Newsletter - Environmental Justice Kekaha Programs

We end this week celebrating our Environmental Justice Kekaha programs! In this spirit of gratitude, we extend our appreciation to Kumu Keao NeSmith, Ben Owen, Dion Dekkar, Ke Kula Niihau School (led by Tia Koerte and her teachers), Methodist Church, St. Theresa School (Wendy Castillo and her teachers), Kekaha Hawaiian Homestead Association, the numerous volunteers, and parents and children participating in the environmental justice workshops and programs. We reserve a special recognition for Anna Baudouin,  our very first staff member and Director of Programs and Engagement, whose unwavering dedication to our community brought these programs to fruition. Anna Baudouin, Director of Programs & Engagement Recently, Anna successfully concluded the final installment of a series of workshops for 5th and 6th-grade students from Ke Kula. This workshop focused on sparking the imagination of our youth through vision and design and transforming degraded lands into productive landscapes. Dion Dekkar, a globally renowned architect and designer, led the students through applying Artificial Intelligence (AI). The children delved into the role of an architect, gaining insights into the design process - from understanding the client's needs to sketching and creating 3D designs using AI technology. Dion also illustrated how the children's ideas and sketches influenced his site map presentation, incorporating AI-generated elements. What other EJ Workshops happened this year? This workshop represents just one of many held over the past two years, providing young minds a meaningful platform to explore environmental justice work here in Kekaha. Other events include the Methodist Church garden box workshop to inspire vegetable gardening at home. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Compost Kauai for providing soil, Brayden Munar for constructing the boxes, and Sean Andrade, Kaunalewa President, for donating starters from home. We hope these programs inspire other groups interested in implementing garden boxes for their church, school, or home. Sean Andrade & Brayden Munar fill a newly built garden box. Other workshops included in-classroom lessons at St. Theresa School on the basic concepts of environmental engineering and field work site assessment and testing at Puu Opae, both led by Ben Owen.  Also, a lesson on Pilina and the history and culture of the Moku Kona was led by our very own Kumu Keao NeSmith, who provided this lesson in the Niihauan language to Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha students and teachers.  STS students do an exercise in incremental sampling and probability. KKNOK students learn a mele with Kumu Keao NeSmith. KKNOK students in the field performing incremental sampling for Puu Opae Farm. FIND OUT MORE Learning Center What is a Brownfield? It’s a place or piece of land that might be tricky to change, rebuild, or use again because there could be chemicals or pollution there. What is Environmental Justice? Environmental justice is about making sure everyone gets treated fairly when it comes to the environment, regardless of where they live or their income. Upcoming Events Community Meeting November 1, 2023 Kekaha Neighborhood Center More info to come. Community Clean Up TBD Additional Reading & Resources Modern Farmer “How to get rid of fruit flies” Nature Conservancy “50 Fish 50 States: Bartram’s Bass” Yale E360 “As As Ocean Oxygen Levels Dip, Fish Face an Uncertain Future” New York Times - “A new court settlement will put the Environmental Protection Agency on track to regulate pesticides more tightly. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* *{{Unsubscribe}}* Privacy Policy