to be ambassadors to others in my school, community and with their families. To that end they would be educated on measures that they could take to help with four things, monk seals, turtles, coral and seabirds. Using students’ drawings we would then design and publish a brochure and educational coloring book that helps others learn to leave sleeping monk seals alone, not to step on coral, and keep plastic from the ocean (including fishing line) because turtles think plastic bags are jellyfish and entanglement is another problem for birds, seals and turtles. With financial support (donations and grants) these could be made available to all students in coastal schools on our island not just the 300 at my school.

Introductions: Terry Leianuenue Reveira

2009-06-08T11:56:00.000-10:00

I hope to see the path that Pele took as she searched for a new home to connect the places to her story. I hope to learn about the ocean and marine life that need to be protected from the actions of people. I want participate in work projects to malama the natural resources found there. When I return I hope to develop curriculum that will link traditional stories to real places, connect the past to the present and create a discussion with others to understand the impact of what we have on our resources and how we can malama them. The discussion may be with teachers who can learn a “story” and pass it on their students who will carry home to share. These story links will help them connect to Papahanaumokuakea as a real place to love not just a pretty picture. In order to care (malama) we must get our hands dirty and be involved.

Introductions: Jeff Manker

2009-06-08T11:55:00.000-10:00

My goal for my time in Hawaii and on Midway Island is to gain a better understanding of the link that albatrosses and other seabirds make between Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) and the coast of California where I live. I want to observe and record in a variety of formats (writing, video and voice recordings) my observations of the details of their lives and the effects that far-off coastal communities may be having on their lives.

My intention when I return is to change the behavior of my community members. To do this I plan on using newspaper articles, radio broadcasts and video to communicate a few simple actions that the average person can do to reverse the negative effects of our littering and the fishing practices that we support.

First, I want to make my students and my community at large aware of the struggle these incredible creatures go through just to survive where they do. Second, I want the people on my side of the Pacific Rim to see how our careless or simply ignorant actions create difficulties for the birds and other creatures of the far –flung islands of the Monument.

Introductions: Karen Matsumoto deChadenedes

2009-06-08T11:51:00.001-10:00

I hope to learn more about promoting stewardship and inspiring people to take positive actions and change behaviors toward environmental sustainability and humane communities. I want to learn by doing through the PAA experience and by sharing ideas with other educator-leaders in the program. I am excited about learning about traditional cultures of Hawaii, and how this traditional knowledge can help us to better understand how to inspire marine conservation in students and the general public. I also hope to learn more about the effects of global climate change and ocean acidification on long-term ecosystem health.

I would like to incorporate what I learn from the PAA experience into my education programs at Seattle Aquarium. My vision is to create a program that focuses on the connections between local ecosystems, objects, people, and cultural identity in the Pacific Rim, and to explore these links with young people. I would like to build connections between Pacific Rim communities (specifically between Coastal WA Tribal communities and Hawaiian communities) to help children connect with marine conservation through local ethnobotany and indigenous material culture, as well as to nurture global connections/exchange and real-life relationships.

Overview

2009-05-19T14:07:00.002-10:00

What is the PAA program?

Papahanaumokuakea 'Ahahui Alaka'i (PAA) is a ten-day experiential leadership program that brings together teachers, business people, policy-makers as well as potential community leaders interested in learning and being inspired by science and traditional knowledge management practices. is being sponsored by staff of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Monument). This workshop will bring together a broad range of interests and knowledge to ultimately inspire active stewardship of natural and cultural resources by participants within their home communities.

The Monument co-trustee agencies (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Hawai‘i) have selected a group of 12 people to participate. The first three days will be spent on O‘ahu in Hawai‘i preparing, learning natural and cultural history, practicing with available technology and getting to know the other participants. The remaining seven days will be spent on remote Midway Atoll located 1,250 miles northwest of Honolulu within the Monument. On the atoll participants will be in the midst of millions of nesting seabirds on small islets surrounded by an incredible assemblage of marine wildlife. In this living laboratory participants will be immersed in a variety of activities using traditional knowledge, science methodology, island conservation and resource management practices while building upon their plans to navigate change back home.