UH Hilo announces Season III of Ka Leo o ka Uluau podcast

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo invites listeners to Season III of Ka Leo o ka Uluau, a podcast created to hoʻokamaʻāina or acquaint listeners with Hawaiʻi Island. Season III launches on Sunday, January 22, 2023 and is available at: hilo.hawaii.edu/uluau/.

Season III consists of 12 episodes that address piliina, or relationship with the island’s native manu or birds of Hawaiʻi, featuring a different set of manu with each episode. Special attention is given to the places, environments and ecosystems with which they are associated, as well as their cultural significance and “superpowers.” Guests will share personal experiences, the appearance of manu in moʻolelo and place names, and Kumulipo-inspired pairings of manu with other Hawaiʻi life forms.

Episodes will continue to be released throughout 2023 on the Hilo moon phase of every malama or Hawaiian lunar month to raise awareness of this indigenous and highly relevant practice of keeping time and attentiveness to Hawaiʻi’s environment - and also to acknowledge the place of origin of the podcast.

The podcast is co-hosted by Leilani DeMello, an alumna of both Hawaiʻi Community College and UH Hilo, who shares: “Season III of Ka Leo o ka Uluau I feel is a great progression from our foundation of moʻolelo and practice, which takes us further into our environment to meet our manu Hawaiʻi, our native birds. We have an opportunity to learn about the importance of place through their habitats, lifestyles, and functions in the different spaces of our landscape.”

Co-host Drew Kapp who teaches Geography at HawCC, adds: “What we will learn from our manu experts in Season III will not only serve to further elevate native birds on Hawaiʻi Island and beyond, but will remind us of our inextricable ties with the manu, our environmental kinship, and the kuleana we gratefully bear to do whatever it takes to fiercely protect these amazing manu.”

Ka Leo o ka Uluau is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms, and all episodes are released through the podcast blog where guest biographies, photos, and glossaries are included.

Ka Leo o ka Uluau is supported by the UH Hilo Office of the Chancellor and Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center.