(Media release) — Learn about the rich natural history of Hawai‘i and gain a few photographic tips from renowned wildlife photographer/biologist Jack Jeffrey while being guided through protected native forest habitat. Bring the family along and join Volcano Art CenterÂ’s “Nature Photography Strolls in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park” at 9 am or 10:30 am on Friday, Nov. 5, 2010.

Jeffrey leads the two walks from the Volcano Art Center Gallery, located next to the Visitor Center, along an easily-navigable path to WaldronÂ’s Ledge, overlooking the dramatic landscape of Kilauea Caldera. Jeffrey offers geological, biological, and ecological information about the special habitat and provides simple techniques on how to capture great images within it. Read the rest of this entry »

Sandra MacLees

(Media release) — What scares you? Is it the sound of footsteps overhead, when you are alone in your house, or maybe on a road alone at night? Come to Volcano and hear stories of a world with witches, ghosts, curses and magic on the evening of Oct. 29 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Volcano Art Center’s (VAC’s) Gallery, next to the Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Sandra MacLees kicked off VACÂ’s Fireside Stories series in June of 2009 with her captivating island folklore mix, and is returning to the VAC Gallery on the evening of Oct. 29 to share spine-tingling Halloween tales. Come and see what surprises this professional storyteller has in store for this special occasion. Read the rest of this entry »

Kim Gitzel

By Kim Gitzel

My exposure into a different medical philosphy (other than allopathy) appeared to me while I was in my undergraduate studies.  I experienced a very bad flu bug and went to the local Naturopathic doctor in town to help quicken my recovery process since I was due to go on a three week sea kayaking/ marine ecology expedition shortly.  I ended up receiving some immune building supplements and getting needled on my arms and legs while I lay quietly in the back room.  I walked out of there feeling relaxed, energized and no longer “fluey.”  Hmmm…., I thought to myself – Something interesting is going on here that DOES NOT involve the use of antibiotics…..

Fast forward 12 years.  I am working as an elementary science educator at a private school just outside of Seattle.  I am enjoying being an educator but realize that I am not feeling completely fulfilled by my duties.  During this time I notice that the kids I am working with, despite the fact that they have access to the top medical care our country has to offer, continually get sick.  The questions started to appear before my eyes:  “What is health?”  “What is medicine?”  My curiosity into what makes us tick deepens…

It all came together a couple years later when I had my own health crisis.  While learning how to telemark ski, I tweeked my knee pretty badly.  I visited an orthopedic specialist and was diagnosed with arthritis.  At the age of 26, I was told I would have to stop running, hiking, backpacking, etc…  (and I was about to leave for Volcanoes National Park where I was to be hiking every day!!!)

I started in on physical therapy.  This improved my situation by about 30%.  But I still couldn’t extend my knee all the way.  I was hobbling around the classrooms when a coworker noticed my discomfort and physical handicap.  She suggested I try acupuncture.   Read the rest of this entry »

Manny Mattos displays his daggers, clubs, spears, javelins, and other weapons crafted from various woods to Volcano Art Center's 2009 Forest Fair attendees. Image courtesy of Amanda Spaur.

(Media release) — ”Na Mea Ka Lua, Art of the Warrior” is the presentation slated for  this month Volcano Art Center’s “Fireside Stories”  at the month’s end. Join Manny Mattos’ from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, May 28, 2010 inside of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. With VAC’s gallery fire as the backdrop, Mattos shares the implements used by early Hawaiians in combat.

On display are daggers, clubs, spears, javelins, and other weapons crafted from various woods found growing on the Hawaiian islands. Of these, more common native plant species —  as alahe‘e, olopua, and olona — are used. However, Mattos also shares traditional pieces made out of kauila, koa, maua, and uhiuhi.

Along with perpetuating this facet of traditional Hawaiian artistry, Mattos has become one of the leading dryland forest conservation advocates. Read the rest of this entry »

Leilehua Yuen and Manu Josiah

In conjunction with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Volcano Art Center (VAC) presents “Fireside Stories in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park,” from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the last Friday of every month at the VAC Gallery next to the Visitor Center.

In honor of the upcoming Merry Monarch Festival, VAC welcomes cultural practitioner, artist, and kumu hula Leilehua Yuen and musician Manu Josiah for their “Hula Through the Ages” presentation on March 26. On this special evening, the couple takes you on a musical trip through time to find the origins of hula —stories, which tell of the ancient world and its creatures, heroes, chiefs and chiefesses, and deities. They also illustrate some of the traditions, chants, musical implements, and songs used in hula through the ages. Read the rest of this entry »

Story and Photos By Tiffany Edwards Hunt

(Editor’s Note: The following story by Tiffany Edwards Hunt published in the Big Island Weekly on Wednesday Feb. 17, 2010. To see video footage of the 13 Grandmothers’ gathering, click here.)

Called Kontiya’taro:ron, meaning Women Are Gathering, 26 grandmothers from a number of ethnicities gathered on the Big Island Valentine’s Weekend to share teachings, prophesies, and to engage in ceremony.  Hundreds of women and handfuls of men joined these women some or all of the time for a donation of $20 per day.

In their three days of congregation, the grandmothers were either in a tent pitched at Waimea’s Ulu La’au Park, at Mauna Kea Resort’s Mau’u Mae Beach, or in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Thirteen of the grandmothers either of Algonquin, Six Nations, Blackfoot, Cherokee or Choctaw descent visited from Canada.  Another thirteen grandmothers from Hawaii with either Hawaiian or another Pacific island heritage joined them.

A forwarded email invited anyone and everyone to join the grandmothers.  “You don’t have to be indigenous; this gathering is for sharing with aloha, coming together for peace, and empowering women with a sense of spirituality and ancient knowledge,” the email read. Read the rest of this entry »

Maile Yamanaka image courtesy of Volcano Art Center

On the evening of Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, join mentors Jesse Ke and Maile Yamanaka for their “Stories of the Hawaiian Islands” presentation for Volcano Art Center’s monthly “Fireside Stories” in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

The duo will share legends, chants, and tales about various regions of Hawai`i island, as well as the deities closely connected to them — with a fair emphasis on Pele.

“I am a kumu hula (teacher of Hawaiian dance) and classically-trained chanter, so most of what I share will be hula relevant,” said Yamanaka, adding that it is likely she will perform a few solo dances the night of the presentation. “Hula is an oral tradition, which is not often passed down within families anymore. Seeing and hearing it helps people learn how things came to be.” Read the rest of this entry »

The late Margaret Montague Cooke, whose photographs will be highlighted on the evening of Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 in the Volcano House lobby. Image courtesy of Volcano Art Center

(Media release) — Volcano Village resident Kazu Okamoto will share her “Photo History of Volcano Village in the 1920’s and 1930’s” on Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 as part of the Volcano Art Center’s monthly “Fireside Stories” in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Okamoto will share cherished images taken of Margaret Cook, of the prominent Castle and Cook ohana, as part of the village’s past in which the only route up was a rough gravel road. Okamoto’s father moved his family to the village farming community during World War 2, where they were given an opportunity to tend to the land with the help of the Farm Loan Program. Hear his accounts of growing up in this community in the Fireside Talk Story set for 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Volcano House. Read the rest of this entry »

Attendees separate seedlings in a native plant propagation workshop. Image courtesy of Volcano Art Center

(Media release) — Would you like to learn how to grow native plants? Botanist Tim Tunison instructs a “Native Plant Propagation” workshop in Volcano Village from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, at Volcano Art Center’s (VAC) Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village.

The class tours three different residential parcels in Volcano Village that are in different phases of restoration. From this experience students gain an understanding of the principles that create a truly restored versus a replacement community. Dealing with weeds can perhaps be the most problematic and time consuming phase. The residential examples simplify the daunting task of weed removal and control. Read the rest of this entry »

Scene from "The Octette Bridge Club"

(Media release) — Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network (KDEN) is preparing for it’s annual  fundraiser, “KDEN Faces Reality”a 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009 at the Hilo Woman’s Club. A silent auction, a live auction, and a spoof on reality shows will comprise the fundraiser. The spoof  features talented performers who have appeared in KDEN productions in the past year.  Volcano School of Arts & Sciences students will also make a presentation in this evening of fun, food and farce. Dave Seawater and Friends will entertain. B97’s Yisa Var will emcee and Clay Callaway will act as auctioneer for the live auction. Artwork, jewelry, a Body Glove snorkel cruise, chiropractic visits, massages, stays at local bed and breakfasts, gift baskets, and much more will be auctioned.
KDEN in its eigth year and has a Living History program running at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a drama program with the Volcano School of Arts and Sciences Middle School, a winter production, and our popular summer musical. KDEN also sponsors the Volcano Festival Chorus and the Lava Jam Band.
Tickets are $35  for singles and $50 for couples, which are available at the door, along with bid paddle, heavy pupus and drinks (including a wine-tasting).  Donations are still being accepted. For more information, to donate, or to make reservations call (808) 982-7344.

 

Rainforest puffball mushroom colony. Photo courtesy of Volcano Art Center

(Media release) —   Would you like to know what different categories of fungi there are? Wouldn’t it be great to learn if any wild mushrooms in Hawai`i are edible? Come explore two examples of Hawai`i’s most intact forests to learn more about native fungi in Volcano Art Center’s “Mushrooms of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park” workshop from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm., Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.

    The first field excursion is to the Ola`a tract of Hawai`i Volcano’s National Park (HVNP), located away from the main portion of the park on Wright Road. This protected forest fosters many rare examples of both flora and fauna, where familiar hapu’u tree ferns can reach up to 20 feet in height. Numerous species of fungus thrive on living and fallen tree ferns, and many within this forest cannot be found outside the state of Hawai`i. The trails within Ola`a, though moderately easy to navigate, are not maintained when wet — a perfect condition for fungi hunting. Read the rest of this entry »

Image Courtesy of 1Thing

By Curtis Narimatsu

Oil Traders And Speculators

When vehicle gas prices shot thru the roof, our oil/commodity traders made mountains of money.  Now that Wall St. has fallen down, speculators are down on their bloodlust luck, & even Iran’s oil minister is crying foul [to no one's endearment] that at $46 per barrel [instead of minimum $100 p/barrel], oil prices are hurting consumers by deterring investment in crude oil products.  Output/oversupply/Wall St. dive brought down prices, & oil moguls scale back supply to drive up prices again, thereby hurting consumers in reality, not helping consumers [w/increased consumer spending power].  Wall St. essential commodities traders [affect national interest] need to be regulated [to avert $4.80 per gallon of gas].  And we, Hawai`i gang, need to go green [invest in geothermal —  Puna Geothermal Venture's (PGV) Pohoiki plant subject to equipment failures — we cannot put all our marbles in one Pohoiki plant — geothermal closed-loop binary system as we have at Pohoiki is capable all along our rift zones — keep such plants away from populated areas to avert collateral injury/damage — get allowance from Dept. of Interior to source up from HVNP as adjunct to lower elevation sites]. Read the rest of this entry »

Original Volcano House lobby (circa l. 1800). Image Courtesy of Volcano Art Center

(Media release) — “Fireside Stories in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park” will commence Friday, Aug. 28, 2009 with renowned artists/historians Boone Morrison and Peter Charlot sharing their “History of Artists in National Parks” presentation.

In conjunction with Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and the Volcano House, Volcano Art Center (VAC) will host the fireside talk-story from 7 p.m. to  8 p.m. the last Friday of every month in the Volcano House lobby.

    “Artists lie at the root of the formation of the American National Park system,” said Morrison of his forthcoming talk with Peter Charlot. “In 1873, the Hayden Geographic Survey traveled to the Yellowstone region. In the party were two artists invited along to record the scenes,” he said, noting that the artists’ field work presentation to Congress led to the creation of America’s first national park and the National Park System. Read the rest of this entry »

Following is a list of activities and events to be held at  the Volcano Art Center (VAC) in May. For More Information, call (808) 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.

Margaret Barnaby

“Outside Dreams,” an exhibit of multiple-plate woodcut prints by Margaret Barnaby.  Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.  Free (Park entrance fees apply). 

Saturday, May 2, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Native Species Art Hike – Ka’u with Eldridge Naboa, natural resources manager for the Ka’u Preserve, and a life-long resident of the area.  This unique art hike is for amateur and professional artists of all ages who plan to submit artwork for the juried show “Hawai’i Nei 2009″ held June 13 to August 2. Read the rest of this entry »