I maika ‘ i ke kalo i ka ‘ ōhā The goodne ss of t he t a r o i s j u dged b y t he y o u ng p lan t i t pr od u ce s. Pa r en ts a r e j u dged b y t he beha v io r of t hei r child r en - P u k u i # 1232 Waimea Valle y ’ s Vol u n t ee r P r og r am con t in u e s t o w elcome p a r en ts and keiki w ho come w i t h a de s i r e t o gi v e back In w o r king s ide b y s ide , t he y str eng t hen t hei r p ilina ( r ela t ion s hi p ) w i t h one ano t he r and w i t h t he ʻ āina We gi v e t hank s t o t he s e p a r en ts w ho b r ing t hei r child r en t o lea r n , s e rv e , and g r o w in Waimea I maika ‘ i ke kalo i ka ʻ ōhā — t he qu ali ty of t he t a r o i s s een in i ts s hoo ts , j ust a s t he v al u e s of p a r en ts a r e r eflec t ed in t hei r child r en WAIMEA VALLEY VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER NĀ LEO O KA ‘ ĀINA K E P A K E M A P A S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 Voices of the Land UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES SEP 6 – MOON WALK SEP 7 – MĀLAMA MALA VOLUNTEER DAY SEP 13 – KALO AND ‘ AWA FESTIVAL SEP 14 – ʻ OHANA VOLUNTEER DAY SEP 18 – HĀNAI ‘ ĀINA FOREST RESTORATION VOLUNTEER DAY SEP 21 – MĀLAMA MALA VOLUNTEER DAY SEP 27 – ʻ OHANA VOLUNTEER DAY DID YOU KNOW ? POLYNESIAN INTRODUCED KALO ( COLOCASIA ESCULENTA ), A STAPLE IN THE HAWAIIAN DIET , IS CONSIDERED AN ANCESTOR TO THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE CULTURAL SPOTLIGHT THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIP TO HĀLOA , WE ARE RELATED TO THE KALO , THE ʻ ĀINA , AND THE REST OF THE NATURAL WORLD NATIVE HAWAIIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE LIVES IN WAIMEA. HALE O LONO HEIAU REMINDS US OF THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN KĀNAKA AND OUR GODS AND ANCESTORS. THE AG TERRACES REVEAL THE INGENUITY OF TRADITIONAL FOOD PRODUCTION THAT SUSTAINED LARGE COMMUNITIES. GAMES LIKE KŌNANE REFLECT BOTH RECREATION AND STRATEGIC THINKING. WAIMEA VALLEY IS A RICH CULTURAL LANDSCAPE THAT PRESERVES ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE, HONORS NATIVE HAWAIIAN IDENTITY AND RESILIENCE, AND CONTINUES TO TEACH THE VALUE OF MĀLAMA ʻ ĀINA. SEPTEMBER IS HAWAIIAN HISTORY MONTH