Vol. 12, #5, September 2003
Yes, the familiar logo heads this column once again! This is the fifth year that Foodland/Sack N Save has had their Matching Gifts Program in September. Only non-profits can be a part of the program and the FOHB has again been accepted as a participant.
This means that any donation (up to $249) given to the FOHB in September by Maika'i Members will be matched (up to a percentage based on the total amounts given to the non-profits) by Foodland. If you do not have a Maika'i Card you can obtain one in a few minutes at no cost. Foodland has again committed $200,000 for the matching gifts. As information, last year $236.43 was donated to the FOHB, compared to $330.63 the previous year. However, Foodland added $82.46 (ca. 40%) to give a total of $318.89.
The FOHB Board has once again approved that donations made during this time period can apply to the 2004 dues, and also to 2003 if you forgot. Normally, the $10/$25 dues for a specific year for an individual or family must be paid in that specific year.
Now the second item for you to remember is the FOHB's registration code. Fortunately, 77177 is symmetrical and thus easy to remember. If you are forgetful, the cashier can look it up.
The third memory moment is mailing the receipt to the Friends at 100 Hanauma Bay Road, Honolulu 96825 to receive credit for paying your dues. If you don't, you will have to pay again in 2004.
So you know, Foodland does not give the names of donors to the non-profit organizations.Bay and Hwy Cleanup
Hey, we had a great turnout on August 10 for the last cleanup, 60 people. Mahalo to you if you were one of those volunteers. The beach was quite clean when the cleanup started, thus there was not a lot to pick up.
We have another cleanup, for this is the nation-wide "GET THE DRIFT AND BAG IT!" The date? Saturday, September 20, 2003 starting at 8:30 am. At the time of this writing the beach is almost free of debris; however, after the high surf and winds of tropical storm Jimena, who knows what the condition of the beach might be. Whatever, there will be trash and debris to pick up and a chance to visit with friends!
See you there!
It has been a long time since anyone has repelled down the slopes from the upper walks and the road, thus there is a lot of debris that could be removed. In the past some of the troops from Scofield Barracks came to the Bay and practiced their moves. Anyone out there with that skill will be heartily welcomed!
BUDDIES
I've noticed a marked increase in the symbiotic partners between Jacks and Morey Eels. On four separate occasions in the past month I've seen this partnership in action while snorkeling the inner reef.
Typically, I first spy a Jack in the distance making circles around some coral rubble. I have learned that this is a dead giveaway that there's an Eel in the immediate environs looking for breakfast. The Jack is waiting for the Eel to flush out a fish that attempts to escape out the back door as the Eel enters the front door. (Hey - I know there's no doors down there - I'm speaking metaphorically!)
I've seen the Jacks actually 'score' a pupu occasionally, but for my money I think their time would be better spent learning how to dial the Pizza Hut Hotline Delivery Number with their fins. The jacks are masters at these one sided symbiotic relationships and I've seen them in action with Trumpetfish, Octopus and Goatfish in addition to the aforementioned eels, always looking for their symbiotic companion to 'flush' out a pupu.
In fact, I once followed a jack and a large octopus in symbiosis and when the jack got impatient with the 'lethargic pace' of the octopus he would actually rub the head of the octopus as if to say, "Hey, I'm getting no action here! Move on and 'flush' me up a meal!"
My last sighting occurred a couple of days ago and as I approached the eel, I could see that 'he' at least had just 'fed.' His gullet was seriously distended on the left side and I could see that the cause of this distension was clearly a good sized fish that was wriggling around, trying to do his level best to avoid a one way ticket down the gullet to the gastric 'lap' pool just below.
The hapless jack kept swimming around in circles waiting for the eel to continue his search. He wasn't happy about the eel's digestive 'break,' but I distinctly remember my mother telling me not to do any vigorous activity in the water for 30 minutes after a large meal. Suspect that the eel was brought up in the same way.
Much aloha, as always, Larry Winnik
FUND RAISER
Larry Winnik has prepared a full-screen slide show CD presentation now featuring 154 high quality photos. All photos, each shown 4-seconds, were taken in Hanauma Bay. The slide show is accompanied by a soothing music track.
You can review the CD and hear the music at the Information Desk in the Education Center at the Bay where Larry has set up one of his old computers on a continuous loop and there is also a copy on one of the display computers.
What is important for us, is that for every purchase ($13.50), $1.00 will be donated to the FOHB! Where to buy it? ITS AVAILABLE IN THE GIFT SHOP!! A great gift idea!
BOARD REPORT
A recent major action by the Board was to approve a travel grant of $1,000 for Ling Ong, a graduate student at UH-Manoa. She is studying the movement of certain Parrotfish in the Bay and will use the funds to travel to the Azores to learn the procedures being used there to track specific fish. The Board used the $900 Special Fund that was given to the FOHB last year by the Oahu Visitors Bureau at the opening of the new Education Facilities and $100 from the General Fund. A Board Member donated $300 to the FOHB to allow the final check to be $1,300, the cost of the plane ticket. Ms. Ong will be giving the Board a report and also presenting a Thursday evening talk at the Bay next year.
With the new Education Center in place and with most of the other "hot items" cooled off, the Board realized that it must define what it should be doing in the future. Thus, a Planning Meeting will be held Saturday, November 1, 2003 in the Classroom at the Bay for the Board Members and Resource persons.
The results will be presented at the Annual Meeting/Party in December.
The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve has been nominated for the Smithsonian Magazine's Sustainable Tourism-Conservation Award. Hilton Hawaiian Village has been the driving force on this effort. Three finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges with the winners decided by Smithsonian reader's votes tallied on-line. The Awards will be presented December 9-11 on Maui. Cynthia Bond has been the Board's coordinator on this.
The City's official Website was to be linked to the Bay's Website <hanaumabayhawaii.org or .com> by now. Check to see if it happened as planned. If you note a problem, inform Board Member Cynthia Bond or the City so that the correct information is being presented.
BAY EDUCATION PROGRAM
As many of you know, Mayor Harris has a call-in radio program called "Ask the Mayor." It is broadcast on AM 830 at 4:00 to 5:00 pm. During this show, people call in with complaints, suggestions and compliments about City services.
Recently, several listeners have called the Mayor to complain about the crowds at Hanauma Bay. While we can learn from the critiques from the public, we don't want the Mayor to have the impression that people hate the present procedures for handling the large number of people who come to the Park.
Why don't we all tune in to the Mayor's radio program and hear what type of exchanges take place between the Mayor and the public. If the mood takes you, you might call the Mayor with your ideas about the Bay. I'm sure he would love to hear from you.
Peter Rappa, Director, Hanauma Bay Education Program.
The Outreach Program scheduled talks:
9/25/03 "Tsunamis: You'll Hear About the One from Alaska, But What About the One from the Big Island by Dr. Gerard Fryer, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Plantology, UH.
10/9/03 "Submarine Hydrothermal Vents" by Dr. Chris Measures, Oceanography Department, UH.
10/23/03 "Hawii's Endangered Marine Mammals and How to View Them Responsibly" by David Nichols, National Marine Fisheries Service.
11/6/03 "Hawaii's Sea Birds: Biology and Conservation" by Sheldon Plentovich, Zoology Department, UH.
Remember all talks are in the Bay Education Center on Thursdays at 6:30 pm.
The HBEP is pleased that these talks have reached a broader spectrum of attendees, which clearly indicates their value.
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NANAMOANA is published bimonthly by the
Friends of Hanauma Bay, 100 Hanauma Bay Road, Honolulu, HI 96825
Roy Gritter, Editor.
