He Hana Luhi blog 23 & He Wā Hoʻomaha Blog #24

                                                                      Blog #23 He Hana Luhi#23 
                                                                     Pule 23 (3/5/17-3/11/17)

   Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. He hana hou kā mākou i mālama ai i kēia mau pule ʻelua, a he hana luhi nō ia. Ua paʻa mākou i ka ʻimi a me ka mālama ʻana i nā kakā i loaʻa i ka maʻi botulism. ʻAʻole mākou i hoʻokō i ka hana maʻamau. Ua lilo kēia mea i hana koʻikoʻi. ʻOkoʻa ka luhi o kēia ʻano hana. Ua hele a maʻi pū kēia wahi wahine ma muli o ka uluhua a me ka luhi. Minamina nō ka maʻi a me ka hala ʻana o kēia poʻe kakā. Ua nui nā mea i aʻo ʻia i kēia pule. Ma muli o kēia ʻano hana, ʻike au he mea nui ka mākaukau i nā ʻano hana like ʻole ke hele mai ka wā. 
   Howzit gangeh. My apologies again for sending another late blog. These past two weeks have been a bit chaotic. After hearing about situations that the past seasons encountered, I only hoped that the end of this season would go by smoothly. However, history has repeated itself and we ended up dealing with a case of botulism with the Laysan ducks. I wonʻt get into details because writing it all would require having to relive the chaos that we went through. And honestly, Iʻm just too exhausted. Iʻve mostly expressed my feelings in emails to my ʻohana and friends who have been the best support team. But Iʻll try to give you a little glimpse of the craziness that weʻve been going through as this season slowly comes to an end. 
   I know I say that the various tasks we do are exhausting, but this specific situation takes exhaustion to another level. Whatʻs worse than finding sick or dead ducks is not being able to find them at all. Brah, thereʻs nothing more frustrating than not being able to find what youʻre looking for. For two weeks, weʻve been searching for the Laysan ducks near water sources such as the seeps and guzzlers or in the areas where we found the sick or dead ones. Our usual and main task of spraying was put on hold and this botulism case became a main priority. Every day, we went throughout the island counting ducks in the morning, afternoon, and evening. We kept a record of who we did or didnʻt see, making them suspects of being the source of the outbreak. For example, we didnʻt see “Green J” (named by her band color and letter) for a few weeks. Assuming that she was dead, we needed to find her so we could possibly figure out the problem. There were no breaks during this situation. We found sick or dead ducks one after the other, meaning a duck always occupied the camp house. The most we had in the room at one time were three ducks. Just having one in there was enough, but three? Brah, so luhi! Each sick duck was brought back to the camp house. Botulism antitoxin was administered and they were also tube-fed and hydrated.  The dead ones were examined, recorded, and put in the freezer for further examination when we return to Honolulu. Part of the task of nursing a sick duck back to health is making sure the cages are exchanged and cleaned. Towels soiled in duck poop were hand washed in buckets and dried on the clothes line. Cages with duck poop all over it were cleaned, dried, and prepared for the next arrival. In addition to being very careful while handling the ducks, we also had to be courteous while in the camp house. Having ducks occupy the room meant absolute dead silence in the camp house. Words spoken were through whispers, which I barely understood. Sometimes I could only respond while a smile or a nod. Meals prepared required little sound to be made. It was as if we had to be on toes - not making a sound when walking through the camp house or just being ready and quick to move. When the room occupied more than one duck at a time, our dining table became another feeding, hydrating, and medicating station. This forced us to eat outside on the picnic table or on the side of the bunk house in the cold or in the hot sun. A meal isnʻt really enjoyed in absolute silence, especially for this crew ;P
   Our time these past two weeks were fully invested into managing this botulism case. It was very exhausting and I even stressed myself to sickness. The main thing I needed was rest. I only slept in for an extra hour one morning and then I was back in action. As exhausting as it was, I found that I couldnʻt just be idle in my room. Although my body and mind needed rest, I still felt a force pushing me to continue on with this specific task. Itʻs really our passion and dedication that enables us to progress and succeed. Aloha ʻāina is life! Here on Hōlanikū, we C.A.A.R.E!
                                                                                   
   Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “He hana maka ʻenaʻena” (A work that causes red, hot eyes). A task that requires so much work it deprives one of sleep -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #567 

Mahalo a nui no ka heluhelu ʻana. Shoots den menpachis

Naʻu,
Aulani



                                                              Blog #24 He Wā Hoʻomaha
                                                               Pule 24 (3/12/17-3/18/17)

   Aloha mai e nā maka heluhelu, nā ʻohana, a me nā hoa piha i ke aloha iā Hōlanikū. ʻAneʻane pau ko mākou noho ʻana i ʻaneʻi! Hoʻokahi wale nō pule i koe. Hauʻoli loa au i ka hiki ke hoʻolaha i ka loaʻa ʻole ʻana o nā kakā i maʻi a i ʻole make i kēia pule. Uihā! Ua hoʻokuʻu ʻia ke kakā hope i hoʻōla ʻia i kēia Lāpule. Nui koʻu hauʻoli i ka hiki ke hoʻomaha. ʻAʻohe hopohopo no ka manawa. I loko o koʻu makemake e nanea no ke koena o ko mākou nohona i ʻaneʻi, he pono nō ka mākaukau i nā hana hou. 
   Howzit kākou! Can you believe this is week 24 for us? We have only one week left! After a long, exhausting two weeks of the botulism case with the Laysan ducks, I am super happy to say that we havenʻt found any sick or dead ducks for a whole week! In addition to that, we also found one of the ducks that we havenʻt seen for weeks, crossing her out from the list of prime suspects of this botulism case. I donʻt want to speak too soon, but it feels so good to have some weight lifted off our shoulders. This week was soooo much better than the previous weeks. Although Iʻm still regaining some energy, this was a week of peace. No eating outside in the cold or the hot sun. No having to whisper or be as quiet as a mouse while in the camp house. No stressing myself to sickness. And finally, no struggling between completing our spray schedule and taking care of the ducks. 
   Although itʻs possible that we may have overcome this botulism case with the Laysan ducks (knock on wood), we also have a predator, an owl, thatʻs been taking out a few pākalakala (gray backed terns), leaving its victims along the runway or various treatment areas open for us to see. So far our experienced birder, RJ, hasnʻt seen it during his shorebird surveys or stake outs during the night. Hopefully weʻll be able to find it during our last nights here, but with the downpour weʻve been receiving these past couple of days.. I donʻt think Iʻd want to leave my warm bedroom. After two weeks of dedicating most of our time to taking care of the sick or dead ducks, we went back into action and “sprayed and slay-ed” some of the last treatment areas for the season. Because of the botulism situation, we fell behind on completing the spray scheduler. But it is what it is. We still do what we can. Rain or shine, we still go! Do I need to remind you that weʻre all hammahs?
   As tiring as itʻs been searching for the ducks every morning, afternoon, and evening, I grow to admire them even more during each encounter and observation, just as I do with the rest of the birds here. Iʻve seen the full cycle of life and death among our many hoa manu. In this case, Iʻve also witnessed the restoration of life. I learn something new every day. Throughout my experience on Hōlanikū, I realized how precious life and time is. Like Iʻve mentioned previously, this has been my time to learn, to change, and to grow. As Iʻve experienced the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly, Iʻve still encountered love daily. Living here has reinforced my love for the land, love for all beings, and most importantly, love for my life! 
  Well, there it is gangeh. Itʻs been a tough few weeks as we come to the end of this Winter season. Itʻs definitely taken a toll on me both physically and mentally. Despite it all, the experience is still rewarding. Unity, perseverance, and compassion are what drives us to succeed and finish off strong. With great effort, weʻve finally come to see light in this dark situation with the botulism case. Now that weʻve had some time to rest, itʻs time we geeve ʻum! So here we go. Down to our last week. Heavy. This is the time to gain as much ʻike, complete the last of our tasks, and most of all, enjoy the time we have left here on Hōlanikū. 
   Eia ka ʻōlelo noʻeau o kēia pule: “He pō walea, he ao walea i ka laʻi” (A night enjoyed, a day enjoyed in the calm). Peace brings undisturbed nights and days -Ka Puke ʻŌlelo Noʻeau a Pākuʻi #917 

Mahalo no ka heluhelu ʻana. A hui hou a i kēia pule aʻe. Shoots den menpachis

Naʻu,
Aulani