On Saturday, April 1, Stacey Gray (’19) attended a First Saturday Community Work day at the Ka Papa Loʻi O Kānewai, a thriving taro patch located just below the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus. Stacey shares her experience with us.

I’ve been digging the dirt out from under my nails for a few days now but the memories of volunteering in the loʻi for the first time are well worth it. Approximately 100 community members and UH student volunteers came out for the monthly work day at Kānewai on the morning of Saturday, April 1. The day started with picking up leaves from around the property and putting them in the fallow loʻi (where there was nothing planted yet). It looked like a big mud pit. We then transitioned to a talk story in a traditionally constructed hale where one of the volunteers talked about the relationship of taro with the Hawaiian gods and the cultural history of the surrounding Mānoa valley area. After the talk story we exited the hale and went to work stomping the leaves into the mud with our bare feet.

The leaves act as an organic fertilizer for the nutrient depleted soil. Pushing these leaves down and mixing up the mud ensures that the leaves will decompose and not blow away. After stomping the leaves down we lined up in rows, shoulder to shoulder, and dragged our feet, walking across the loʻi. This act was designed to make the mud homogeneous and help with hydration. After walking back and forth a few times we transitioned to loʻi with teenager taro plants. We pulled the weeds out and scooped mud from around the plant and placed the mud on the mound of dirt the plant was growing in. The wet mud hydrates, protects the rootlets, increases water flow, and gives structure to the plant.

After washing off in the beautiful Mānoa stream we cleared some lauhala leaves and branches from an area adjacent to the loʻi patches. We were slightly premature to clean off because we got back into the loʻi to take care of some keiki plants doing the same weeding and scooping.

Throughout the morning the volunteers taught lessons on how to cultivate taro, the Hawaiian names for the different parts of the plant and talked about the history of the area. Make sure to eat a hearty breakfast before you go because all morning while you are working the smell of smoked meat fills the air. I unfortunately did not stay for what I’m sure was an amazing meal that the staff was cooking up. I left very muddy and with a sense of satisfaction to have practiced lokahi (many hands working as one) for the morning at least.

Ka Papa Loʻi ʻo Kānewai hosts First Saturday Community Work Days on the first Saturday of every month and is open to everyone in the community. For more information of getting involved, visit their website at http://manoa.hawaii.edu/hshk/ka-papa-loi-o-kanewai/getinvolved/.