Maestros Vibe

Waiwai Ola Ohana:

https://waterkeepershi.org/

Volunteer Week Hawaii:

http://volunteerweekhawaii.com/

Maestros Vibe Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/maestrosvibe

Today, Juan Espinal, from Maestros Vibe, sits down with special co-host Rae Tereari'i Chandler 'Iao, from Waiwai Ola Ohana, to interview and talk story about Earth Day and Volunteer Week Hawaii 2022 for our final episode in this 3 part series.

We talk about Earth Day and how we became positive advocates for our communities! Waiwai Ola Ohana strives to protect swimmable, drinkable, fishable, and recyclable water. Facts help guide our decision making!

We can make good decisions in our communities right now to make a difference. Todd Yamashita helped elevate our state's awareness the morning of Earth Day Friday April 22, 2022 with a plan to greet the dawning of a new day with a chant; E Ala Ē. More info can be found at the following link:

https://www.kanuhawaii.org/e-ala-e-2022/

Partnering with the County of Hawaii and other local organizations we are providing opportunities for everyone to feel like they can get involved.

Ace Hardware Hawaii has provided personal clean up kits in Hilo, Keaʻau, Pāhoa, Nāʻālehu, Oceanview, Captain Cook, Kona, and Waimea!

Today, Juan Espinal, from Maestros Vibe, sits down with special co-host Rae Tereari'i Chandler 'Iao, from Waiwai Ola Ohana, to interview and talk story with Dr. Rick Bennett, a highly esteemed microbiologist serving Hawaiian waters and beyond through his work with Waiwai Ola Ohana and Applied Sciences. We talk about the ocean!

The ocean means a lot to Dr. Rick. He has learned that the Hawaiian traditions of the ocean can teach us the way. The ocean is a sacred place that serves as the circulatory system for our Earth.

The human impact on our planet has largely been out of sight. The ‘aina is the life force. Sometimes scientists can overwhelm people. Fishable, drinkable, and swimmable water is hard to attain. The impacts of deforestation have already been felt for hundreds of years in places like San Francisco.

Our coral are living critters and they don’t like being covered by our dirt. Raging muddy waters are preventable. Over-nourishing our shores will affect our clear tropical waters. The visibility in places is becoming less clear. Our water is becoming murkier.

The ocean has its own microbiome like our gut. Polluting our oceans is like dumping poison near our children.

Our fresh water on Hawai’i island comes from aquifers that percolate through lava. The fresh water floats on salt water that we pump up for our use. Over-drafting can affect our overall water yields. Some places, like Keauhou, are pumping a lot of water.

Data has shown that rainfall on our island has dropped. There has been a public trust designated to ensure the health of our water systems. How do we determine the use of our water wells?

It’s not just where the rivers meet the oceans. It’s also about our underground water availability. Geology is so complex. Our formulas are based on the past. Half of our water use is on our lawns. Some sprinklers are poorly installed and waste even more water.

Subterranean estuaries rise and fall with our tides. Cold spots in the ocean are subterranean water discharges. Have you ever wondered where the rainwater goes in Kona? There are no streams.

Our cesspools interact with our fresh water reserves. It is all driven by a belief that we need to be completely separated from our waste to protect us from our own human waste. Eventually we poison our bays.

Hawai’i county does not have enough money to deal with their wastewater. Planned development in Kona is exponential. Pumping goes up as the population increases. Rain water is decreasing. We will need to dispose of more waste.

We no longer allow cesspools, but why do we still use drinking water to flush our toilets? There are communities that are recycling their water. There is hope. You can capture your gray water. This is water from your bathroom sink, shower, and washing machine which can be reused for different applications unlike black water which consists of water from the kitchen and the toilet which must be treated differently. We can make fertilizer instead of shipping it in.

We are seeing evidence of pollution that is reflective of the East Coast of the mainland United States.

Waiwai Ola Ohana:

https://waterkeepershi.org/

Volunteer Week Hawaii:

http://volunteerweekhawaii.com/

Dr. Rick’s videos on water issues

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvkkLJBUS1q_g6ZG1fEMinQtGYO48q2mq

Healthy Hawaiian Oceans H2O

http://www.h2okona.org/

Index

http://www.h2okona.org/p/index.html

Maestros Vibe Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/maestrosvibe

Today, Juan Espinal, from Maestros Vibe, sits down with special co-host Rae Tereari'i Chandler 'Iao, from Waiwai Ola Ohana, to interview and talk story with Darrian Muraoka, an impactful student from the University of Hawai'i. We talk about water!

We talk about what life was like in the islands when the tourists left due to Covid-19.Tourism affects our environment. There is a belief and hope that things can be repaired. We are not giving up.

This message is Hawaii-centric, though it can be applied worldwide. This is the start of Pono Science; breaking down our studies into categories to truly understand the legacy of our pollution.

We can see the detriments of pollution in our water. All drains lead to waterways. We can build awareness as students and stewards with responsibility in mind.

There is a great importance in localized knowledge. Some humans may think it is okay to dump motor oil in our drains. It is not okay to do this.

We can pollute in many different ways. There is an impact on our actions. Climate change will affect our communities. There are things we can do and we can start now. We can affect positive change on our legacy pollution.

There is a great amount of value in forest management and connecting to our fish ponds. There is importance in data gathering to help support clean water initiatives.

Students, like Darrian, think about this every day. Water is our responsibility. “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”

Waiwai Ola Ohana:

https://waterkeepershi.org/

Volunteer Week Hawaii:

http://volunteerweekhawaii.com/

Maestros Vibe Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/maestrosvibe

On this episode, we are joined by 2022 Nebraska State Teacher of the Year, Lee Perez. Lee shares his journey to becoming an educator and teacher of the year. We dive into his mission around advocacy for marginalized communities as well as recruiting and retaining more teachers of color. In our literature circle, he discusses a powerful story. Don't miss out on his advice! Tune in, enjoy, subscribe, and leave us a comment!

Learn more:

https://www.education.ne.gov/toy/

On this episode, we are joined by Hawai'i State Public Charter School Commission Interim Deputy Director, PJ Foehr. We discuss his journey in education. Then, we move into the history of public charter schools in Hawai'i and take a look at what separates public charter schools from those on the continent. Our literature circle is focused on Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. Finally, PJ shares advice to educators that you don't want to miss. Check us out, review, and rate us! Leave a comment; we truly value your feedback. Aloha

On this episode, we are joined by HawaiiKidsCAN Executive Director David Miyashiro. He shares the organization's origin story through policy change and community innovation and support. We talk about the current state legislative bills around education. Then, we move into our literature circle where we discuss a few readings that include Promising Credentials, Youth Voice Series by Castle Foundation, and Harvard's series The Future of Work. Finally, he shares advice with educators. Tune in to find out and enjoy!

Episode notes can be found at www.maestrosvibe.com

On this episode, we are joined by returning guest, Vice Principal Bill Chen. He shares his reflections and learnings from his role as a school administrator. In the wake of teachers being silenced, we move into our literature circle and question how we can have healthy conversations about America's history. Bill argues why we should focus on the trend lines and not the headlines. Tune in and enjoy!

Resources and episode notes can be found at www.maestrosvibe.com

On this episode, we are joined by first year teacher, Esther Hwang. We discuss her journey to becoming a teacher and where it all started. Also, we dive into what has made this first year of teaching feel sustainable. Esther shares advice on what can keep teachers in the profession.

On this episode, we are joined by cofounder of the Ma'i Movement, Nikki-Ann Yee. She shares the origin story of the non-profit and how they have partnered with other activists to try to end period poverty in Hawai'i's public schools. We discuss the Hawai'i State Commission on the Status of Women study that she co-authored, 'Understanding Period Poverty in Hawaii Report.' We also take a dive into the advocacy toolkit she created for this upcoming legislative session. To learn more and support, check out the Ma'i Movement's website - https://maimovement.org/

On this episode, we are joined by educator Sarah 'Mili' to discuss ending period poverty in schools. We talk about the implications on students and how we can become more involved with this issue through civic engagement. Tune in and subscribe! Visit our website to check out the resources discussed during the episode and for more information around this important issue.