summer 07 highlights

MsK Nursery, God is green, Farmer John, god is green, prius sex dance, Maui, Molokai, Wangari Maathai...



old sslog

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2007: winter, spring, summer, fall
2006: winter, spring, summer, fall
2005: winter, spring, summer, fall
2004: winter, spring, summer, fall
2003: winter, spring, summer, fall



plans

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5-19 Aug...maui


sean is in...

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atlanta
chicago
grenoble
los angeles
maui
miami
new york
sonoita
seattle
steilacoom
turin



Maui lists - plants....

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bird of paradise
heliconia
hibiscus
red ginger
ti



Maui lists - birds...

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black-crowned night heron
cattle egret
common myna
northern cardinal
zebra dove


Maui lists - underwater...

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blue box fish
bluespotted grouper
giant sea turtle
Hawaiian Dascyllus
milletseed butterflyfish
moorish idol
needlefish
picasso triggerfish
threadfin butterflyfish
yellow tang
yellowstripe goatfish


current reading

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Jane Goodall (my hero) chimes in on food sustainability.
Powell's | Amazon





recent reviews - books, film, food, etc.

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Coll Thrush's take on the role of Native people and places in Seattle's history. Another book that I loved. My only wish was that there was more on the Native history of Seattle. The Atlas was an amazing resource but each historic site Thrush listed could have been a chapter in itself in my opinion. I think it is important to know the history of place so this book has provided a pretty good start for anyone interested in the early history of Native peoples in the Seattle area. Powell's | Amazon


confessions

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links

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old sslog

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2007: winter, spring, summer, fall
2006: winter, spring, summer, fall
2005: winter, spring, summer, fall
2004: winter, spring, summer, fall
2003: winter, spring, summer, fall



blogroll

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CHECblog
eco-chick
Fabulously Green
fiftyrx3
Gristmill
jessamyn.com
the green room
inhabitat
kristen anderson
(Red)
science blogs
sightline's 'the daily score'
summer rayne oakes
ssf
thoughts from julia [butterfly hill]
treehugger
WorldChanging


sslog in [poor] translation

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arabic
chinese
deutsch
español
français
italiano
japanese
korean
russian T

Thursday, August 16 - Maui mana - Green thinkers and Farmers Haiku was the starting point of our adventure today. We met with Rob Parsons, former Environmental Coordinator for Maui County and current mastermind behind Maui Time Weekly's The Rob Report, a weekly column on environmental issues on Maui. Rob is truly a fountain of information on sustainability topics. Even more importatnt, he's active both in his journalism AND in his turning out for county council and other important meetings to bring attention to the issues. Next stop was about a half hour drive to Kula to check out the O'o Organic Farm which provides organic greens and produce for the very well known and respected Lahaina restaurants Pacific'O, I'O, and Feast at Lele. Wow, what an experience! A beautiful hillside organic farm, stunning view, great people, DELICIOUS FRESH ORGANIC FOOD, and lots of great information on organic farming...both at O'o in particular and generally too. Chef Sean Christensen (above left) and Richard, the Farm Manager (above right) did a great job telling the story of O'o Farm which was started up about four years ago by restaurant employees, the proprieters and head Chef James McDonald. Richard actually used to be one of the restaurant employees before he headed up the hill to run the farm. Nowadays, Chef Sean heads up the Thursday lunches at the farm and restaurant employees continue to come up to the farm to help out and get their hands into the may greens and other produce grown for the resataurants in Lahaina. They do a great educational tour and then there is of course, the meal. Ah yes, the meal. Incredible fish, lots of fresh salads, some organic Bonterra white wine, and even some dragonfruit and chocolate desserts to finish it all off. The last stop today was at the Ali'i Kula Lavendar Farm which happened to be about 5 minutes up the hill from O'o Farm. I'd happened to meet their business development director, Lani, on the ferry to Molokai ealier in the week so I was really excited to check out the farm. The lavendar happens to flourish on the dry hillside so since they don't need a lot of water and don't need to use pesticides and fertilizers, they've been able to be another great model or sustainable agriculture and sustainable business. And then there's the view...fields of lavendar looking out over a territorial view of Maui from 3,000 feet. Nice, very nice! Wednesday, April 15 - Maui mana - From Wailuku to Whales Today was a busy day indeed. We started at Maui Community College (MCC) where we had a great conservation with Zoe Norcross who will be teaching a Sustainability 101 class this fall at MCC. Zoe comes from the geology world and is now working a lot on beach erosion which, with global warming and all, is not looking so good these days. She said that thing that really plunged her deep into sustainability is peak oil though, which I totally understand. She's rounding up some great speakers and adventures or the class so I must say I'm a little jealous. I should also say that Chris Taylor, President of the MCC Sustainability Club has been really AWESOME about sending me folks I should meet up with over here. MCC has some great things going and lots more ahead I'm sure. Next it was off to Wauluku to have lunch with Jennifer Stites at The Dowling Company which is Maui real estate development company that is leading the way in green development, green building, and LEED certified projects on Maui. I ran across an article by Jennifer in a Maui real estate magazine on sustainability so couldn't wait to here more. Having worked for a company myself (Seattle-based fashion retailer Nordstrom for 14 years), I always love meeting up with other sustainability types in companies. As you might imagine, Jennifer has one of the best and - at the same time - most challenging jobs on Maui. She gets to do cool green building projects, but in an idustry that is very controversial on Maui, and actually...pretty much everywhere these days: real estate development. No one on Maui wants to see things go the direction of crazy developed Honolulu, but at the same time, development is going to happen. I'm just glad that companies like Dowling have people like Jennifer on staff to help make sure they do things in a way that is as socially and environmentally responsible as possible. After lunch we walked a few blocks to meet up with Chris Craner, a friend of MCC's Chris Taylor's, at the very green Cafe Marc Aurel, a certified green restaurant with the Green Restaurant Association. Chris was another great resource. He's working on stormwater runoff and drainage issues but has a lot of other great ideas on many of the environmental issues facing Maui too. Our final stop of the day was at the Maui Ocean Center. They had a great traditional Hawaiian quilt at the entry made up of all sea creatures (see pic at left). I was really impressed with the MOC, both with the collection and education efforts. The many aquarium exhibits were out of this world, particularly the big tank where rays and many other fish swam directly overhead. But impressively, they identified plants along paths, had lots of interactive learning areas for youngsters, and some really great exhibits about traditional Hawaiian relationships with the sea. Tuesday, August 14 - Maui mana - A 'Blue Hawaiian' of a different kind Lahaina shopping was the theme today. My big catch was a t-shirt from Crazy Shirts. Not only is it there very special Global Warming T-shirt, I discovered that they have a lot of cool environmental efforts in place. Their Global Warming Sucks campaign for example. The fact that they use eco-friendly water based inks from things like ash, coffee, beer, hemp, hybiscus, lavendar, and Blue Curacao (what my shirt is died with) is pretty cool too. Monday, August 13 - Maui mana - A Day of Flowers and Fish I spent the most of the day updateding my blog and getting my fancy new Seanslist pages up and running. The Seattle and Maui pages are getting there but still need a lot of work. But it's fun and I love, Love, LOVE putting things like Seanslist together. Hope you enjoy and please DO send me any items that you think should be on the lists. I'll get started on other cities soon. After lots of updating, Paul and I started out to tour some of the gardens at the hotels and resorts along Ka'anapali beach in preparation for the book and website I'm going to start on the gardens of companies, organizations, etc. Once I get a few companies completed I'll get the website up and post it here. Basically it will entail visiting the gardens of companies and organzations, as well as learning about some of the corporate social responsibility efforts. Today we visited checked out the Whaler (the condos where we're staying), the Westin, the Marriott, and the Hyatt. Although the Whaler and the Mariott gardens were beautiful, I have to say the gardens at the the Westin and especially the Hyatt were really outstanding. Along with the actualy gardens, I'll be keeping a close eye on design of pots and other unique elements of their efforts so the pic to the left is a sneak preview. We had lunch at the Westin's 'Tropica' restaurant where I was pleased to find a lavendar vinegrette made from lavendar from the Kula farm we'll be visiting on Thursday. All the garden touring lasted most of the day so by the time we got back in it was time to Dinner. I was excited to visit Pacific'O, one of James McDonald's three restaurants in Lahaina that include I'O and Feast at Lele. Chef James' restaurants all feature local fish of course, but also greens from their own organic farm called O'o Farm that we'll be touring on Thursday. I had the KONA WINDS fish preparation: fresh fish (I chose Mahi Mahi) seared with house spices, served over wilted O'o Farm grown arugula and bean sprouts. Topped with warm avocado, Maui onion salsa, goat cheese, macadamia nuts, and soy bacon vinaigrette. Needless to say, the food and service was INCREDIBLE at Pacific'O, I only wish I could try each and everything on the menu. We were so stuffed after our dinner we had no choice but to go for a walk. Luckily, it was another awesome evening in Lahaina. Even luckier, the Pacific Whale Foundation store was still open. Being a conservation biologist and all, I was psyched to get a little shopping time to support one of my favorite conservation organizations. I got a very cool t-shirt with a PWF whale design and an cap that I may never take off I love it so much. Saturday, August 11 - Maui mana - Aloha Molokai I just returned from three days on Molokai. I must say, I LOVE MOLOKAI! The ride over on the Molokai passenger ferry on Thursday was absolutely beautiful. It was amazing seeing more and more detail of the island as we got closer. We docked at the wharf in Kaunakakai and met family friends of Paul and Amy's Dad...Bill, his grandson Ben, and Ben's girlfriend Kelly. We were to meet Bill's wife, Lynn, later that day. First stop on the way back to Bill and Lynn's was an outlook over Kalaupapa National Historical Park. Kaluapapa was a forced isolation area in the early to mid 1900s for people in Hawaii suffering from Hansen's Disease (leprosy). The peninsula is beautiful and the lookout was breathtaking. Next it was off to Malokai Coffee Company. We could smell the organic beans roasting as we toured the small store and had one of the best shakes I've ever had. And finally we were off to Bill and Lynn's. They live very near Papohaku Beach Park, just a burm away from the 3 mile long beach. Wow, now I know what relaxing in Hawaii REALLY is. They have a beautiful home that is completely off the grid thanks to solar power. The house consists of a main living area with two bedrooms and then two pods about 20 feet from the main house accessible via the 2nd story boardwalks that completely wrap around all three buildings. The rest of the day was spent working on crosswords and sudoku puzzles with everyone. The evening ritual of taking wine over the burm to watch the sunset was, of course, observed fully. I chased a few sand crabs at sunset and then saw more stars than I've ever seen before clearing the geckos from our pods and going to bed. Friday we took a walk up the coast to Kawakiunui Bay. Another incredible experience, especially with Lynn's knowledge of indigenous and endemic plants such as 'akia (Thymelaeaceae), pohuehue (Ipomoea pes-caprae), and hinahina kolo (Vitex rotundifolia). A little snorkeling, a little sun bathing and then it was time to head back already for a late lunch. After lunch we headed in to Maunaloa so Lynn could mail some letters and we could check out a couple small shops and the Molokai Ranch Lodge. We perused the Big Wind Kite Factory and Plantation Gallery (where I snapped the picture to the left), checked out the small museum near the lodge, and then took a tour of the lodge and grounds...REALLY beautiful. The lodge has a mix of Hawaiian and Western (as in cowboy) look and feel. Very cool indeed. The Molokai Ranch has also started an eco-retreat called The Beach Village at Kaopoa Beach. Solar powered, composting toilets, canvas tentalos, etc. It's an impressive project and I hope more developers take note. Then it was back to Bill and Lynns for nap, sudoku, sunset, stars, sudoku again, dinner, and sleep. Nice, very nice. I spent a bit of Saturday morning trying to keep up with Bill on his tennis court. The heat and my poor condition didn't give us much more than an hour. We then had another great lunch, lazied around for a bit and then it was off for the ferry back to Maui. Wednesday, August 8 - Maui mana - Delia, Haiku, and hemp This morning I had brunch with Dehlia Montgomery of Chic Eco. Dehlia is an incredible resource on where and how to get sustainable materials, textiles, etc. and her industry directories are the best thing out there. We had a great chat about environmental issues on Maui and other islands, about sustainable business and design, and she gave me lots of good 'must-sees' as well. Dehlia's moving to the Big Island soon so I'm sure she'll have even deeper into sustainability issues then. Aftern our brunch at Casanova we strolled around the shops in Makawao...art galleries, t-shirt shops, a Western wear store, and even one of the Down to Earth natural food stores on the island. Next it was off to Haiku where I tried to track down a 'Green Guide to Maui' that I was told might be available at The Studio Maui, a yoga and dance studio in Haiku in part of an old pineapple cannery. Alas, they never actually produced the guide in assocation with a fest they hosted in 2006, but I can say the space was incredible. If I wasn't on the otherside of the island, I'd be doing yoga there every day. The good news is, the guide is soon to be released by Holistic Hawaii. Finally, we were off to Paia to check out Hemp House. I figured if anyone would have the scoop on sustainability things on Maui, Hemp House would. Well, as to be expected...they were experts on hemp but not so much on other topics. For example, they knew there were organic farms on the island, but didn't know the names of any for me. Nonetheless, it's always great to stop in the local hemp store to check things out. They had the usual hemp stuff, even a few aloha shirts...but sadly, none in my size. On the route to Paia we ran across some cows grazing on the hillside. I have to say, they must have the best pasture on the planet. I was told by Delia that many of the former pineapple farms are being converted to ranch land. I guess this is a good example of one. But as she said, the locals are thankful that the farms at least the farms aren't being developed into big hotels. Tuesday, August 7 - Maui mana - I ka wa mamua ka wa mahope It's my second day in Maui and I'm LOVIN it. I came to Maui for the first time last year and crammed as much sustainability stuff as I could in one week. This time around I have two weeks and am doing my best to get even deeper into all the sustainability efforts underway on Maui and other islands. The translation of the phrase above is "the future is in the past" and I think it fits the philosophy behind sustainability efforts here very well. One of my favorite things to do when first arriving is to visit the Savers store. It is essentially the same store as Value Village back home in Seattle, but the great thing is they have a huge selection of aloha shirts, shorts, flip flops, etc. I have lots of plans starting on Wednesday, so do check back. For now, I'm going to do my best to put together lists of the plant, bird, and fish species I see in my runs, swims, explorations, etc. Keep an eye out on the left column. Speaking of birds, I've been very entertained by the cattle egrets on the island during my morning runs. I've actually love them since I was a kid running around at the zoo where my Mother worked in Albuquerque. They are of course beautiful, but they also have this very cute "who am I, why am I here...oh, there's a bug [gulp]...wait a second, who am I, why am I here" look about them. It's also funny to watch a sedge of egrets chasing after lawn mowers to nab the new bugs and then have that same "wait a minute...who am I, why am I here" look about them.

Friday, August 3 - The Prius sex dance Another moment I couldn't resist. Being a behavioral ecologist and all, I'm always on the lookout for species' behavior in their natural environment. I've studied up on the pigeon sex dance in my years, so was quite excited when I stumbled upon these Prius' exhibiting affiliative behavior...a Prius sex dance if I've ever seen one! Hehehe...too cute. In other news, I went to a Seattle blogger meet up last night organized by Seattle tech blogger Chris Pirillo and hosted by KOMO TV. It was a lot of fun. Kind of like radio, you never get to see the people behind the blogs so it was fun seeing the real live bloggers in person. Got a quick tour of the NW Afternoon studio and a peak at the new newsroom too.

Tuesday, July 10 - Green drinks, food, and film Tuesday night was quite busy for me, whew! I made my usual stop at the monthlySeattle Greendrinks. If you have a Greendrinks in your city, you should go...if not, you should start one. As usual, lots of good people and discussions. Next, it was off to a screening of The Real Dirt on Farmer John hosted by none other than Seattle's own The Warren Report. Being a hippie-greener typem small town farm boy from Nebraska myself, this movie touched about every emotion in my body. The story of a farm boy growing up in Illinois, with classic themes of the looming loss of a farm, family members passing, neighbors turning against one another, etc. But in Farmer John, you get a few, shall I say, "fabulous", twists and turns along the way. The story itself is wonderful, the film beautiful, but the fact that it is a great explaination of the importance of community supported agriculture (CSA) makes it by far one of my favorite movies of all time. It's one that I will see over and over again and encourage everyone I know to see as well.

Monday, July 9 - God is green after all Couldn't resist snapping a pic of this sign. I've always knew God is a greener. It's been a busy couple weeks. I spent the 4th volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe where I sold many prepared many a hotdog for the parade and street fair crowds. I'm also an official grad student now. I'll be working towards a Masters of Arts in Policy Studies. I'm REALLY psyched! Considering I am a conservation biologist at heart I can't wait to get started given that conservation biology is a true mix of science and policy. With two BS degrees in science, this will be a well-rounded addition to my academic career. Next stop will be a science Ph. D...just not sure in what yet. I started a new part-time gig at UW Medical Center that I'm really excited about, doing patient relations. Finally, I've had a great correspondence with CNN anchor and reporter Nicole Lapin regarding one of my new projects, The Smart Set and her campaign "Being Smart is Cool" showing that, regardless of the Lindsey Lohans and Paris Hiltons that seem to get a lot of press time, young people today are engaged and aware citizens. Besides being the anchor for CNN's streaming video, she also hosts a weekly interview show called Young People Who Rock.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 - MsK Nursery At long last I finally paid a visit to MsK Rare Plant Nursery in Richmond Beach just north of Seattle. I was on my continuing mission to find a source for small-flowered woodland star (Lithophragma parviflorum). I've been volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe for a couple months now and since the word 'Steilacoom' comes from the native word for the flower, I thought it would be great to have some in the ethnobotanical garden we are planning. It's a tough one to find though. Luckily, Deborah Horn and Art Kruckeberg himself were able to help me out and we are now hot on the trail. MsK Nursery is an amazing place so I'm sure I'll be going back...soon and often. Afterwords, I couldn't help but stop by my favorite bookstore these days, Abraxus Books that took over the old, and very vintage modern, Ballard Library (the new very green Ballard Library is a few blocks away, green roof and all). They now have a fountain outside on one of the patios - used bookstore with a fountain...I'm in heaven.