HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0021.156 - Testimony - CA-7 - PONC fund and Maintenance fundTamara Laulani Wong -Morrison
Language Arts Teacher
Volcano School of Arts & Sciences
Volcano, Hawaii 96785
February 4, 2019
Charter Commission
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Regarding: 2% Land Fund Program
Aloha Commissioners,
am a language arts teacher at this charter school in Volcano; my
middle school students have been very fortunate to participate in
taking care of Kawa wildlife park in Ka'u since August 2017. We have been
working with Na Mamo o Kawa, Kumu James Akau, Duane and
Clarissa Pua, and Kaui Felder -- all homegrown resource managers. Our
weekly field trips to Kawa have resulted in increased engagement and
enjoyment of learning through this place -based project (student perception
data, VSAS 2017-18). They are learning valuable concepts of Aloha `Aina
and Malama Honua -- taking care of the land and our earth.
They are learning these concepts when they plant and nurture native
dryland coastal plants, cut away invasive plants, gather rocks and mulch to
help prevent beach erosion, and discover the rich cultural heritage of Kawa.
They are learning how important wild, undeveloped wahi pans (sacred
places) enrich their spirits, especially in contrast to the pressures of their
modern world. Our young students in America spend more time on
electronic devices than they do sleeping! They need to be grounded and
rooted in places like Kawa to strengthen them for their challenging futures.
Comm. No. 21.156
We are very fortunate to have this land fund to purchase more wahi
pana, sacred places, and maintain them for our children's future. With the
pressures of providing more land for more people; these sacred places will
become even more precious in the future. Healthy societies need these
raw, untouched reminders and connections to nature to thrive, not merely
survive. I grew up on the island of Kaua'i where too much land is developed
and too few wahi pans are protected. Though still beautiful, sadly, my
home -island is too expensive for me to afford to purchase a home. The few
wahi pana left are inundated with people; the rich resources they provided
are depleted. The Big Island is the last affordable island for locals to live on;
the more we become developed, the more these wahi pans are needed.
Therefore, please consider the long-term effects of cutting or diverting
these precious funds. This island will continue to grow, more people will
come to live here, and the precious lands purchased with these funds will
become even more precious. Your great-grandchildren will thank you for
having the foresight to save and maintain these places for them.
With aloha,
Tamara L. Wong -Morrison