Aloha!
When thinking about how a place as great as Kamehameha could be improved, it’s a bit tough to devise a plan. Throughout the year, Malama Honua’s Christopher Blake has talked about the sustainability of our land, water, and food practices. The time has come where we have had to extend and apply this knowledge to our interwoven community: Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus. It was easy to figure out the problems in our community, but selecting and developing a plan proved to be difficult. Many problems had to do more with student life at school rather than ‘aina production/conservation. It was also difficult to develop a plan due to the fact that Pauahi’s gift to us severely outshines any solution students could come up with. Compared to what she set in place for the sustainability of our Hawaiian youth, the improvement we’d work towards would be extremely miniscule. To figure out what improvement would best utilize Kamehameha resources, thinking outside of the box was imperative-- no matter how small of a change.
The Problem within our school that we found most beneficial and realistic to change was the fact that Kamehameha Schools does not use the excess water that comes from gutters and storm drains. We could use this excess water to nurture our nearby, dry Malā’s when rain is not present instead of utilizing water that costs money. If the season is especially dry, the barrel could serve as a conservative measure to ensure excess money and unnecessary water use does not happen.
After our ‘wai’ unit in Malama Honua, we learned a lot about the water table and the concept of ‘limited water availability’. The hydrologic cycle, though something that may seem elementary to some, contributed a lot of reference and standpoints for corroboration in our project. It was important to understand the workings of rain and how rain actually functions in order to use it. In addition to this, it was also imperative to know the specifics of drum choosing and the importance of water cleanliness, as selecting a drum without toxins was very hard to do. The Oahu Island Aquifer and an understanding of the water table shows a significant reason for our project because water is very limited.
After brainstorming, our design was created and compiled into four stages. The first was a ‘basic-brainstorm’ model where a drum would be connected to an extended gutter in order to fill up during rain. A second prototype was discussed when we figured it might be hard to fill a huge, elevated barrel from a small gutter on the ground. The next plan was called the ‘Reach for the Moon’ due to the plan being associated with cutting and rerouting a gutter. Our group immediately rethought the logistics of this plan after talking to Mr. Kealoha and Kumu Blake about how Kamehameha gutters are made out of copper. Copper is expensive. Our third/fourth plan resorted to a mere proposal/idea that can be implemented if considered by those in charge of water supply or tested out by a future group within Malama Honua, inspired by water sustainability. These plans have to do with elevating the drum and extending the gutter as well as using filters to collect particles. Collecting excess water and being able to use the resources that mother nature gives us rather than wasting is very sustainable. If this plan is implemented in our mala, then it promotes sustainable agriculture as well! As Hawaiians, we are responsible for our races’ food sovereignty and food sustainability. Kamehameha will be able to save money to use elsewhere and utilize a Hawaiian mindset in cherishing our ‘Aina’s gifts.
The mala, on a micro level, Sometimes do not get enough water in which to thrive. This is why it is important to use the excess water that we collect from water barrels and use it when the Malā really needs it.
When thinking about how a place as great as Kamehameha could be improved, it’s a bit tough to devise a plan. Throughout the year, Malama Honua’s Christopher Blake has talked about the sustainability of our land, water, and food practices. The time has come where we have had to extend and apply this knowledge to our interwoven community: Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus. It was easy to figure out the problems in our community, but selecting and developing a plan proved to be difficult. Many problems had to do more with student life at school rather than ‘aina production/conservation. It was also difficult to develop a plan due to the fact that Pauahi’s gift to us severely outshines any solution students could come up with. Compared to what she set in place for the sustainability of our Hawaiian youth, the improvement we’d work towards would be extremely miniscule. To figure out what improvement would best utilize Kamehameha resources, thinking outside of the box was imperative-- no matter how small of a change.
The Problem within our school that we found most beneficial and realistic to change was the fact that Kamehameha Schools does not use the excess water that comes from gutters and storm drains. We could use this excess water to nurture our nearby, dry Malā’s when rain is not present instead of utilizing water that costs money. If the season is especially dry, the barrel could serve as a conservative measure to ensure excess money and unnecessary water use does not happen.
After our ‘wai’ unit in Malama Honua, we learned a lot about the water table and the concept of ‘limited water availability’. The hydrologic cycle, though something that may seem elementary to some, contributed a lot of reference and standpoints for corroboration in our project. It was important to understand the workings of rain and how rain actually functions in order to use it. In addition to this, it was also imperative to know the specifics of drum choosing and the importance of water cleanliness, as selecting a drum without toxins was very hard to do. The Oahu Island Aquifer and an understanding of the water table shows a significant reason for our project because water is very limited.
After brainstorming, our design was created and compiled into four stages. The first was a ‘basic-brainstorm’ model where a drum would be connected to an extended gutter in order to fill up during rain. A second prototype was discussed when we figured it might be hard to fill a huge, elevated barrel from a small gutter on the ground. The next plan was called the ‘Reach for the Moon’ due to the plan being associated with cutting and rerouting a gutter. Our group immediately rethought the logistics of this plan after talking to Mr. Kealoha and Kumu Blake about how Kamehameha gutters are made out of copper. Copper is expensive. Our third/fourth plan resorted to a mere proposal/idea that can be implemented if considered by those in charge of water supply or tested out by a future group within Malama Honua, inspired by water sustainability. These plans have to do with elevating the drum and extending the gutter as well as using filters to collect particles. Collecting excess water and being able to use the resources that mother nature gives us rather than wasting is very sustainable. If this plan is implemented in our mala, then it promotes sustainable agriculture as well! As Hawaiians, we are responsible for our races’ food sovereignty and food sustainability. Kamehameha will be able to save money to use elsewhere and utilize a Hawaiian mindset in cherishing our ‘Aina’s gifts.
The mala, on a micro level, Sometimes do not get enough water in which to thrive. This is why it is important to use the excess water that we collect from water barrels and use it when the Malā really needs it.