Written by Hawai’i Students, Izzy and Abby
On Sunday March 12th, we arrived at the Hawaiian Island Land Trust campsite in Waihe’e. We took some time to get in the water and watch the sunset after our arrival.
Monday morning, we weeded with Demby in preparation for planting later in the week. In the afternoon, we got a tour of the land with Scott Fisher to learn more about where we were staying. Tuesday, we had a rest day for lounging on the beach and reading our books while we had a food run that day. We also had an extra special treat Krispy Kreme doughnuts (the only one in Hawai’i). We were visited by Jeff’s peacocks that typically wander the property.
Wednesday was Jaidan’s birthday and another rest day. We had an early start and went to Baldwin Beach. We got the chance to walk around Kihei and go shopping before getting Indian cuisine for dinner where we shared great curry. Jaidan had also received rice pudding in honor of his birthday. When we finished with full bellies, we ran to go see the sunset. Lastly, Jaidan had also bought a gold jazzercise outfit and had worn it all through dinner and the sunset.
On Thursday, we had an 1.5-hour drive along with views of the Island of Hawai’i and the ocean to meet Scott Fisher again in Nu’u. We planted native milo and hala. After all our work, we took a dip in the ocean and stopped for shaved ice on the way back to our campsite.
Friday was a big work day for all of us. We got to planting hala and weeding for more planting. We also worked to get invasive weeds off trees. Some members of the group went salsa dancing later that night. On Saturday, we drove over to Uncle George’s for some intense mulching of the terra plants, feeding the animals, picking our own salads and flowers, and we had eaten a chicken in a soup that was killed that morning. ‘Uncle George’s feral chicken soup’. We had time for wifi and time to walk around Kihei as well. The last day at HILT, most of the group went on a gorgeous hike in the morning before it got too hot.
Our Top Three Highlights of the Week:
🐑 While at Uncle George’s, everyone got to hold a day old baby lamb. We also got to learn so much from Scott Fisher.
🎂 Jaidan’s birthday was a huge highlight, especially him in the gold jazzercise outfit.
🏆 We got to hold Uncle George’s Grammy’s; one was won by him in 1995 and the other was won in 2009.
But transformation always comes with opportunities for growth: What were our main challenges this week?
We all were challenged by weeding and the sun. The heat toke a huge toll on the group and caused some off days for everyone.
How we’re bonding as a group: The group, a majority of the time, gets a long and whenever there’s an issue, we all talk about it. We all like playing card games, especially president, speed and spit.
Until next time! ❤️ Spring 2023 Hawai’i Semester
