E Mau Nā Ala Hele
Upcoming Events & News
Oct. 15, 2011: Lā Ho`āla Ala Hele at Kalōpā State Park
In celebration of Lā Ho`āla Ala Hele (Debbie’s translation: “Day to
Awaken Trails”), 12 volunteers braved the heavy rain to clear  
weeds from the Nature Loop Trail in Kalōpā State Recreation Area.
At first, it looked like Mother Nature was against us. Rain was
coming down in sheets forming rivulets along the road edges. We
persevered and soon the rain subsided allowing the sun to peek
through the clouds by mid-day. Because the ground was soaked it
was easier to pull out the main offender, a weed that looks like
False Mallow (Malvastrum coromendelianum). As Quentin Tomich
so aptly states in his book, “Perspectives on Hamakua History:
Ramblings through An Ancient Land Division of Hawaii Island”:
While we sleep in, the weeds keep on growing. This was a fatal day
for many weeds!
Photo: David Stubbs
Beneath the forest canopy we admired the abundant kōpiko and kōlea trees; spotted the occasional pilo, hame
and pāpala kēpau; the delicate ferns, and witnessed the strangler fig, living up to its name. To think this area
could have become sugar cane field, had it not been for the vision and perseverance of long-time residents of
Hāmākua who argued that the area would best be saved for park use and native forest protection.  Read about
how close we came to not having a park in the 1950s and ‘60s in Quentin’s book.
L to R: Barbara Schaefer, Becky Hallford, Kathleen Johnson, John
Kloppenborg, Martha Tumbleson, Frank Dickinson, Keith Wallis,
Alison Martyn, Linda Gallano, Debbie Chang and Mike Crosson  
E MAU NEWS
Annual Meeting at Spencer Park Pavilion at ʻŌhaiʻula
Beach, January 29, 2012
After reviewing the activities of the past year and ongoing projects, the
membership ratified the officers for 2012: President, Frank Dickinson;
Vice-President, Toni Thomson; Treasurer, Clare Wilson; and Secretary,
Alison Martyn. The other members of the Board of Directors for 2012
are Deborah Chang, Barbara Schaefer, Martha Tumbleson, and Keith
Wallis. Aric Arakaki, Superintendent of the Ala Kahakai National
Historic Trail (AKNHT), described the many activities that are
underway to establish the trail system. After the annual meeting, the
group hiked from the anchialine pond preserve in Waikoloa Resort to
Honokaʻope Bay in Mauna Lani Resort to experience the current
conditions of the coastal trail.
Incoming President Frank Dickinson and
outgoing President Debbie Chang
E MAU Receives $1,000 Young
Brothers, Ltd. Grant
Checks were awarded at an August 15,
2012 ceremony at Tutu’s House in
Waimea. 40 different organizations were
awarded $1,000 grants to support
various grassroots efforts ranging from
adult literacy, school supplies, youth
leadership, performing arts, and many
other worthy charitable efforts.

E Mau’s grant will be used to purchase
special firefighter backpacks that will be
used to water  native and endangered
plantings in the sanctuaries in Pu`u
Wa`awa`a, North Kona. Without
irrigation the young plants are very
vulnerable in this drought-prone area. E
Mau volunteers are working with the state
to help restore the rare dryland forest
there. Mahalo nui loa to Young Brothers
for their generosity!
Happy grant recipients. Glenn Hong, President & CEO of Young Brothers, Ltd., second
from the left, back row.   Representing E Mau are Barbara Schaefer's eyebrows, about 10th
from the left.  Impressive work being done by  hard-working, community-minded people!
National Trails Day, June 3, 2012
Intrepid hikers celebrating National Trails Day on the
June 3rd E Mau hike were rewarded with the view of a
nesting Hawaiian stilt, āe‘o, and her nearby mate.
Pu`u Wa`awa`a Work Day July 22, 2012
On July 22nd, about two dozen volunteers met at the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a
kiosk to dedicate a plaque commemorating the groups responsible
for making the kiosk possible. The brass plaque installed in the
kiosk display reads, “This Informational Kiosk and Meeting Place
was made possible through the efforts of E Mau Nā Ala Hele and
the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of
Forestry and Wildlife with generous grants from The Hawai‘i
Tourism Authority and the American Hiking Society.” The group
weeded the area and did general cleanup. Next we journeyed to the
old protea farm where we out-planted native plants, watered
previous plantings, weed-whacked, and collected old irrigation lines
that littered the area. The morning’s work was followed by the
usual potluck lunch (complete with protea centerpiece on the table)
and an afternoon hike lead by PWW Coordinator, Elliott Parsons,
along a newly opened trail at the top of the pu‘u through an area of
previous out-plantings. It was especially rewarding to see the very
successful results of previous years’ work.
E Mau Workday on the Puna Trail  
On October 20, twenty-seven volunteers from the
Kona Hiking Club and E Mau Nā Ala Hele turned out
to observe Lā Ho`āla Ala Hele (“Trail Revitalization
Day”) and to kōkua in the effort to improve Puna
Trail conditions from Kaloli to Kea`au Beach. Mahalo
nui to all who participated!
People came from nearly all districts of the island (as well as  
from Colorado) to clean the new parking lot at the trail head.
Photo by Ronal Kerbo
Hike 2.5 miles to the beach (trimming vegetation and
picking up trash along the way). Photo by Frank Dickinson
Nature treated us to beautiful weather, a monk seal (above)
and honu (left) at the beach. Photos by  Frank Dickinson