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Hawaii’s largest island, also known as the Big Island. The truth is that you cannot simply say “pristine nature remains…” … The third day was set aside for free activities. On the third free day, each teacher had a theme for the day and visited a spot for exploration and learning. For example, at the “Battleship Missouri” moored at Pearl Harbor, they visited the huge gun turrets and the museum, which tells the history of the war. At the Hawaii Japanese Cultural Center, they met the curator, a third-generation Japanese American herself, and learned about postwar Japanese immigrants in real-life terms. Meanwhile, the reporter accompanied a team of science teachers to Hawaii’s largest island, commonly known as the “Big Island. Hawaii Island is home to Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on earth, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is a World Heritage Site along with Kilauea to the east, and Mauna Kea, Hawaii’s highest peak and a mecca for astronomical observation. It takes less than one hour from Honolulu Airport by domestic flight. The four members (and the reporter) left their hotel in Waikiki at 5:00 a.m. and took a cab to the Honolulu airport. The city was still dark, but the teachers were already in high spirits, saying, “We were having too much fun to sleep. The Honolulu airport was relatively quiet in the early morning, but the roads and airport become crowded at 6:00 a.m., so be sure to have plenty of time to spare. Also, please note that unlike in Japan, passports are required even for domestic flights. Hawaiian Airlines uses Boeing 717 aircraft for short-haul flights between the Hawaiian Islands. On board, beverages such as original blend Lion coffee and guava juice are served. Upon arrival at Hilo International Airport, we first visited Kumiko Hasegawa, a local nature guide. I was given the opportunity to participate in the volunteer work she has been steadily carrying out with the involvement of the community to conserve Hawaii’s endemic species. I experienced the work of planting native species in shallow ponds where non-native species had been removed in order to restore fish ponds. The location of the project was Loko Waka Pond, an area of Hilo bordering the ocean, close to the Keaukaha area (“passing tide” in Hawaiian), where many Hawaiians used to live while raising fish in ancient times. In the olden days, many mullet and other fish were raised in Hilo as offerings to the ali (a person of high status, such as a chief or chief). Fish ponds and taro paddies were everywhere, and wetlands, especially those blessed with rain and ocean water sources, were cherished as ainamona (“rich land” in Hawaiian). However, Hasegawa says, “Hawaii appears to have a lot of nature left, but invasive alien species with strong reproductive capacity are expanding the area. The scenery that we tourists see as “lush and beautiful! but in fact, half of the scenery that we tourists see is actually brought in from other countries. Westerners who moved to the area in the 19th century cleared the forests and began growing coffee and sugarcane, and cattle and sheep were raised in the wetlands that had been reclaimed by resort and residential development. Weeds encroached on the few remaining aquaculture ponds, and as a result, native Hawaiian species lost their habitat. Mr. Hasegawa, originally an ecotourism guide, resigned his job and began volunteering to exterminate these species in January 2021 after the Corona disaster. He is trying to restore the original environment by manually removing weeds that have taken root deep in the mud of the pond and planting native ae’ae’ae to allow the return of waterfowl such as the endangered sandpiper (a subspecies endemic to Hawaii) and the nene (Hawaiian goose), which is in danger of being moved to the endangered species rank. Countless weeds in countless wetlands. When she and her husband, Patrick, started the project, some people called them “crazy,” but now they have gained the support of local residents, businesses, and university and high school student volunteers. The project is now gaining the support of local residents, businesses, university and high school student volunteers, and others, and through work conducted three times a week for several hours during low tide, the island is being restored to its original state, free of invasive weeds. The guidebooks often refer to the Big Island of Hawaii as a place where nature is still pristine, but that’s not true! When I first came to the Big Island more than 40 years ago, I saw the natural beauty of the ranches and thought they were beautiful. But when I learned the truth, I was saddened. Then I decided, “This is what I should do. In May of the following year, when he began his activities, he found a pair of sandpipers resting on the stone wall of a pond. It was the moment when he finally took the first step toward achieving his goal. It is hard to believe that Hasegawa will turn 60 next year, but he is still very powerful. “We humans have great destructive power, but we also have the opposite, the energy to move. While tourism has become the main industry, I want people to not only enjoy the local flavor of the area but also to experience the culture that the indigenous people have cherished,” he said. While listening to this story, Mr. Segawa, a biogeography teacher, helped with the work, his whole body covered in mud. He recalled, “In order to pursue science and economics, we need to be human beings who can fully understand the impact of such pursuits.
© Source travel watch
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