The University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at Hilo and Â鶹´«Ã½ Community College co-hosted , a dynamic, multi-day Earth Day celebration. Guided by the theme “Huli ka lima i lalo, ola” (hands that are turned down to do work, bring life), the event featured demonstrations, conservation efforts and speaker presentations designed to encourage the community to m¨¡lama ʻ¨¡ina (care for our land).
A centerpiece of the celebration took place on L¨¡ Honua (Earth Day) at UH Hilo featuring an Earth Day Fair for K–12 students and a Conservation Career Fair for college students.
Amy Fullerton, a second-grade teacher from ±Ê¨¡³ó´Ç²¹ Elementary School, emphasized the necessity of the event. “We need to teach the students about how important our earth is because it’s their future.”
Students were thrilled to engage in interactive activities outside the traditional classroom setting. From building their own water systems to learning about how camouflage helps animals in the wild to creating artwork using traditional Hawaiian materials and methods.
For UH Hilo faculty, engaging with the keiki provided a joyful change of pace. Professor Kerri Inglis spent the morning teaching children how to make ti leaf lei. Representing Hui M¨¡lama Makanalua, an organization dedicated to honoring and remembering the residents of Kalaupapa on Molokaʻi, Inglis reflected on the university’s long-standing tradition to mark L¨¡ Honua.
“We’ve all come to really appreciate our connections, and so taking the time once a year to celebrate Earth Day is important,” said Inglis, who chairs the Social Sciences Division in the . “It’s an opportunity to express gratitude for where we are and recognize that we’re responsible not just to this island, but our Earth is an island that we need to take care of as well.”
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