The weather now is great, but the time of rough seas, heavy rain and high winds will soon be upon us -- the Makahiki Season in our islands. Get your yard and garden "erosion-proofed" before the heavy rains fall.
UH MG Coordinators are trying to make logging hours easier!
Check out this site to learn more about the Volunteer Management System that includes communication tools and online calendars to easily coordinate outreach events. Formal tutorials to be announced soon. Thank your for your patience while we implement this new system.
NEWS from around the STATE
NEWS FROM KAUA'I
Mokihana Melicope anisata
Basil Bonanza!
By Kim Perry & Ruth Montalbano
This summer, Kauai Master Gardeners were busy in the greenhouse, growing plants for our annual Plant Sale Fundraiser at the Kauai County Farm Fair. This year, we propagated over 2,000 herbs, vegetable starts, native and landscape plants. In addition to old favorites, we grew some exciting new varieties, including several unique varieties of basil.
Bee Keeping training for Master Gardeners on Oʻahu
by Jayme Grzebik, MG Coordinator Oʻahu
Thanks to the UH Bee Project, Dr. Ethel Villalobos and Scott Nikaido, beekeeping classes are being conducted at the UH Urban Garden Center in Pearl City. The beekeeping class started in July and will last approximately 6 months with group/class meetings once a month.
Plant Doctor classes have begun for Maui Master Gardeners. Certified Master Gardeners and Master Gardener interns are participating in a 7-week training to enhance their help desk skills.
Though the East Hawaii Master Gardeners tend to be a little less active during the summer months, we are not just sitting around watching the weeds grow. We held our annual meeting on June 25 at the recently reopened Nani Mau Gardens in Hilo.
One of the projects East Hawaiʻi Island Master Gardeners Association has been involved in this year is a gardening project at Ka Hale O Na Lima Aloha (Extended Care Center of Hilo Medical Center).
West Hawaii MGs collaborating with Big Island Invasive Species Committee
by Celeste Makrevis, West Hawaiʻi Master Gardener
West Hawaii Master Gardeners are collaborating with the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) in a pilot program to survey area nurseries for specific invasive plants and to educate nursery owners where invasive plants are found about the negative impact on our environment of these plants.
Can you help to improve water quality? YES you can!
Jody Smith, CTAHR NREM, and Jean Brokish, Oʻahu RC&D
By reducing compaction, you can manage the amount of water that seeps back into the soil, slowing surface runoff, replenishing our underground water supplies (aquifers), and sustaining our streams.
By reducing erosion, you can manage how clean water is when it exits your yard and enters a municipal stormwater system or a natural drainageway.
Incredible Native Plant Conference includes everything you need to know about native plants from how to legally collect, propagate, grow, maintain to designing with the native ecology in mind, featuring Hawaii's top native plant experts. Mention that youʻre a master gardener to receive the member rate. http://www.hawaiiscape.com/conference-registration/
