Just a taste of Kahanu
This past week, I had the opportunity to venture to another part of the National Tropical Garden empire. "On the rugged Hāna coast, along the far eastern shores of the Hawaiian island of Maui, Kahanu Garden grows in splendid isolation, nestled in the one of the largest, untamed native hala (Pandanus) forests in the Islands.Plant collections from the Pacific Islands are the focus here, particularly plants of value to the Hawaiian people as well as to other cultures of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. At Kahanu one learns the cultural relationships between the people and these remarkable plants that were transported around the Pacific on ancient voyaging canoes. Among the different ethnobotanical collections that are housed here is the world's largest collection of breadfruit cultivators, which serves as a germplasm repository for this important South Pacific food crop. Situated in the storied land of Honomā`ele, Kahanu Garden is the home to Pi`ilanihale, a massive lava-rock structure that is believed to be the largest ancient place of worship (heiau) in Polynesia. This awe-inspiring cultural site is registered as a National Historic Landmark."
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| Sweet potatoes flourish in-front of largest heiau in Polynesia |
Tour of Kahanu Garden
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| What a great opportunity to harvest this labor of love |
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| Stone walls add to the historical context of this garden |
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| The view of the heiau from the grand lawn |
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| Coconut trees dot the lawn |
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| What a statement |
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| over one-hundred varieties of coconut |
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| With great beauty comes great danger |
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| The Hale |
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| It's all in the details |
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| The tradition lives on |
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| The crew in-front of the hale |
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| Waves crashing on the end of the garden |
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| A place with gravity |
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| Variegated banana in full fury |
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| The vivid yellow of Gossypium tomentosum |
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| Breadfruit collection |
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| Fabulous bathroom built by local high school students |
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| very interesting |
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| This brought a smile to my face |
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| Beautiful wall decorations |
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| Ulu chips in progress |
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| Preparation of snacks |
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| Ulu chips ! |
Who knew that sugarcane could be so seductive
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| Painted by mother nature herself |
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| Beside the vivid color the shapes are captivating |
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| The detail in the internodes |
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| Beautiful sugarcane |
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| Cuves |
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| Candy stripped sugarcane |
Glamping at Mahele farms in Hana
During our week in Hana, we had the opportunity to be submerged within a community farm. It was a great chance to gain an insight into the movement of community farming practices. Along harvesting vegetables and preparing the fields we had a chance to engage with members of the local community.
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| Setting up the mosquito nets each night |
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| Cleaning the daily harvest |
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| Who doesn't like freshly washed organic beets |
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| Planting cover-crops |
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| Aquaponics |
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| Fresh bananas for the week |
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| Solar powered showers |
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| Composting toilet |
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| That whats I can a field of bananas |
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| Flower gardens among the veg |
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| Bamboo structure |
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| Sechium edule |
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| Hibiscus arnottianus |
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| A brilliant sunset to end the week at Kahunue garden |
I would like to extend a thank you to all of the staff at Kahunue garden and Mahele farms for such an opportunity !
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