Office of Mauna Kea Management News

April 30, 2013

Waiakea Intermediate School Student Anne Nakamoto
Wins 56th Hawai'i State Science & Engineering Fair

In a recent OMKM e-newsletter, we reported on Waiakea Intermediate School seventh grader Anne Nakamoto and her science fair project, "Two Bees or Not Two Bees..." That project, which was set on Mauna Kea, won many Hawaii Island science fair honors and was entered in the State Science and Technology Fair held on Oahu April 7-9. Following the state competition, Anne wrote the following letter to her advisors, UH Manoa research entomologist Dr. Jesse Eiben and OMKM Natural Resources Manager Fritz Klasner:

Dear Dr. Eiben and Mr. Klasner,

Thank you for all your support in helping me with this science fair project. I wouldn't have been so sucessful without your help! I recently participated in the Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair on Oahu at the Convention Center. I stood through three hours of judging (first round), and I was one of the fifteen or so projects selected to participate in second round judging for two and a half more hours.

All the time spent being judged paid off because I won 1st place in the junior division! I also won the Chamberlin trophy and got my name put on the plaque. I think it is now being displayed at my school, Waiakea Intermediate. I also won the 1st place Hawaiian Entomology Society award (the representative who judged me from that organization said that he knows Dr. Eiben), the Hawaii Audubon Society award that includes a book, plaque, and membership, and I also won best in my subject category which was Animal Sciences.

Again, thank you for your help with my science fair project!

-Anne

Interested In Helping To Restore Native Habitat on Mauna Kea?
OMKM's Looking For A Few Good Men and Women

Volunteer on Saturday, May 11 to help take care of Mauna Kea and restore the native habitat at the 9,500 foot elevation surrounding the visitor center at Hale Pohaku.

The Office of Mauna Kea Management's May volunteer effort will focus on continuing invasive plant removal and restoration at Hale Pohaku and in the silversword restoration area. The silversword, classified as an endangered species since 1986, is in the Asteracea or Sunflower Family. The Mauna Kea silversword is a member of the silversword alliance, a group of Hawaiian endemic plants that scientists believe all evolved from a single plant species which originated in North America several million years ago.

silversword

OMKM's long-term plans for this area include native plant restoration including the silversword and improved educational opportunities about these native ecosystems.

The day begins at 8 am in Hilo with transportation provided to the site.

At 9:00 am volunteers will get a project orientation and acclimate to the elevation change at Hale Pohaku.

The invasive weed pull and silversword planting is scheduled from ~9:30 am to 12 noon followed by lunch and refreshments. The luncheon speaker is USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge Jim Kauahikaua who will lead a discussion on Mauna Kea's geology.

volunteer!

Everyone should be back in Hilo by about 3:30 pm. For those volunteers coming from Kona, plan to head down the mountain about 2:30 pm.

This is a great opportunity to meet new people, get high above the clouds on Mauna Kea and lend a helping hand in managing the fragile ecosystem on the mountain.

Space is limited. Call Fritz Klasner at 808-756-6022 or email fklasner@hawaii.edu to sign up.

ABOUT

The Office of Mauna Kea Management

is charged with day-to-day management of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve as prescribed in the Master Plan. The adoption of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve Master Plan by the University of Hawaii Board of Regents in June 2000 marked a critical milestone in the management of Mauna Kea.

Meetings and public hearings spanning a period of nearly two years went into the formulation of the Master Plan, which established management guidelines for the next 20 years. The Master Plan reflected the community's deeply rooted concerns over the use of Mauna Kea, including respect for Hawaiian cultural beliefs, protection of environmentally sensitive habitat, recreational use of the mountain, and astronomy research.

It places the focus of responsibility with the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH). The UH-Hilo Chancellor established the Office of Mauna Kea Management and the Board of Regents established the Mauna Kea Management Board in the fall of 2000. The Mauna Kea Management Board in turn formed Kahu Ku Mauna, a council comprised of Hawaiian cultural resource persons to serve as advisors.

mauna kea OMKM Mission

To achieve harmony, balance and trust in the sustainable management and stewardship of Mauna Kea Science Reserve through community involvement and programs that protect, preserve and enhance the natural, cultural and recreational resources of Mauna Kea while providing a world-class center dedicated to education, research and astronomy.