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Home My WebLink About2020 Konahiki Ohana 6-Month Progress Report Jan - June 2020, O'oma Beach, N. Kona TMK No.: (3) 7-3-009:004 Kohanaiki ‘Ohana is a 501(c)(3) Hawai‘i Non Profit Corporation ~ Established in 1991 ~ Federal I.D. #99-0316054 1 MĀLAMA O’OMA PONC STEWARDSHIP GRANT 6-MONTH PROGRESS REPORT SUBMITTED SEPTEMBER 2020 RESOLUTION # 385-19 CONTRACT # C. 008221. TOTAL GRANT AWARD AMOUNT = $21,680.00 6 – MONTH PROGRESS REPORT FOR PERIOD: JANUARY 2020 – JUNE 2020 (The first installment of $10,840.00 for the Mālama O’oma Project was received in early 2020. To implement and adhere to the approved timeline for a calendar year, the project work was started in January 2020 and will continue through the remainder of the year.) The following report contains a detailed summary of the: Timeline Goals and Accomplishments Grant Funds Expended to Date Dates, Check Numbers, Vendors and Total Amount Expended Photos of Work and Accomplishments Brochure MĀLAMA O’OMA STEWARDSHIP GRANT – PONC MAINTENANCE FUND 6 Month Progress Report – January - June 2020 2 TIMELINE GOALS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS 6-MONTH PROGRESS REPORT January – June 2020 MONITOR MAIAPILO, PRUNE BACK BRANCHES AND REMOVE INVASIVES Maiapilo, both the established individuals as well as the recently planted individuals which were propagated at our nursery, are thriving along the O'oma coastline. Some areas remain too thick of heliotrope and keawe to monitor. Additional small maiapilo plants are regularly discovered as the invasive plants are removed. Great care is taken when pruning the understory to identify additional plants. Invasive species are carefully pruned off of maiapilo. Heliotrope trees seem to harbor most young maiapilo found at the beach park in their understory. Soil building leaves, shade, water retention, and wind protection make heliotrope an “umbrella species”, making an ideal habitat for young maiapilo. Any maiapilo already in the sun have invasive species removed around them within a distance of 2-3 feet. Small berms and stacked rocks have been placed around maiapilo plants that are exposed to vehicle traffic for protection. 'Ohana work crews with assistance from County Parks and Recreation personnel cut and removed invasives from the 'O'oma Shoreline. During the first quarter students from Innovations Public Charter School and West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA) weeded around native plants, participated in beach clean-up activities and planted native ground covers, shrubs and trees. During the second quarter, COVID-19 restricted the students from helping at 'O'oma; hovever, Kohanaiki 'Ohana volunteers and parents were able to continue to visit the site for maintenance. While the beach was closed to the public, we were able to continue to maintain and expand planting areas. HYLAEUS BEE IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOPS AND MONITORING Mason Myrmo, O’oma Project Coordinator, taught a workshop on Hylaeus Bee identification and ecology with both Innovations and WHEA students at the project site. Students were able to walk the shoreline and identify the bees and their habitat. Activities included Hylaeus bee count surveys, photo identification, photo uploads, invasive ant control and native host plant guide in collaboration with Bishop Museum Pollinators in Paradise Program. MĀLAMA O’OMA STEWARDSHIP GRANT – PONC MAINTENANCE FUND 6 Month Progress Report – January - June 2020 3 PROPAGATE NATIVE COASTAL PLANTS WITH STUDENTS IN NURSERY During the 1st Quarter of 2020, Innovations Public Charter School students helped Mason and Kohanaiki 'Ohana volunteers to propagate native coastal plants within the nursery. As plants reach a certain level of maturity students helped prepare areas at the 'O'oma project site for out-planting. During the 2nd Quarter of 2020, COVID-19 prevented student volunteers from working in the nursery, but Kohanaiki 'Ohana volunteers continued to participate in nursery maintenance and propagation. PREP COASTAL AREA FOR OUT-PLANTING, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL Prepping areas for out-planting continues with students and volunteer help. These plantings will help restore and enhance the native ecosystem, maintain the beach crest and mitigate the effects of future high surf, and rising sea level that is depleting beach sand all over coastlines in Hawaii. As was the case for propagation, COVID-19 presented some challenges for volunteer help, but Mason Myrmo was given permission to continue to access the O’oma shoreline to work while the beach park area was closed to the public. EXPAND PRUNING OF INVASIVE SPECIES WITH VOLUNTEER WORK GROUPS Project coordinator has worked to keep the under-story pruned for shade and recreational use of beach park goers. Care is also taken in pruning to enhance visibility of driving cars to see pedestrians and vice versa. Invasive species are regularly removed from active areas. Some areas have been cleared of invasive and selected for native plant restoration. Although student and community volunteers have contributed 100’s of hours of help, COVID- 19 issues have minimized the anticipated number of hours originally projected. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES Additional activities include Beach Clean-ups, Native plant surveys, identification and propagation, Hylaeus bee monitoring, removal of invasive species, trimming under-story of beach Heliotrope, hauling green waste and raking pathways, building passive rock barriers around native plants close to beach roads MĀLAMA O’OMA STEWARDSHIP GRANT – PONC MAINTENANCE FUND 6 Month Progress Report – January - June 2020 4 COUNTY GRANT FUNDS EXPENDED TO DATE: LINE ITEM TOTAL REQUESTED FROM COUNTY TOTAL EXPENDED THROUGH 6. 2020 MAINTENANCE Field Tools $1,000 Coordinator truck use and fuel $480 240 Signage materials and installment $800 NURSERY Soil Amendment $3,000 100.52 Irrigation – Weed Mat $1,400 Acquire Native Plants $3,000 MISCELLANEOUS Contract Labor $12,000 $6,000 TOTALS: $21,680 $6,340.52 SPENT THROUGH JUNE MĀLAMA O’OMA STEWARDSHIP GRANT – PONC MAINTENANCE FUND 6 Month Progress Report – January - June 2020 5 ITEMIZED CHECKS DATE VENDOR CHECK # AMOUNT PURPOSE 3.30.20 Mason Myrmo 2840 3,000.00 Labor - Jan/Feb/March 5.7.20 Mason Myrmo 2850 1,000.00 Labor - April 6.8.20 Farm and Garden 2847 100.52 Soil Amendment 7.11.20 Mason Myrmo 2865 2,000.00 Labor – May/June 7.15.20 Mason Myrmo 2868 240.00 Reimburse Car/Gas thru June $6,340.52 TOTAL SPENT THROUGH JUNE 2020 Beach Clean Up PONC Public Access Open Space Natural Resource Preservation Fund Malama O’oma Community Members Participate in Malama O’oma Day In 2013 the County of Hawai’i purchased 325 acres of land along the O’oma Shoreline with the Public Access Open Space Natural Resource Preservation Fund (PONC). Malama O’oma is a project of the Kohanaiki ‘Ohana and funded in part by a grant from the PONC Maintenance Fund. O’oma Coastal Park Our goal is to protect and restore the unique habitat at O’oma KOHANAIKI ‘OHANA P.O. Box 4753 Kailua-Kona 96745 808-960-2805 - 808-938-3580 A Stewardship Project Of The Kohanaiki ‘Ohana Acquired with County Public Access Open Space and Natural Resource Preservation Fund and protected in it’s natural state in perpetuity for the people of Hawai’i Local Schools Help Keep the Beach Clean HABITAT RESTORATION Re-planting of native species and removing non-natives will help restore the fragile coastal habitat. The Loulu Palms were once abundant along the West Hawai’i coastline. Naio, False Sandalwood has a sweet fragrance and is a host for the Hylaeus Bee. Maiapilo is a rare shrub with a beautiful fragrant flower that attracts the Hylaeus Bee. Hawaiian Fimbry, a rare, tiny sedge grass is found in the dry coastal habitat at O’oma. SHORELINE PRESERVATION Dwarf Coconut trees have strong roots, grow short and stout and are easy to maintain. Hala Trees have many fibrous roots are an important plant in Hawai’i with many uses. Koali ‘Ai, Morning Glory, colonizes the beach, holding the sand together. Native plants with strong and extensive root systems help protect the shoreline from erosion. Pā’ūohi’iaka, a small morning glory vine stabilizes the coastal environment. YELLOW FACED BEE Hylaeus Bees, known as Hawaiian Yellow Faced Bees, are very rare and found only in Hawai’i. O’oma offers a unique habitat for Hylaeus Bees. These small solitary bees do not live in hives, make honey, or sting. They live in nest cavities, in holes in the ground, lava rocks, dry wood and bleached coral pieces. They are critical pollinators of many native plants with tiny flowers. As their favorite flowering plants have disappeared, so have the bees. Planting native shrubs and trees at O’oma can help reverse this trend.