October 31 2014  Same Canoe Newsletter  Hawaii Island vol. 31

All Hallows Eve, Green Think Tours,  Solar Energy, One Island Tool Shed Supplies
 Upcoming Green School Classes 
One Island News
Green School Classes
Tool Shed Online Supplies
Inspiration From the Road
Green Think Tours
Solar Power

 

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As  The Green School grows to embrace
all ages of learners, here is a preview of what is coming up:
 

2015 holds some great food and garden learning activities that will be hosted by One Island's Green School with special guest instructors. We'll host a Bio-Char soil amendment workshop, a build your own Pollinator Habitat workshop, and a new Myco-Remediation class

(using mushroom mycelium to regenerate our soils).

 

We are sharing methods that reclaim our local food system from deep in the soil up to the hovering butterflies and bees that pollinate our crops.


 Visit our
Green Tool Shed
 

Wow, after a year of following this exciting new product develop through a dynamic Kickstarter campaign, our Go Sun Sport oven finally arrived!

 

We immediately whipped up a tasty lasagna that not only cooked easily, but held its heat even when clouds came over. We've also tried baking a yummy banana bread and encourage others to try this great product out.

 
The lightweight, compact and versatile solar cooker uses curved reflective panels to heat the ingredients that are held in a steel tray. The steel tray is inserted into a thermal vacuum tube that insulates the cooking food from temperature and light changes - it keeps on cooking even in Hawaii's variable cloudy weather.
 
It's a winner!

 

Visit the One Island Tool Shed for this and more 

Green Think products

Inspired Life 
Finding working, replicable models for sustainability education and action is one of One Island's research goals.

In 2014 we've visited farms, ag/economic development, food coop, affordable housing and cultural programs on the west coast. Here are a few more inspirational sites with concepts that could be translated for Hawaii.


Food Co-ops

 

In February, we visited the new Orcas Island Food Coop (then under construction) and were impressed that with a year round island population around 5,000 people, the Co-op had a pre-opening membership sign up of 200 families. Remote island living is great inspiration for banding together to find lower cost, reliable food security.

Farmer Training

October saw One Island on the road meeting with more sister sites in California. Here is a great find:
 at UC Santa Cruz.


CASFS  is dedicated to increasing ecological sustainability and social justice in the food system, while creating the next generation of leaders in sustainable agriculture.


Their Apprenticeship Program offers an exceptional opportunity to live and learn on the land. Pictured are 4-unit tent cabins for the student workers.

  

  All Hallows Eve

 

Halloween is an age-old time of the year for flirting with our mortality as a common denominator of human life. Looking Death in the face is a challenge for everyone. We each grapple with how to face the door into the unknown and how best to hold the passing of those who leave before us.

 

Across many cultures, this time of year is celebrated as a reflection upon the bridge between life and the mysterious beyond. Some cultures honor beloved ancestors and heroes by celebrating the lives of recently lost family members, religious saints, and cultural leaders across the generations.

 

 

For other cultures, like ours in America, Halloween, and its ancient
and later Christian origins in Samhain and All Hallows Eve, is layered with potent human behavior lessons on our life values and daily choices. Sinner or Saint? Angel or Demon? Green Witch or Black?

 

Through metaphors of frightening, ghoulish monsters, vampires and zombies we are reminded of the dangers that may lurk with in any human heart. From Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, the contrasting dimensions of human behavior - dark and light - are revealed in our best frightening tales and scary costumes this time of the year. And a little jolly pumpkin humor is always a

welcome antidote.   

 

Happy Halloween and Days of the Dead

  

 

Green Think Tours

 

Green Living Innovation Discoveries, second Sunday afternoons starting in January, fascinating tour locations with a fun culinary experience. If you know of a green built project on the Island of Hawaii that would be valuable to visit, or a special film or speaker, lets us know as we have event openings for April-June.


Bamboo Structure The Light Wave

Bamboo Building

Holualoa, January 11th

 

First Stop: We'll be touring the breathtaking Lightwave bamboo structure in Holualoa on January 11th, and also invite you to sign up for a new, in-depth, bamboo building workshop series with a variety of top instructors (details in next newsletter).

Second Sunday, 2-4pm. (bamboo and lexan pavilion shown)

 

 


The Algood Farm 

Hawi, February 8th

 

Second stop: Multiple green built materials and structures grace 32 acres at The Algood Farm. The designer/ owners describe their farmstead as "a sustainable oasis on the northern tip of the island. Our buildings are made of environmentally friendly materials and we create all our own electric energy. We raise organic chickens, bananas, herbs and vegetables and have planted over 500 coconut and other trees on our land." The ocean and Maui-view farm uses interior and exterior natural and green materials in some very exciting ways.

Second Sunday of February, 2-4pm. (clay walls and bamboo structure shown)

 
 

Hi'ilani EcoHouse

Honoka'a, March 8th 

 

Third Stop: The stunning Hi'ilani EcoHouse is our tour site on March 8th  in Honoka'a. Built by two sustainability-minded couples who joined forces with an inventive designer and special green building material manufacturers to conceive and build this dramatic perch overlooking the Pacific. This 4,000 square foot carbon-neutral home is worth a journey from around the island to see its innovative materials, structural design, interior finishing, energy efficiency, and green living concepts. Plus we have a culinary experience to share!

See the Hi'ilani web site for more details about the house.

Second Sunday of March, 2-4pm.

 

 

 

Watch future One Island newsletters for details and local foods tie-ins on these Second Sundays family-friendly events. Green Think tours are co-sponsored by the Kona and Kohala Green School.

  

Got Solar? 
 
Solar News
One Island recommends looking into the Pure Energies net-metered solar program that will lower your monthly electric costs to less than half of HELCO's current rates. Plus, they lock-in the price for years to come.  

  

 

As HELCO's rates inevitably rise, yours remain

at about $.20 a KwH.

 

This is a nationwide program with proven results. Plus we have a local on-island representative, Susan Cox, a.k.a. Green Power Girl, ready to help you learn more about this great cost saving technology.

 

Green Think in Action!

 

Email h[email protected] to learn more