it may be the last week but with all that was gained a new beginning awaits

Well the past week we all had the best time with the Oahu Army Natural Resource orange team. Knowledge about natives, non-natives, the Hawaiian culture, and every day life was passed down to the oahu team A. From my point of view this has been the most memorable experience in the HYCC program that Ive been through. Laughs and stories were shared and relationships grew. It was a great challenge remembering all the names of plants , mostly the latin but as a team we all worked together and wabam we all remembered most of what we learned! Its really crazy how we as a team became so close, we play pranks on each other - of course rated G ones- and it seems like our laughs are contagious because once someone starts its so hard to stop. Our camping trips WHOAA let me tell you are the funnest most awesomeness ones ever! at Papahana we decided to put the tables together and play card games after dinner , I bet everyone has a nice pair of not only 6 packs but 8 packs of abs after all the laughter we had. Truth is im very sad this is the last week but what I have gained, what I have learned, what I now see created memories that not even Alzheimer's can take away. I thank Kupu for everything, all the work they put into it and all that they have blessed me with. I came here wanting to learn , wanting to see the true beauty of Hawaii and thanks to Kupu I was able to see the true beauty not only with its beautiful sights but with its culture and people. My team is filled with genuine people and even though we can all be GRUMPY (PAPA NATE!!!) we all know how to put a smile on each others faces. We seriously have the randomest conversations ever , but what can I say it makes time go by so quickly.... hopefully all you other teams have had the time of your lives and learned just as much or even more, but lets all end this week with hearts filled with joy and the can do attitude! heres to a great summer filled with learning, experiences, and friendship ...HYCC 2011 !!

Week Five - Oahu Army Natural Resource Program

From Monday to Thursday we worked alongside the Orange Team from the Oahu Army Natural Resource Program (OANRP). We had a great time repairing fences to prevent pigs from destroying native plants, spraying herbicide on invasive species, clipping/sawing down invasive species, monitoring native plants, weeding invasive plants, and hiking constantly up and down Makaha Valley and 3 Points. Then on Friday we hiked up Palehua Trail, and proceeded to another nearby trail, where we worked on trail maintenance. This included raking, clipping, and sawing invasive plants that were on the pathway.

Week Four - Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi, The Nature Conservancy

Although we may be retiring our tabis after this week, we had a great time working with Kako'o 'Oiwi and at the rest of the Coastal Wetland sites. This week was all about the Lo'i. We weeded around the Kalo, replenished the mud mounds around the Kalo, and continued to expand a Lo'i with shovels and rakes. The other work-site employees taught us a great deal about the history of the site and He'iea, as well as the invasive species that pose threats to the task of re-creating the valley filled with Kalo.

Week Three - Papahana Kuaola

This week Team Periwinkle-Blue-Awesome-Rockstars-Yeahhh-Boy! had an amazing time camping with the Papahana crew. We helped plant Kalo in the Lo'i, planted native species along the Waipo river bank, collected stones for the soon-to-be He'ieau, cleared invasive trees and weeds, and learned how to use a Hawaiian sling (well everybody except for Nate!). We are all grateful for the time we got to spend camping and helping with the Waipo Stream Restoration Project!

Week Two - Ahahui Malama i ka Lokahi

Our team worked in both a dry forest restoration project at NaPohaku o Hauwahine and a wetland pond demonstration project at the Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site. Team members worked together to build a log walk along the marsh, while also expanding the marsh by clearing mud and alien plants. With the help of site manager Chuck (Doc) Burrows, members learned about conservation in these Hawaiian wetlands, along with the endemic and native species found there.

Week One - Team Training

HYCC Team Training took place at Camp Paumalu on Oahu's north shore.

HYCC Oahu Team A