Reflections on Mind and Ocean
words by RJ Roush
I touched upon this subject in my first blog. The feeling of calmness and presence that is acquired when one is in a remote field camp is unparalleled in many ways. We have time to observe our surroundings, to think and appreciate them without interruption. We become tied with our environment and it's changes in ways that are difficult to replicate in cities or towns. You take away most appliances and electricity, cars, roads, money, plumbing, internet, and even most of the people and your left with a simpler existence--more minimalistic, but at the same time more expansive. I've come to realize that all this holds true on Kure Atoll, but there is also an additional piece to the puzzle of serenity: the water.
Here on Kure we meet and see the ocean daily. We smell it in the air, we hear it's waves slapping sand on the beach, we even breathe it in when the wind brings salt spray from white caps on the rougher weather days. It surrounds us, inundates our lives, and whether we are conscious of it or not, has a substantial effect on how we think and act.
Spending time near water often leaves one in a relaxed state. Something about the way water flows, subdued yet forceful, intent on taking it's own direction while at the same time yielding to all that comes in its path. Something about the sounds it can create, churning and sloshing, constantly rhythmic and calming. You can follow it with your eyes and will never be looking at the same thing once. If you're like me, you could stare contentedly at the surface of a running stream or the tumult of a shorebreak for hours. The motions and sounds of water is enough to catch our attention, but seems to hold it at a distance so that our minds are free to contemplate other matters. If you live near a body of natural water, then you likely already know what I'm talking about. If not, then you should probably visit the nearest lake, river, or ocean to understand what I'm trying to describe.
For my family and I, the connection with water was clear. It was inherited and ingrained since I was young. I grew up a five minute walk from the closest natural water source (albeit a somewhat grimy bay) and we would go to Stinson Beach and Bolinas, CA many times a year. Nowadays, when the family is scattered around the country we still take at least a week out of the year and spend it in the dunes of our favorite beach, doing little more than reading and watching waves. A few weeks back my mother sent me one of her favorite quotes from JFK which attests to this connection we all have:
"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it's because in addition to the fact that the sea changes, and the light changes, and ships change, it's because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea whether--it is to sail or to watch it--we are going back from whence we came."
Even recently, I came upon an article in Surfer Magazine describing the work of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols which brings this bond with water into the light of scientific scrutiny. His work is based around the concept of the "Blue Mind" which represents a state characterized by calm, creative, peaceful, and genuinely contented being. Nichols has taken modern neuroscience technology and applied it to people in and around water to see if there is a scientific reasoning that can be put to this feeling.
Nichols as well as other researchers findings have shown that being in and around water can release a host of different neurochemicals with positive and beneficial effects like dopamine, serotonin, GABA, oxytocin, endorphins, and even endocannabinoids. This feeling around water can be easily taken for granted, but has been readily observed by our species since our origins. The parts of our brain that respond to water and send out signals to release these chemicals are basal, such as the brain stem, and are considered to be a link to ancestral mind. And so I have to wonder, if the ocean has this kind of effect on our human minds, what does it do to the seabirds and marine mammals we share this island with? Can this state of mind be seen across species?
Of course there is such a thing as too much "Blue Mind." It should be countered with "Red Mind" which is often what we have more than enough of in todays media-engorged, consumer-driven, and fast-paced society. "Red Mind" is brought on by more stressful situations that require immediate response and produces neurochemicals such as norepinephrine, cortisol, and glucocorticoid. A healthy mind is a balance between the two.
It would seem that on Kure we may be in a state of perpetual "Blue Mind," but with the conservation work we do daily, we get our fair share of "Red Mind" and stressful situations. Things such as bracing the camp for hurricane force winds or going out in a downpour to see if the runway is flooding can be mentally and physically taxing. Regardless of how much we've done, though, and how dificult work may have been, I still find myself going to the beach and embracing the water's medicine at the end of the day. This connection is obvious to me, and likely obvious to many of you as well. Take advantage of it. I'll say it again, if you don't know this feeling I've been describing then you should spend some time at your nearest natural body of water and take note of how you feel before and after.
-Original Surfer Magazine article: "Blue Mind" by Maxwell Klinger, June 2015
-Or check out the book if you're really interested: "Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do." by Wallace J. Nichols, Ph.D.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Hiki Mai Ka Mālie A Hiki Mai Ka - Blog #15
Blog #15 Hiki Mai Ka Mālie A Hiki Mai Ka ʻIno
Pule 15 (1/8/17-1/14/17)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. He pule hou kēia i nui ka ua ʻana a me ka pā ʻana mai o ka makani ikaika. Ua kuʻi ka hekili, a ua lapa ka uila kekahi. E like me kēlā pule aku nei, ua lilo kekahi mau mea i hana koʻikoʻi ma muli o ke anilā. Ua hiki mai ka mālie, a ua hiki mai nō ka ʻino kekahi. ʻO Hoʻoilo ka malama. He wā kēia e hoʻōla hou ai i ka honua. “Ola i ka wai a ka ʻōpua.”
Howzit kākou. Well, it was another week full of rain and strong winds. Iʻve become so accustomed to stormy weather, that it actually felt weird when we had a beautiful, sunny Sunday to start the new week (the calm before the storm). You already know I was out on the beach all day soaking up as much sun as possible. I never go beach for about a month ʻcause itʻs been so cold and Iʻm exhausted from work. It takes a lot to keep me away from the kai. So, this is a pretty big deal haha.
After a beautiful Sunday, we had another nice sunny day on Monday. Before work began, we had the pleasure of greeting the sun - our first chanting of “E Ala Ē” for the new year since the previous week was full of overcast clouds. After Monday, the week was just stormy - gusts up to 49mph S,SW and swells up to 25 ft. on the north side. Water surged up to the vegetation along the beach, washing away two albatrossʻs nests and another mōlī (Laysan Albatross) abandoned its nest on the pier. Minamina nō hoʻi! South Point was also washed over. Marine debris were pushed higher on shore. Everything in camp and around the island was stored or weighted down. The window shutters for the bunk house and camp house were put down, making the camp house feel like a dungeon. Weʻve been cooking and eating in darkness since then. We also had to turn off the fridge and freezer for a few days because of low solar energy.
The two biggest downpours were on Tuesday and midnight on Friday. The rain pounded on the rooftop, strong wind shook the bunk house, thunder shook the earth beneath us, and light shows glowed in the dark sky. There was so much action going on. It was exciting - full of amazement with the wonders of nature and fear of getting shocked haha. We got 3” of rain from that early morning action - filling our water tanks even more and the recently drained guzzlers and seeps around the island. Good news: our trenches are still working. We had so much water it flooded the sump, moving the buoys used to prevent the albatross from nesting in that area. Sediment filled the sump, covering our recently out-planted pōhuehue. We could see areas where the water carved deeper into our trenches. Pretty nuts.
We ended the week with another overcast Saturday. However, the sun peaked out from the clouds for a bit. Knowing that was my chance to go beach, I took my book and went out.. only to get sand-blasted. Strong winds from the south blew sand towards the north side, whipping my bare skin. Despite the slight pain I felt every 30 seconds, I sat there closing my eyes, allowing the warmth of the sun to embrace my body, my curly hair flowing freely in the wind, head lifted to the sky, admiring the elements of nature. That moment made me think of Pocahontas when she was singing “Colors of the Wind.” Her long hair flowing as the colorful leaves fly around her, except my version included getting whipped by sand haha.
In addition to the excitement of the weather this week, I was also happy to greet the first full moon of the new year. Itʻs something I look forward to each month. I always find comfort when the mahina shines ever so brightly throughout the night and even when she greets me as I wake up. I saw something pretty sick on Thursday morning. Something that makes me love, appreciate, and embrace everything of Hōlanikū. As I was returning to the bunk house after breakfast at 8:15am (7:15am here), I realized I was standing right in the middle, witnessing the transition of the previous night passing and a new day beginning. On my right, the east, the sky was painted with a faint orange as the sun was rising. On my left, the west, the big bright moon, well above the horizon, was slowly making its way to rest. Standing there, I was in between night and day, dark and light, old and new, end and beginning. I was watching the sun chase the moon. This island is so small, we can see everything! Iʻve said it many times, but Iʻm always amazed with having the ability to see, feel, and experience everything on this tiny island: sunrise to sunset, moonrise to moonset, changing of wind direction, cloud formations, rainstorms surrounding the atoll, and even the sun chasing the moon. I learn something new about nature, my surroundings, this ʻāina, and myself each day. I will forever be in awe with this beautiful honua.
As for work, we still accomplished many things despite another rainy week. We treated about 25 acres (a little set back from the rain), transplanted, cloned, and out-planted hundreds of kāwelu and Lepturus repens and cleaned the Booby Acres West (BAW) guzzler on the Northwest side of the island. Although we got set back a bit, you know this hammah crew will bounce right back on it and hoʻokō i nā hana! :)
Well gangeh, another week of the new year is pau and weʻre trotting our way into the middle of Ianuali (January). Winterʻs been pretty action for us here on Hōlanikū. Strong wind, heavy rain, rolling thunder, flashing lightning, and all the work thatʻs adjusted to it. A winter full of excitement, exhaustion, coldness, restlessness, appreciation, admiration, and humility. Although now, mid-season, we seem to be weathered down, Hōlanikū is the source of our energy and motivation. ʻĀina kūpuna. Mana. A force pulling us in and driving us forward as we progress in protecting and preserving Papahānaumokuākea.
Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “Kuʻi ka pōhaku, ʻanapa ke ahi o ka lewa” (The stones pound; the fire flashes in the sky). Thunder and lightning - Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #1877. The reason why I chose this ʻōlelo noʻeau for the week is pretty self-explanatory :)
Mahalo no ka heluhelu ʻana. A hui hou a i kēia pule aʻe. K den menpachis
Naʻu,
Aulani
Monday, January 9, 2017
Hanini Ka Wai O Kūlanihākoʻi Blog #14
Blog #14 Hanini Ka Wai O Kūlanihākoʻi
Pule 14 (1/2/17-1/7/17)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. Ua hala iho nei ka pule mua o ka makahiki hou! I kēia makahiki hou, he mau hana hou kā mākou. ʻO ke anilā ka mea i lilo ai kekahi mau mea i hana koʻikoʻi. Ua loku mai ka ua, ua kuʻi ka hekili, a ua lapa ka uila. ʻO ka hana, ua lawe ʻia ka wai mai loko mai o nā lua wai i pilikia i nā naio makika, a ua hoʻomaʻemaʻe ʻia ia mau lua wai kekahi. Eia kekahi, ma muli o loku ʻana mai o ka ua, ua hālana ka wai i ka ʻāina, a ua pilikia nā pūnua o nā mōlī a me nā kaʻupu. Minamina nō hoʻi ka ʻike ʻana i nā pūnua i puni i ka wai a me ka wai i komo i loko. Ua koʻikoʻi nō ka hoʻopakele ʻana i nā hua. No laila, ua ʻeli ʻia he mau ʻauwai i kahi o nā pūnua i mea e kahe ai ka wai i kahi aʻe a maloʻo hou ia mau pūnua. I loko nō o ka luhi, ke anuanu, a me ka pulu o ko mākou lole, eia nō mākou e kūpaʻa nei i ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻāina, ke kai, a me nā mea ola o Hōlanikū. E ola ʻo Hōlanikū!
Howzit kākou! The first week of the new year is pau and soon itʻll be February! hehe. Along with the new year came new tasks for us to do. A lot of it had to do with the weather we had this week. We had a few showers in the beginning of the week then there was a heavy downpour towards the end, allowing us to treat only 13 acres. There was some excitement with thunder and lightning too. The rain ceased our spraying, so we turned to alternative tasks such as working in the nursery and emptying out the seeps and guzzlers which are water sources for the Laysan ducks. Like Iʻve mentioned before, weʻve been having a problem with mosquito larvae inside those seeps and guzzlers. After doing weekly seep checks and mosquito dunks, we finally emptied out all the water from a few of them around the island using 5-gallon buckets and pumps. Then we had the fun, dirty, and oh so sweet-smelling task of scooping up the muck on the bottom with shovels. The seeps and guzzlers were all cleaned and a mosquito dunk was left in the empty guzzlers, with the hopes that all mosquito larvae will perish. It was an interesting task to do in both rain and sunshine. With the heavy rainfall, the seeps and guzzlers were filling up again with fresh water. So, weʻll see how things go! The constant checking of water sources for mosquito larvae and preventing of water collection around the island still continues.
As for the downfall of the rain we received this week.. the constant downpour on Friday flooded out a number of albatrossʻs nests around the island. Thus, the new task of digging trenches near the flooded nests commenced. We focused on nests in the East Turnaround and Runway. South of camp, these areas are expected to flood due to the hard pact soil, making it difficult to dig deep trenches. There were also difficulties with the elevation, extending the time we spent on each nest trying to make sure the trench leads somewhere and the water doesnʻt just collect, allowing the water to flow back to the nests. All in all, most of the ones we dug were successful in draining the water from the flooded nests. Of course, the whole scene is a shame because one would only wish that these wonderful creatures would live in nothing but peace and tranquility. However, the intimacy of working with an individual nest really strikes me. To be eye to eye with an albatross while bending over to hand scoop the water from itʻs flooded nest while water continues to fill it up again. Its egg surrounded by water and feeling it, hoping that itʻll somewhat still be warm. Brah, the relief I felt when there was bit of warmth from the egg despite the rainfall and the accompaniment of the cold wind! That is when I had some hope for that precious thing to survive. The downpour continued from Friday evening and throughout Saturday. The rainfall was so loud on the roof of the bunk house. I had the trippy feeling of being awake ʻcause of the rain, worrying about the albatrosses, yet I still managed to dream at the same time. I got out of my bed around 8am (7am here) and it was still dark outside. As I looked through my window facing Southeast of the island, I saw two headlamps out in the distance and I knew that Andy and Eryn were out there digging trenches again. After preparing myself for another cold and wet morning, I joined them. It was then that I saw something really heartbreaking on that early Saturday morning. As I went to drain out a mōlīʻs nest (Laysan Albatross), its body raised from the egg and I noticed that it was cracked. Ua komo nō ka minamina i loko oʻu! I felt so sorry for it. As I continued to dig in other areas, I saw that everything inside the egg spilled out into the nest. That mōlī just kept staring down at the egg below it, appearing to be filled with great sadness. Brah, that just broke me inside. The whole time it was just staring down at its egg… braaaaaaaaah! Still hurts to even think about it. But thatʻs just the way of life. Iʻm just happy that some of our efforts were successful. Weʻll just have to continue to be ʻeleu (alert) and kūpaʻa (determined) in protecting these magnificent birds and their chicks that will arrive soon. Rain or shine, heat or strong winds, weʻll still do our part in protecting all those of Hōlanikū.
Although the rain can bring destruction, it can also be a source of renewal. The heavy rainfall replenished our water tanks and cisterns, collecting more than enough water for drinking, showering, washing dishes, laundry, and watering the nursery. Also, thereʻs been lots of new growth of native plants, especially the kāwelu. So many babies are popping up! I can only imagine how much more new growth weʻll have due to the rain. Uē ka lani, ola ka honua!
Well gangeh, the first week of the new year has passed - a week full of excitement due to the weather and the new tasks that came with it. Despite facing difficulties with some of the tasks - we have and we will - still continue to persevere and remain kūpaʻa as we mālama all things of Hōlanikū. Like I said before, weʻre one hammah crew! :) I think this ʻōlelo noʻeau will fit perfectly for this week. Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “ʻEloʻelo i ka wai o Kūlanihākoʻi” (Drenched by the water of Kūlanihākoʻi) This is said of a heavy downpour. Kūlanihākoʻi is the name of a mythical pond in the sky -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #342. “Drenched” is the perfect word to describe the whole week. With the on and off showers, we went back and forth in between spraying and doing alternative work tasks and then weʻd repeat the switching of spraying and alternative tasks once again. In addition to the constant change of work, so was the change of clothes as we sought warmth due to the rain. However, all our clothes that we changed into only became soaked in rain once again when we went back to work. Unable to hang our clothes outside on the line to dry, they only became moldy as we attempted to dry them inside our rooms. What a pleasant odor to fill our wooden bunk house! haha. Itʻs just the sacrifice we have to take in order to fulfill our work that we have here. Itʻs all for the love of Hōlanikū. Rain or shine, she go! (:
Mahalo a nui no ka heluhelu ʻana. A hui hou a i kēia pule aʻe. Shooots
Naʻu,
Aulani
Pule 14 (1/2/17-1/7/17)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. Ua hala iho nei ka pule mua o ka makahiki hou! I kēia makahiki hou, he mau hana hou kā mākou. ʻO ke anilā ka mea i lilo ai kekahi mau mea i hana koʻikoʻi. Ua loku mai ka ua, ua kuʻi ka hekili, a ua lapa ka uila. ʻO ka hana, ua lawe ʻia ka wai mai loko mai o nā lua wai i pilikia i nā naio makika, a ua hoʻomaʻemaʻe ʻia ia mau lua wai kekahi. Eia kekahi, ma muli o loku ʻana mai o ka ua, ua hālana ka wai i ka ʻāina, a ua pilikia nā pūnua o nā mōlī a me nā kaʻupu. Minamina nō hoʻi ka ʻike ʻana i nā pūnua i puni i ka wai a me ka wai i komo i loko. Ua koʻikoʻi nō ka hoʻopakele ʻana i nā hua. No laila, ua ʻeli ʻia he mau ʻauwai i kahi o nā pūnua i mea e kahe ai ka wai i kahi aʻe a maloʻo hou ia mau pūnua. I loko nō o ka luhi, ke anuanu, a me ka pulu o ko mākou lole, eia nō mākou e kūpaʻa nei i ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻāina, ke kai, a me nā mea ola o Hōlanikū. E ola ʻo Hōlanikū!
Howzit kākou! The first week of the new year is pau and soon itʻll be February! hehe. Along with the new year came new tasks for us to do. A lot of it had to do with the weather we had this week. We had a few showers in the beginning of the week then there was a heavy downpour towards the end, allowing us to treat only 13 acres. There was some excitement with thunder and lightning too. The rain ceased our spraying, so we turned to alternative tasks such as working in the nursery and emptying out the seeps and guzzlers which are water sources for the Laysan ducks. Like Iʻve mentioned before, weʻve been having a problem with mosquito larvae inside those seeps and guzzlers. After doing weekly seep checks and mosquito dunks, we finally emptied out all the water from a few of them around the island using 5-gallon buckets and pumps. Then we had the fun, dirty, and oh so sweet-smelling task of scooping up the muck on the bottom with shovels. The seeps and guzzlers were all cleaned and a mosquito dunk was left in the empty guzzlers, with the hopes that all mosquito larvae will perish. It was an interesting task to do in both rain and sunshine. With the heavy rainfall, the seeps and guzzlers were filling up again with fresh water. So, weʻll see how things go! The constant checking of water sources for mosquito larvae and preventing of water collection around the island still continues.
As for the downfall of the rain we received this week.. the constant downpour on Friday flooded out a number of albatrossʻs nests around the island. Thus, the new task of digging trenches near the flooded nests commenced. We focused on nests in the East Turnaround and Runway. South of camp, these areas are expected to flood due to the hard pact soil, making it difficult to dig deep trenches. There were also difficulties with the elevation, extending the time we spent on each nest trying to make sure the trench leads somewhere and the water doesnʻt just collect, allowing the water to flow back to the nests. All in all, most of the ones we dug were successful in draining the water from the flooded nests. Of course, the whole scene is a shame because one would only wish that these wonderful creatures would live in nothing but peace and tranquility. However, the intimacy of working with an individual nest really strikes me. To be eye to eye with an albatross while bending over to hand scoop the water from itʻs flooded nest while water continues to fill it up again. Its egg surrounded by water and feeling it, hoping that itʻll somewhat still be warm. Brah, the relief I felt when there was bit of warmth from the egg despite the rainfall and the accompaniment of the cold wind! That is when I had some hope for that precious thing to survive. The downpour continued from Friday evening and throughout Saturday. The rainfall was so loud on the roof of the bunk house. I had the trippy feeling of being awake ʻcause of the rain, worrying about the albatrosses, yet I still managed to dream at the same time. I got out of my bed around 8am (7am here) and it was still dark outside. As I looked through my window facing Southeast of the island, I saw two headlamps out in the distance and I knew that Andy and Eryn were out there digging trenches again. After preparing myself for another cold and wet morning, I joined them. It was then that I saw something really heartbreaking on that early Saturday morning. As I went to drain out a mōlīʻs nest (Laysan Albatross), its body raised from the egg and I noticed that it was cracked. Ua komo nō ka minamina i loko oʻu! I felt so sorry for it. As I continued to dig in other areas, I saw that everything inside the egg spilled out into the nest. That mōlī just kept staring down at the egg below it, appearing to be filled with great sadness. Brah, that just broke me inside. The whole time it was just staring down at its egg… braaaaaaaaah! Still hurts to even think about it. But thatʻs just the way of life. Iʻm just happy that some of our efforts were successful. Weʻll just have to continue to be ʻeleu (alert) and kūpaʻa (determined) in protecting these magnificent birds and their chicks that will arrive soon. Rain or shine, heat or strong winds, weʻll still do our part in protecting all those of Hōlanikū.
Although the rain can bring destruction, it can also be a source of renewal. The heavy rainfall replenished our water tanks and cisterns, collecting more than enough water for drinking, showering, washing dishes, laundry, and watering the nursery. Also, thereʻs been lots of new growth of native plants, especially the kāwelu. So many babies are popping up! I can only imagine how much more new growth weʻll have due to the rain. Uē ka lani, ola ka honua!
Well gangeh, the first week of the new year has passed - a week full of excitement due to the weather and the new tasks that came with it. Despite facing difficulties with some of the tasks - we have and we will - still continue to persevere and remain kūpaʻa as we mālama all things of Hōlanikū. Like I said before, weʻre one hammah crew! :) I think this ʻōlelo noʻeau will fit perfectly for this week. Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “ʻEloʻelo i ka wai o Kūlanihākoʻi” (Drenched by the water of Kūlanihākoʻi) This is said of a heavy downpour. Kūlanihākoʻi is the name of a mythical pond in the sky -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #342. “Drenched” is the perfect word to describe the whole week. With the on and off showers, we went back and forth in between spraying and doing alternative work tasks and then weʻd repeat the switching of spraying and alternative tasks once again. In addition to the constant change of work, so was the change of clothes as we sought warmth due to the rain. However, all our clothes that we changed into only became soaked in rain once again when we went back to work. Unable to hang our clothes outside on the line to dry, they only became moldy as we attempted to dry them inside our rooms. What a pleasant odor to fill our wooden bunk house! haha. Itʻs just the sacrifice we have to take in order to fulfill our work that we have here. Itʻs all for the love of Hōlanikū. Rain or shine, she go! (:
Mahalo a nui no ka heluhelu ʻana. A hui hou a i kēia pule aʻe. Shooots
Naʻu,
Aulani
Friday, January 6, 2017
He Panina, He Hoʻomaka Blog #13
Blog #13 He Panina, He Hoʻomaka
Pule 13 (12/26/16-1/1/17)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. Ua hōʻea kākou ka pau ʻana o ka makahiki 2016, a e hoʻomaka ana ka makahiki hou. Ua holo nō ka manawa me ka wikiwiki! Nui nā mea i hoʻolauleʻa ʻia i kēia mahina, kekahi ma hope o kekahi. Ua loaʻa he mau lā nui. Ua hoʻokō ʻia nā hana he nui. He mau lā hānau kekahi. I kēia Poʻalima, ua hoʻolauleʻa mākou i koʻu lā hānau a me ka piha ʻana o ka mahina ʻekolu o ko mākou noho ʻana i Hōlanikū. He pōmaikaʻi nō ka hiki ke ola i hoʻokahi makahiki hou a me ka hiki ke noho i kēia wahi nani loa. Piha wale kēia i ka hauʻoli. Mākaukau kēia no ka makahiki hou a me nā mea e hiki mai ana.
Howzit gangeh! Can you believe the year 2016 has come to an end and now weʻre starting a whole new year? Time is going by so fast. Iʻm happy to be able to finish and start a whole new year here with my little ʻohana and many friends of Hōlanikū. I feel like weʻve had so many celebrations this month, one after another. Weʻve had holidays, birthdays, work and accomplishments, and more. To finish the last week of December and the last week of the year 2016, we celebrated my 24th birthday and our three month anniversary of living here on Hōlanikū on Friday. It was a really joyous day for me. Many events made me even more stoked on the life I am living and whatʻs to come in the future. I am so thankful for the many blessings of ke Akua. Cheeering! Just like the previous holidays, celebrating New Yearʻs Eve and New Yearʻs Day was different on Hōlanikū compared to what Iʻd usually do with my own ʻohana. No fireworks. No partying. No big feasts. Instead, RJ made some nachos for us to munch on and we played a few games of “Bananagrams” and then moved onto “Never Have I Ever” with the camp house partly lit with the dim, blue Christmas lights that decorate the huge glass ball hanging from the ceiling and small, solar lanterns. We played games all the way to midnight, while straight dubbing to “Fat Freddyʻs Drop” into the new year. It was simple and I was content. After our big cheers to the new year, we slowly parted ways and went back into our rooms around 12:40am (1:40am for Honolulu). It was different, but Iʻm happy.
As for work.. after completing an energy-consuming albatross count, we went back to spraying this week. Thereʻs no better way to return to the normal routine other than coming back and dominating these RAʻs (treatment areas), focusing on the Northeast side of the island and some of the central plains. “We sprayed and we slayed,” having treated a total of 43.68 acres, still having time to out-plant hundreds of our babies from the nursery, check the seeps for mosquitoes, and conduct a monk seal/shorebird survey. I got to see the newborn Hawaiian monk seal pup that Andy saw on Christmas Eve. It was with its mama. A tiny, black velvet-looking fur-ed pup with its even more so black, round eyes blending in with the color of its body, leaving the inside of its mouth the only thing that pops out with color. Oh, and itʻs little roar to its mother as the water washed upon the shore, knocking it around a bit. And then the moment the mama and pup kissed each other. Ahh, what an overload of cuteness! Our island friends are just too adorable. If only we could hug, honi, and play with them. But we canʻt. One could dream though! In addition to witnessing the cuteness of the monk seal pup, Andy and I came upon a huge mass of entangled rope that recently washed ashore. It was too heavy to haul the whole thing higher up so we cut it into pieces. Still heavy, we used all our might and dragged the pieces up to the naupaka, a place where it canʻt harm any animals. It was probably around 250lbs. Brah, that was some exercise! haha. And deeeeen, we found a total of 3 glass balls. I believe it was in celebration of our 3 month anniversary and a makana (gift) for my birthday :)
Well, weʻre starting off the new year with wet, and cold weather - the rain washing a clean slate. Itʻs a new beginning and weʻre almost half way through the season! I hope 2016 was great for you all and that 2017 will be even better. Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “Mohala ka pua, ua wehe kaiao.” (The blossoms are opening, for dawn is breaking) One looks forward with joy to a happy event - Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #2179. As the year 2016 came to an end, I found myself happier than ever. There was a sudden release of all the ʻeha in my naʻau and it was then replaced with joy. The things I feel, see, sense, and smell, all make me smile both inside and out. I feel so enlightened. For example, even with the simplicity of our New Yearʻs celebration, it was still full of laughter, happiness, and even tears as we released what we were holding onto from the past. The rain is washing the slate clean. The flowers are blossoming. And the sun will rise in the morning. A new day, a new year now begins. Iʻm stoked on life. Are you?
Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou iā kākou! Happy New Year gangeh! K den shooooots
Naʻu,
Aulani
Pule 13 (12/26/16-1/1/17)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. Ua hōʻea kākou ka pau ʻana o ka makahiki 2016, a e hoʻomaka ana ka makahiki hou. Ua holo nō ka manawa me ka wikiwiki! Nui nā mea i hoʻolauleʻa ʻia i kēia mahina, kekahi ma hope o kekahi. Ua loaʻa he mau lā nui. Ua hoʻokō ʻia nā hana he nui. He mau lā hānau kekahi. I kēia Poʻalima, ua hoʻolauleʻa mākou i koʻu lā hānau a me ka piha ʻana o ka mahina ʻekolu o ko mākou noho ʻana i Hōlanikū. He pōmaikaʻi nō ka hiki ke ola i hoʻokahi makahiki hou a me ka hiki ke noho i kēia wahi nani loa. Piha wale kēia i ka hauʻoli. Mākaukau kēia no ka makahiki hou a me nā mea e hiki mai ana.
Howzit gangeh! Can you believe the year 2016 has come to an end and now weʻre starting a whole new year? Time is going by so fast. Iʻm happy to be able to finish and start a whole new year here with my little ʻohana and many friends of Hōlanikū. I feel like weʻve had so many celebrations this month, one after another. Weʻve had holidays, birthdays, work and accomplishments, and more. To finish the last week of December and the last week of the year 2016, we celebrated my 24th birthday and our three month anniversary of living here on Hōlanikū on Friday. It was a really joyous day for me. Many events made me even more stoked on the life I am living and whatʻs to come in the future. I am so thankful for the many blessings of ke Akua. Cheeering! Just like the previous holidays, celebrating New Yearʻs Eve and New Yearʻs Day was different on Hōlanikū compared to what Iʻd usually do with my own ʻohana. No fireworks. No partying. No big feasts. Instead, RJ made some nachos for us to munch on and we played a few games of “Bananagrams” and then moved onto “Never Have I Ever” with the camp house partly lit with the dim, blue Christmas lights that decorate the huge glass ball hanging from the ceiling and small, solar lanterns. We played games all the way to midnight, while straight dubbing to “Fat Freddyʻs Drop” into the new year. It was simple and I was content. After our big cheers to the new year, we slowly parted ways and went back into our rooms around 12:40am (1:40am for Honolulu). It was different, but Iʻm happy.
As for work.. after completing an energy-consuming albatross count, we went back to spraying this week. Thereʻs no better way to return to the normal routine other than coming back and dominating these RAʻs (treatment areas), focusing on the Northeast side of the island and some of the central plains. “We sprayed and we slayed,” having treated a total of 43.68 acres, still having time to out-plant hundreds of our babies from the nursery, check the seeps for mosquitoes, and conduct a monk seal/shorebird survey. I got to see the newborn Hawaiian monk seal pup that Andy saw on Christmas Eve. It was with its mama. A tiny, black velvet-looking fur-ed pup with its even more so black, round eyes blending in with the color of its body, leaving the inside of its mouth the only thing that pops out with color. Oh, and itʻs little roar to its mother as the water washed upon the shore, knocking it around a bit. And then the moment the mama and pup kissed each other. Ahh, what an overload of cuteness! Our island friends are just too adorable. If only we could hug, honi, and play with them. But we canʻt. One could dream though! In addition to witnessing the cuteness of the monk seal pup, Andy and I came upon a huge mass of entangled rope that recently washed ashore. It was too heavy to haul the whole thing higher up so we cut it into pieces. Still heavy, we used all our might and dragged the pieces up to the naupaka, a place where it canʻt harm any animals. It was probably around 250lbs. Brah, that was some exercise! haha. And deeeeen, we found a total of 3 glass balls. I believe it was in celebration of our 3 month anniversary and a makana (gift) for my birthday :)
Well, weʻre starting off the new year with wet, and cold weather - the rain washing a clean slate. Itʻs a new beginning and weʻre almost half way through the season! I hope 2016 was great for you all and that 2017 will be even better. Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “Mohala ka pua, ua wehe kaiao.” (The blossoms are opening, for dawn is breaking) One looks forward with joy to a happy event - Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #2179. As the year 2016 came to an end, I found myself happier than ever. There was a sudden release of all the ʻeha in my naʻau and it was then replaced with joy. The things I feel, see, sense, and smell, all make me smile both inside and out. I feel so enlightened. For example, even with the simplicity of our New Yearʻs celebration, it was still full of laughter, happiness, and even tears as we released what we were holding onto from the past. The rain is washing the slate clean. The flowers are blossoming. And the sun will rise in the morning. A new day, a new year now begins. Iʻm stoked on life. Are you?
Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou iā kākou! Happy New Year gangeh! K den shooooots
Naʻu,
Aulani
ʻUmia Ka Hanu Blog #11
Blog #11 ʻUmia Ka Hanu
Pule 11 (12/11/16-12/17/16)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i kēia aloha iā Hōlanikū. Ua holo nō ka manawa! Ua hōʻea mākou i ka pau ʻana o ka pule ʻumikūmākahi o ko mākou noho ʻana i Hōlanikū. Ua kō nō ka hana maʻamau i ka pule i hala aku nei, a ʻakahi nō a hoʻomaka kekahi hana hou. ʻO ia hoʻi ka helu ʻana i nā mōlī, nā kaʻupu, a me nā makalena i kēia mokupuni pālahalaha. He hana nui nō ia. Eia naʻe, pīhoihoi nō mākou i ka ʻike ʻana i ka helu nui o ia mau manu.
Aloha mai gangeh. I hope everyone had a nice view of the beautiful mahina we had this past week. I love it when she illuminates the sky and everything around me be-comes animated and the natural light makes flashlights/night lights unnecessary. Any-ways, Iʻm going to keep this blog simple since we had a short week of the normal spraying and a new task that has just begun in which Iʻll save the details for when itʻs finished.
We sprayed Monday-Wednesday in both hot and cool weather. We saw something very exciting on Tuesday while we were transecting Fledgling Hill which is in the central plains on this island. Eryn was the first one to spot a young Short-tailed Albatross near the boundary of that treatment area. We didnʻt want to scare it away, so we decided to call it a day and continue it the next day. I really hope that Short-tailed Albatross either finds the other two females on the south side of the island or nests in that area. Iʻm so stoked to see a third Short-tailed Albatross here!
After spraying on Wednesday, we put new bait in the AMDRO stations, continuing to hope that we can get rid of as much big-headed ants as we can. Thursday was our day off in preparation for our new task that was to come. Andy and I went on a monk seal survey with anticipation of finding our monk seal friend which had its left eye bitten by a cookie cutter shark. I know, poor thing! But Iʻm astonished by the quick recovery that these seals have. We didnʻt see that seal during our survey though.
Well guys, the time has come. We have officially started the albatross count on Friday. We have traded in our spray packs for spray paint. Itʻs a super cool and uplifting thing to do as we come to the end of this year. For those who donʻt know, weʻre count-ing all the albatross that are on this island. So just as we would transect each RA (treatment area) while spraying, weʻd individually go through our selected RAʻs and count the nesting albatrosses (with an egg) among other things such as abandoned eggs, cracked eggs, dead albatrosses, etc., while using our clickers and non toxic spray paint to make a small mark outside each nest we count. Imagine the time we normally take as a team to transect the treatment areas and double it, triple it, and maybe even quadruple it since weʻre working individually. Yup, itʻs exhausting, but Iʻm super stoked to find out the total number of albatrosses that have made Hōlanikū its home. Itʻll be non-stop work until Christmas. So, rest is very important as we complete this huge task. This is excitiiiiiing.
Btw, while doing the albatross count, Andy spotted a tiger shark with a length of 10+ feet that was roaming around the pier (where we swim). Interesting things happening this week!
Anyways, this is a short blog but a long week for us. Iʻll save the details about the albatross count once weʻre pau (finished) since this is only the beginning and thereʻll definitely be a lot to say later on. But as usual, Iʻll leave you with an ʻōlelo noʻeau for the week. Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “ʻUmi ka hanu i ka houpo” (Hold back the breath in the chest) -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #2877. In other words, bear with the ut-most patience. I thought it would be simple to do an albatross count - a click here a click there and DONE. Boy, was I wrong. There are so many factors that make this task difficult. Boundaries: trying to follow markers (if itʻs visible) and the GPS (that could be wrong). Albatross: some may or may not cooperate in showing their egg/some wonʻt even have an egg. Naupaka/Heliotrope: makes it difficult to reach an albatross. These are just a few things that can make one frustrated. I have to remember that taking a break is a good thing. I want to complete as much of my responsibilities as fast as possible, but in doing so, I have drawn myself mad without taking the time to let my mind and body rest. Without rest, I drag along the frustration from the previous treatment area to the next one. Patience and perseverance is definitely the key for completing this task. Thereʻs nothing wrong with taking a break! ʻUmia ka hanu!
Mahalo a nui no ka heluhelu ʻana. A hui hou a i kēia pule aʻe. Shoooots
Naʻu,
Aulani
Pule 11 (12/11/16-12/17/16)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i kēia aloha iā Hōlanikū. Ua holo nō ka manawa! Ua hōʻea mākou i ka pau ʻana o ka pule ʻumikūmākahi o ko mākou noho ʻana i Hōlanikū. Ua kō nō ka hana maʻamau i ka pule i hala aku nei, a ʻakahi nō a hoʻomaka kekahi hana hou. ʻO ia hoʻi ka helu ʻana i nā mōlī, nā kaʻupu, a me nā makalena i kēia mokupuni pālahalaha. He hana nui nō ia. Eia naʻe, pīhoihoi nō mākou i ka ʻike ʻana i ka helu nui o ia mau manu.
Aloha mai gangeh. I hope everyone had a nice view of the beautiful mahina we had this past week. I love it when she illuminates the sky and everything around me be-comes animated and the natural light makes flashlights/night lights unnecessary. Any-ways, Iʻm going to keep this blog simple since we had a short week of the normal spraying and a new task that has just begun in which Iʻll save the details for when itʻs finished.
We sprayed Monday-Wednesday in both hot and cool weather. We saw something very exciting on Tuesday while we were transecting Fledgling Hill which is in the central plains on this island. Eryn was the first one to spot a young Short-tailed Albatross near the boundary of that treatment area. We didnʻt want to scare it away, so we decided to call it a day and continue it the next day. I really hope that Short-tailed Albatross either finds the other two females on the south side of the island or nests in that area. Iʻm so stoked to see a third Short-tailed Albatross here!
After spraying on Wednesday, we put new bait in the AMDRO stations, continuing to hope that we can get rid of as much big-headed ants as we can. Thursday was our day off in preparation for our new task that was to come. Andy and I went on a monk seal survey with anticipation of finding our monk seal friend which had its left eye bitten by a cookie cutter shark. I know, poor thing! But Iʻm astonished by the quick recovery that these seals have. We didnʻt see that seal during our survey though.
Well guys, the time has come. We have officially started the albatross count on Friday. We have traded in our spray packs for spray paint. Itʻs a super cool and uplifting thing to do as we come to the end of this year. For those who donʻt know, weʻre count-ing all the albatross that are on this island. So just as we would transect each RA (treatment area) while spraying, weʻd individually go through our selected RAʻs and count the nesting albatrosses (with an egg) among other things such as abandoned eggs, cracked eggs, dead albatrosses, etc., while using our clickers and non toxic spray paint to make a small mark outside each nest we count. Imagine the time we normally take as a team to transect the treatment areas and double it, triple it, and maybe even quadruple it since weʻre working individually. Yup, itʻs exhausting, but Iʻm super stoked to find out the total number of albatrosses that have made Hōlanikū its home. Itʻll be non-stop work until Christmas. So, rest is very important as we complete this huge task. This is excitiiiiiing.
Btw, while doing the albatross count, Andy spotted a tiger shark with a length of 10+ feet that was roaming around the pier (where we swim). Interesting things happening this week!
Anyways, this is a short blog but a long week for us. Iʻll save the details about the albatross count once weʻre pau (finished) since this is only the beginning and thereʻll definitely be a lot to say later on. But as usual, Iʻll leave you with an ʻōlelo noʻeau for the week. Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “ʻUmi ka hanu i ka houpo” (Hold back the breath in the chest) -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #2877. In other words, bear with the ut-most patience. I thought it would be simple to do an albatross count - a click here a click there and DONE. Boy, was I wrong. There are so many factors that make this task difficult. Boundaries: trying to follow markers (if itʻs visible) and the GPS (that could be wrong). Albatross: some may or may not cooperate in showing their egg/some wonʻt even have an egg. Naupaka/Heliotrope: makes it difficult to reach an albatross. These are just a few things that can make one frustrated. I have to remember that taking a break is a good thing. I want to complete as much of my responsibilities as fast as possible, but in doing so, I have drawn myself mad without taking the time to let my mind and body rest. Without rest, I drag along the frustration from the previous treatment area to the next one. Patience and perseverance is definitely the key for completing this task. Thereʻs nothing wrong with taking a break! ʻUmia ka hanu!
Mahalo a nui no ka heluhelu ʻana. A hui hou a i kēia pule aʻe. Shoooots
Naʻu,
Aulani
Aloha Lā Kalikimaka Blog #12
Blog #12 Aloha Lā Kalikimaka
Pule 12 (12/18/16-12/25/16)
Pule 12 (12/18/16-12/25/16)
Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa i piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. Kokoke pau kēia makahiki. Ua holo nō ka manawa! He mau mea i hoʻolauleʻa ʻia i kēia pule. Ua pau ko mākou helu ʻana i nā mōlī, nā kaʻupu, a me nā makalena i ʻō a ʻō i kēia mokupuni pālahalaha. Hō ka nui o nā manu! He hana nui nō ia. Eia naʻe, hauʻoli au i ka hoʻopau ʻana i kēia makahiki me ia ʻano hana. Eia kekahi, ua hoʻolauleʻa mākou i ka Lā Kalikimaka i kēia hopenapule. ʻOkoʻa ka hoʻolauleʻa ʻana i nā lā nui me koʻu ʻohana ponoʻī ʻole. Eia naʻe, piha kēia i ke aloha a me ka mahalo i ka noho ʻana i ka laʻi o Hōlanikū me koʻu ʻohana hou a me nā hoa manu.
Howzit gangeh! Boy, has time flown by quickly. Another week pau and one more to go for the year. Can you believe it? Iʻve found that the longer weʻre here on Hōlanikū, the more I lose track of what time or day it is, especially after doing the albatross count. Since we started the task last Friday and worked through the weekend (what is that? weekend? never heard of it nah nah) and into this week, I completely forgot what day of the week it was. But the days donʻt really matter. What really matters is the amount of things that can be accomplished from the time the sun rises and sets. Mau nō ka hoʻokō ʻana i nā kuleana he nui! Itʻs all for the love of Hōlanikū.
Well gangeh, the albatross count is now complete! We accomplished this huge task within six days, ending it before lunch on Wednesday. The work was tiring, but rewarding in the end. Although my feet are sore from traveling around the whole island, my legs bruised from trampling through naupaka, and my body exhausted from lack of sleep, I am so happy that we got to end this year with the exciting task of finding out how many albatross have made Hōlanikū their home. Among the many interesting things I came to find during the count, there are a few things that stuck out to me. As I went to confirm whether or not an albatross was sitting on an egg, I found one sitting on a light bulb, another on a golf ball, and a few sitting on two eggs. I couldnʻt help but to laugh at those silly mōlī that tricked me. It was really easy to assume that there was an egg hidden under their feathers, until they lifted up higher and exposed the truth haha. Iʻm stoked to be surrounded by many beautiful and, of course, very interesting birds.
Anyways, you guys ready for the results? We had an increase of about 11k mōlī (Laysan Albatross) and a few more kaʻupu (Black-footed Albatross) from last year. This year, we counted a total of 35,360 mōlī and 3,381 kaʻupu nesting in Hōlanikū. We have 2,500 albatross in camp alone. Can you believe it? And to think of how empty this place was two months ago. Now that weʻve counted the amount of nests, the countdown for the eggs to hatch begins!
In addition to celebrating the success of the albatross count for this Winter 2016-2017 camp season, Iʻm really grateful to be able to celebrate Christmas with my little ʻohana and my many bird friends here on Hōlanikū. No crowds. No obsession of shopping and trying to out-do home decorations. The simplicity of our lifestyle here is all Iʻd ever want. We found out some great news while Andy conducted a monk seal survey on Saturday morning. He spotted the first Hawaiian monk seal pup that was recently born on this very Christmas Eve. Nui koʻu hauʻoli! Later in the evening, we had a nice Christmas Eve dinner (choke food) in which we became full quickly, leaving lots of leftovers for our dinner on Christmas Day. After some quick dishes, we opened our gifts that surrounded our “Christmas tree” which was a little, potted naupaka decorated with colorful pipe cleaners and two ornaments made by previous volunteers. Like I said, I just love the simplicity of our lifestyle. These small things go a long way. After opening gifts, we played a few fun games of “Bananagrams” and then we were back into our rooms, exhausted, by 9:30pm (8:30pm here). Christmas Day was just another cruise day. We had a light breakfast and watched “The Hunger Games.” During the movie, we had an unexpected surprise of hearing someone on the radio. The voice sounded Japanese, but weʻre unsure. Eryn responded, but she got no response in return. With binoculars, she went up on the roof of the camp house to see if there was anybody near by. There was no one in sight. Twenty minutes later, we heard the voice again. Weʻre still unsure of who, what, and where that person was calling from, but that brought some excitement on this Christmas Day. We all separated and went on our own ways for the rest of the day until it was time to eat dinner (leftovers from yesterday evening). It wasnʻt the typical festive Christmas, but I couldnʻt ask for more. I am absolutely contented with my current life. My love continues to deepen for my new friends of both and sea, my new ʻohana, and of course Hōlanikū. And although it may not snow here, we definitely had a white Christmas with the white wash out on the reefs, the sea spray filling the air, the overcast clouds, and of course our 35,000 glowing mōlī that surround us
:) I hope you all had a merry Christmas. Mele Kalikimaka iā kākou!
Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “He māʻona moku” (A satisfaction with the land). Said of a person contented with what he has, as a chief is satisfied with his domain -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #807. I donʻt think I need to wehewehe about this ʻōlelo noʻeau that I chose for the week. I think itʻs pretty self-explanatory, especially if youʻve read my previous blogs. Piha wale kēia i ka hauʻoli:)
Howzit gangeh! Boy, has time flown by quickly. Another week pau and one more to go for the year. Can you believe it? Iʻve found that the longer weʻre here on Hōlanikū, the more I lose track of what time or day it is, especially after doing the albatross count. Since we started the task last Friday and worked through the weekend (what is that? weekend? never heard of it nah nah) and into this week, I completely forgot what day of the week it was. But the days donʻt really matter. What really matters is the amount of things that can be accomplished from the time the sun rises and sets. Mau nō ka hoʻokō ʻana i nā kuleana he nui! Itʻs all for the love of Hōlanikū.
Well gangeh, the albatross count is now complete! We accomplished this huge task within six days, ending it before lunch on Wednesday. The work was tiring, but rewarding in the end. Although my feet are sore from traveling around the whole island, my legs bruised from trampling through naupaka, and my body exhausted from lack of sleep, I am so happy that we got to end this year with the exciting task of finding out how many albatross have made Hōlanikū their home. Among the many interesting things I came to find during the count, there are a few things that stuck out to me. As I went to confirm whether or not an albatross was sitting on an egg, I found one sitting on a light bulb, another on a golf ball, and a few sitting on two eggs. I couldnʻt help but to laugh at those silly mōlī that tricked me. It was really easy to assume that there was an egg hidden under their feathers, until they lifted up higher and exposed the truth haha. Iʻm stoked to be surrounded by many beautiful and, of course, very interesting birds.
Anyways, you guys ready for the results? We had an increase of about 11k mōlī (Laysan Albatross) and a few more kaʻupu (Black-footed Albatross) from last year. This year, we counted a total of 35,360 mōlī and 3,381 kaʻupu nesting in Hōlanikū. We have 2,500 albatross in camp alone. Can you believe it? And to think of how empty this place was two months ago. Now that weʻve counted the amount of nests, the countdown for the eggs to hatch begins!
In addition to celebrating the success of the albatross count for this Winter 2016-2017 camp season, Iʻm really grateful to be able to celebrate Christmas with my little ʻohana and my many bird friends here on Hōlanikū. No crowds. No obsession of shopping and trying to out-do home decorations. The simplicity of our lifestyle here is all Iʻd ever want. We found out some great news while Andy conducted a monk seal survey on Saturday morning. He spotted the first Hawaiian monk seal pup that was recently born on this very Christmas Eve. Nui koʻu hauʻoli! Later in the evening, we had a nice Christmas Eve dinner (choke food) in which we became full quickly, leaving lots of leftovers for our dinner on Christmas Day. After some quick dishes, we opened our gifts that surrounded our “Christmas tree” which was a little, potted naupaka decorated with colorful pipe cleaners and two ornaments made by previous volunteers. Like I said, I just love the simplicity of our lifestyle. These small things go a long way. After opening gifts, we played a few fun games of “Bananagrams” and then we were back into our rooms, exhausted, by 9:30pm (8:30pm here). Christmas Day was just another cruise day. We had a light breakfast and watched “The Hunger Games.” During the movie, we had an unexpected surprise of hearing someone on the radio. The voice sounded Japanese, but weʻre unsure. Eryn responded, but she got no response in return. With binoculars, she went up on the roof of the camp house to see if there was anybody near by. There was no one in sight. Twenty minutes later, we heard the voice again. Weʻre still unsure of who, what, and where that person was calling from, but that brought some excitement on this Christmas Day. We all separated and went on our own ways for the rest of the day until it was time to eat dinner (leftovers from yesterday evening). It wasnʻt the typical festive Christmas, but I couldnʻt ask for more. I am absolutely contented with my current life. My love continues to deepen for my new friends of both and sea, my new ʻohana, and of course Hōlanikū. And although it may not snow here, we definitely had a white Christmas with the white wash out on the reefs, the sea spray filling the air, the overcast clouds, and of course our 35,000 glowing mōlī that surround us
:) I hope you all had a merry Christmas. Mele Kalikimaka iā kākou! Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “He māʻona moku” (A satisfaction with the land). Said of a person contented with what he has, as a chief is satisfied with his domain -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #807. I donʻt think I need to wehewehe about this ʻōlelo noʻeau that I chose for the week. I think itʻs pretty self-explanatory, especially if youʻve read my previous blogs. Piha wale kēia i ka hauʻoli
:)
Mahalo a nui no ka heluhelu ʻana. Mele Kalikimaka menpachiiiiiis
Naʻu,
Aulani
Aulani
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