‘ELE‘ELE — The students were concerned when they saw the “graffiti” that appeared one day on the ‘Ele‘ele School hula mound, said Abby Santos of No Ka Oi Landscape Services. That was the initial steps in the sewer project currently
‘ELE‘ELE — The students were concerned when they saw the “graffiti” that appeared one day on the ‘Ele‘ele School hula mound, said Abby Santos of No Ka Oi Landscape Services.
That was the initial steps in the sewer project currently taking place at ‘Ele‘ele School.
“We have a lot of things going on here,” said Aunty Janet Kahalekomo, the kupuna at ‘Ele‘ele School. “The sewer project is going on, they’re trying to install new playground equipment in the upper part of the school. Everything is fenced off and this is about the only place where the kids can play.”
Santos and about 25 volunteers showed up Wednesday, coinciding with Earth Day as well as Professional Landcare Network Day of Service, to restore the hula mound in time for the school’s annual May Day service, coming up May 22 starting at 8:30 a.m.
The Planet Day of Service was created by the lawn and landscape industry to draw attention to the importance of green spaces and allow its members to organize volunteer projects in their communities as well as be a part of a nationwide effort.
It coincides with April being National Lawn Care Month. National Arbor Day and Earth Day are also celebrated each April.
“Frank is an alumnus of ‘Ele‘ele School and about 10 of the volunteers have children or grandchildren attending ‘Ele‘ele School, so getting workers to do this project was not a problem,” Abby said. “But all of this would not have happened if we hadn’t run into Aunty Janet at a funeral.”
Abby said she and her husband Frank had wanted to do this project for a long time but somehow it eluded them until they ran into Kahalekomo who reacted like it was a dream come true.
“Tears was coming down my eyes, I was so overwhelmed,” Kahalekomo said. “I couldn’t say anything.”
As the workers laid out the different plants, irrigation lines and other supplies for the restoration, children would file by as they made their way to the school library or cafeteria.
“It’s so cute,” Kahalekomo said. “When the children file past, they call out to the workers ‘That’s my dad’ or ‘Hi uncle.’”
Abby said the Ho‘ola Ka Pu‘u project, or hula mound restoration, could not happen without the help of other businesses in the community as well.
The kupukupu fern that grace the lower tier of the mound was provided by Kaua‘i Lagoons, and the native plants that form the borders of the mound were provided by the Kaua‘i Community College and Goodfellow Brothers, the contractor for the sewer project at the school, provided the topsoil, Abby said.
In addition to restoring the hula mound, No Ka Oi planted in a native plant garden, and Kahalekomo said there are plans for the volunteers to clear the path down the hill leading to Hanapepe.
“It’s so overgrown, the children come to school wet when it rains and the water from the overgrowth falls on them,” she said.
Kahalekomo was so excited she was like a little girl, flitting from the different work areas and clapping her hands in glee.
“I’m getting something I always wanted for the school,” Kahalekomo said. “There’s a lehua tree they’re planting. And I have a lauhala plant, and there’s moa. We weave hala and the children don’t want to just see a picture in a book. Having a real plant growing here where we can pick the leaves has more meaning for them.”
Kahalekomo said she and some of the janitors would sit under the tree after school and wonder what they would do with May Day right around the corner.
After learning about the restoration project, Kahalekomo told the janitors, “Uncle, tonight we can sleep.”
•Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
