4th Grade Resources (Ka Wai Ola: Watersheds, native species, and invasive species)
Website: Hawaiʻi Association of Watershed Partnerships (HAWP) Resources Page.
Website: the Watershed Project.
Website: “Nā Wai ʻEkolu & Stream Biodiversity.” This resource has been generously shared by ʻIolani School. Materials for grades K-12 are provided.
Nā Wai ʻEkolu Highlights
Highlights from Nā Wai ʻEkolu
- “(Video) Nā Wai ʻEkolu Stream Biodiversity Online Lesson 1,” a 45-minute video in which Cory Yap talks about native stream species and measuring the health of our waters.
Page: Lyon Arboretum’s Children’s Garden is peppered with ʻōlelo noʻeau… read a collection of ʻōlelo noʻeau online!
Page: “Ka Wai Ola – The Water of Life” on Kaʻahele Hawaiʻi. Read more ʻōlelo noʻeau about wai (water).
The water cycle, groundwater, and streams
Page: “Where is Groundwater?” on Geography4Kids.
Documentary: “Forests for Life” by the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources. Individual segments are viewable in shorter clips.
Page: “Hawaiian Streams” from the Division of Aquatic Resources. Be sure to check out the links on the side for more detailed look at stream topics!
Study systems in Hawaiʻi
Page: “Waipiʻo Valley Stream Restoration Study” from the Bishop Museum.
Page: “New Mapping Techniques Help Assess the Health of Hawaii’s Coral Reefs” hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Check out the photo of one reef hidden by a plume of sediment from runoff (near the bottom of the page). What a vivid image of how runoff can affect our reefs!
Article: “Native Hawaiians Turn to Ancient Traditions to Save Their Reefs” by Yessenia Funes on Gizmodo. There is one error early in the piece (kalo is not native; it is a canoe plant) but it is a great look at how traditional practices continue to provide useful answers to problems today.
Invasive Species
Page: “Albizia FAQs” from the Big Island Invasive Species Committee. Albizia is a highly invasive tree on Oʻahu as well as the Big Island, and the story of Albizia closely linked with the story of our watershed. Learn more about Albizia on this page.
Page: “Strawberry Guava” from the US Forest Service. Strawberry Guava is another highly invasive species in our state. Not only is it bad for our native forests, it’s also bad for our watershed! Learn more about this tree and one way the state is looking into controlling its spread through biological controls.
Page: “Introduction – Stream Animals: Alien Species” on the Atlas of Hawaiian Watersheds and Their Aquatic Resources. Read about invasive species in streams around our state.
Agriculture and erosion
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