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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0856.006 2020-2022 Ka'ahahui 'o Ka Nahelehele P.O. Box 2933, Kamuela H1, 743" �'`i�.;J!'1P_i7f`!tl7C77'y tl�les'-c-t-rjt - {t':E' i,•,afrr'FYif `�j1UI-�`1��e7'�t?s75 - Treo-surep Sally f-Ftzve Morion Chmc Suscin r crstef? P'n Lawson L iso tlf dir lcry Spain Pet, Terry Jill Vlagr -y .. July 18,2022 Hawaii County Council Committee on Finance Via email to: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov rQ Support for Resolution No.449 22 1-4 Dear Hawaii County Council Committee on Finance, 1 am writing on behalf of Ka'ahahui 'o Ka Nahelehele in support of County Resolution No.449 22 to provide much needed PONC maintenance funding for the Friends of Amy B. H.Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden. The requested funds by the Friends will help this beloved natural and cultural community resource achieve its full potential. Ka'ahahui'o Ka Nahelehele's mission includes advocating for the perpetuation of Hawaii's extremely threatened dry forest ecosystem. Nahelehele believes integrating education,cultural programs,and science builds healthier connections between Hawaii's people and its native flora,similar to the Friends'mission. The Friends and this ethnobotanical garden provide an invaluable role in connecting kama'aina and tourists alike to Hawaii's native flora and cultural uses, including dry forest species. This community gem draws hundreds of people to it weekly, and has much potential to do even more with the requested PONC funding. Volunteers have done an amazing job keeping up with basic maintenance and weeding these past years,but additional resources are needed to properly conserve what is there. The proposed GIS mapping and labelling project will update garden records and make them more widely available to scientists,students and others interested in native plants.The proposed additional fencing is much needed to protect the Garden's plants and trees,especially those that are Threatened and Endangered,from being damaged or destroyed by feral pigs. One of the Garden's long-term strengths has been connecting plants and people,such as through its garden tours, native plant sales and the recent Roots and Shoots project which provided'ulu(breadfruit)plants to hundreds of kama'aina families in support of food security. The Garden's educational and cultural programs help people understand and augment the role of plants in their lives. Over the years,the Garden's Grow Hawaiian Festival provided information to thousands of people about growing and using native plants,and about the cultural connections between native plants and kanaka maoli. Restoring and re-purposing Amy Greenwell's original home as a multipurpose educational building will augment its educational programs and complement the existing Visitors Center by creating a new space for children's activities,for visiting students and researchers,and for presentations and meetings. Ka'ahahui'o Ka Nahelehele urges Hawai'i County to support the Friends of Amy B. H.Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden request for funds to maintain,enhance and preserve the Garden. Dedicated volunteers have worked hard to keep the Garden as a publicly available resource. It is a vital part of our community. Please help the Friends keep it that way. Sincerely, I vt c<tr rrt 1 J Mary Metcalf President, Ka'ahahui'o Ka Nahelehele Comm. No. Ref.To: p Ref. Dalle 2022