Community

The new 1-hour video highlights floral design presentations and workshops that feature Hawaiʻi-grown flowers; it is being played on Hōʻike Kauaʻi Channel 54 and online.

ʻĀina Momona hopes to gather perspectives from those who work in, care for and steward ocean spaces to help guide how future ocean projects engage with Hawaiʻi’s communities, especially as climate change continues to affect coastal and island communities.

Kauaʻi ʻUkulele Festival will feature live entertainment including well-known and emerging artists along with an opportunity to meet and engage with the island’s local ʻukulele community; luthiers will also be onsite, and there are several workshops planned this year the day before the festival.

Annual Hoʻolauleʻa on Sunday, April 5, kicks off the weeklong celebration of everything Hawaiian on the Big Island in Hilo, with competition in the ‘Super Bowl of hula’ beginning Thursday, April 9, with Miss Aloha Hula contest.

Celebrate, learn and be inspired by the people and practices that mālama the Garden Isle; there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Join the Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture and partners at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center on April 4 for a free community event celebrating conservation efforts for the endangered ʻalae ʻula.

Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program successfully recruits and nurtures professionals-in-training for the state’s most needed primary and mental health care disciplines; they are prepared to deliver quality, culturally informed health services.

Proof-of-concept launches statewide network to grow Hawai‘i’s healthcare workforce.

Farmers are consistently exposed to invasive pests, volatile market prices and extreme weather such as the recent back-to-back kona lows that inundated the state; beyond the physical destruction of crops and infrastructure, the back-to-back kona lows also left a trail of mental and emotional exhaustion.

The project focuses on a 5-acre riparian and pūnāwai area that feeds into the broader wetland system and ultimately into Alakoko loko iʻa; it is a key freshwater source that helps maintain the balance needed for the fishpond to function.

The large body and wide wingspan of the native Hawaiian birds can pose a serious threat to pilots and the birds themselves when nesting and flying in airspace surrounding the airfield at the U.S. Navy installation on the west coast of Kaua‘i near Kekaha.

“Every tool our officers rely on in the field is secured and managed through Desiree’s efforts, ensuring our teams have the resources they need to serve the community effectively,” said Kaua‘i Police Department Chief Rudy Tai in an announcement about Wakuta-Matsuda’s award. “For her outstanding contributions, we are honored to name her Employee of the Month.”

April is Volunteer Month throughout the nation; recent data show additional federal funding cutbacks are placing unprecedented strain on organizations that provide backbone of support for the state’s social, environmental and educational safety nets.

“Michael’s leadership is nothing short of visionary,” wrote Hawaiʻi State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus (LGBTQ+) Commission in a joint statement. “From shaping policy to building community, he has dedicated his life to ensuring that LGBTQ+ people in Hawaiʻi are not only protected but empowered to thrive.”

The plan will guide future investments and actions to create safer streets for everyone who walks, drives, bikes or rides transit.

“Denim Day is more than a symbol — it’s a collective stand,” said Kauaʻi Committee on the Status of Women member Lori Barrett in the announcement. “When our community comes together, we amplify every voice, support every survivor and send a clear message that Kaua‘i believes, stands with and uplifts one another through awareness and action.”

These grants support preservation and protection of lands with natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, cultural, agricultural and historic value, while also providing public access and strengthening partnerships between government and community-based organizations.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health warns that storm runoff is causing new contamination risks in the area between Lydgate Beach and Wailua Beach.

With more than 35 years of experience and a clear vision to strengthen community relationships and boost department morale, Rudy Tai has been ceremonially sworn in as Kauaʻi’s new chief of police.

Out of 820 applicants, Iran Rosales is one of 130 students to be awarded the prestigious Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.