It was July 10, 1996. Leslie Doe heard a large SWOOMP! – and instantly recognized it as the sound of volatile fuel exploding. Outside, the glow from a huge ball of flame radiated from the neighboring property on Puhawai Road … Continued
For five years, the state Department of Health has been going after the operator of an illegal dump in Wai`anae. There’s no mystery as to the responsible party. There’s no lack of evidence. On occasions too numerous to count, the … Continued
Restoring Hawai`i’s Plants, Backyard by Backyard A Kaua`i man called me the other day after reading an article I’d written on forest birds. Some wedgetail shearwaters were nesting near his coastal home, and he wanted to tell me about them. … Continued
The role of the City and County of Honolulu in the evolution of the dump at Puhawai Road can be tracked on a single printout from its new computer system. The city’s Department of Public Works issued David Souza three … Continued
Anonymous callers have complained for years about dust emanating from David Souza’s property. However, with the exception of one instance in September 1998, whenever the Department of Health’s Clean Air Branch inspectors drive out to visit, they find nothing. On … Continued
California Longline Vessels May Face Suit Over Turtle Catches in North Pacific Owners of longline vessels in Hawai`i as well as their crews have loudly protested what they say is the injustice of U.S. District Judge David Ezra’s ruling that … Continued
Progress at Pu`u Huluhulu Kipuka Pu`u Huluhulu is a lush, large hill surrounded by lava from the two volcanoes it lies between, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island. It protrudes from the flat plain around the Saddle … Continued
“The reality is, Pu`uwa`awa`a is the last remnant of a unique system chewed to death by cattle,” Hilo attorney Christopher Yuen told the state Board of Land and Natural Resources. “The state has transformed the richest, most diverse forest into … Continued
Almost a century ago, botanist Joseph Rock rejoiced in the astounding diversity of plants and animals at Pu’uwa’awa’a. It was, he wrote, “the richest floral section of any in the whole Territory.” In 1932, C.S. Judd was still able to … Continued
Silk oak, also called silver oak or he oak, is not native to Hawai`i – and it’s not an oak at all. More formally known as Grevillea robusta, it is an import from Australia. But you’d never know that to … Continued