Papa ʻElima went on a journey of learning today on huakaʻi! The haumāna learned about the wai and followed the source from Peʻepeʻe falls all the way down to the mouth of the Wailuku River. At Peʻepeʻe, Anakala John from the DLNR shared his ʻike about why the streams are so important, how rain contributes to keep our streams thriving, & what the indigenous stream creatures need to survive. The students also took part in a practice session for Makahiki with Mrs. Lee. We ended our time at this wahi pana by keiki alakaʻi sharing their manaʻo on the special place through a talk show format! They shared ancient legends of how Boiling Pots got its name with Maui calling upon Pele for kōkua. Some contemporary information on the height of the falls…approximately 12 Yao Mings (NBA basketball player) standing on each other. What a creative personal connection!
We then travelled down stream to Rainbow Falls where Anakala John shared the unique abilities of the indigenous stream life. Can you imagine, an oʻopu is designed to climb up Rainbow Falls? More student alakaʻi presented their learning with a reenactment of the epic battle between Maui and Moʻokuna! The moʻo, who was constantly trying to harm Hina, lost his battle to Maui…Manaʻo nui: Haumāna, Take care of your mother! :).
Following the source, we “flowed” down to the mouth of Wailuku River…where the wai meets the kai! Anakala John shared how invasive species impact our streams negatively. Do you know how mosquito fish (which is invasive) got its name? Plantations brought in those fish to eat the mosquitoes which were a huge problem back in the day! We also learned what is happening to the stream when we see brown water! Ewww! Also learned about Kaipalaoa too!
A great day of learning as we prepare for Makawalu 2018! Mahalo to Anakala John & all the Specials Kumu who joined us to teach and learn in our outdoor classroom! What a way to spend a great day!
Take a look of our day by clicking on the video…and “dive” into our huakaʻi! Enjoy!