NALU Studies

Georgia Eyerman
NALU Studies
● Mentor for a two
week program
● 185 hours
● Scientific and
ecological learning
through hands on
work
● Cultural practices
 3/13/23 - 3/14/23

Poli Poli/ Rice Park/ Ko’ie’ie

Fishpond
● Observed Maui’s Ahupua’a
system Mauka > Makai
● GPS coordinates and
envirometer data
● Ahupua’a demonstration
activity/lecture

Kipuka Olowalu
● Native plant gardens/lecture
● Remove invasives and cleared
a Lo’i patch
3/15/23 - 3/16/23

Kealia Ponds
● Water sampling and
quality testing
● Collecting samples on
petri dishes
● Lesson on native species
● Planting natives at Kealia

DNA Extraction/Molecular
Genetics Lab
● Molecular genetics
lecture
● DNA extraction from
Kealia water samples in
the lab
3/17/23 - 3/18/23

Maui Nui Botanical Gardens

● Native plant tour and
lecture
● 70 ft Ti-leaf lei making
for Kaho’olawe
● Nitrite, nitrate, and
phosphate testing

CPR/First-Aid
● CPR & first-aid certified
3/20/23 - Kaho’olawe Day One

- Arrived to boat dock

- Practiced arrival oli
- Docked boat and unloaded
supplies by human chain
- Safety brief/bunk set up
- Aki’ Aki’ grass planting
and shoreline restoration
- Rode Polaris to sites
- Kiloed (observed)
restoration sites
- Ocean bathing
- Lecture
- Mentor debrief
 3/21/23 - Kaho’olawe Day Two
Road/wetland/restoration and
stargazing on Kaho’olawe
- Wake up at 4:00 a.m
- Breakfast
- Shoveled gravel into bags
- Road restoration, patched with
water, dirt, and rocks previously
collected
- Went to a site dedicated to
Kaneloa, olied, placed lei
- Lunch
- Removed invasives at wetland
- Rode polaris back to camp
- Lecture
- Ocean bathing
- Dinner
- Stargazing/constellation
identification
- Mentor debrief
3/22/23 - Kaho’olawe Day Three
- Woke up at 4:00 a.m
- Breakfast
- Made lunch with the cook Mars
- Lowered teachers, kayak, and data
equipment into Sailors Hat by rope
- Observed teachers taking water
samples
- Rode polaris’s back to wetland
- More invasive removal/ weed
wacking
- Lunch on the field
- Took quadrats down to
Ho’okanai’a Bay
- Took my group and set down
measuring tape on the ocean floor,
layed quadrats down, counted how
much and what kind of coral was
in each of the quadrats
- Went back to base camp
- Discussed data collection
- Dinner
- Life lecture from Mars the cook
- Pau hana after dinner
3/23/23 - Kaho’olawe Day Four
Departure from Kaho’olawe
- Woke up at 4:00 a.m
- Cleaned bunks/kitchen/base
camp
- Learned exit oli
- Cruised at base camp waiting
for the boats to arrive
- Loaded all of the supplies onto
the boat by human chain and
paddling surfboards out to the
boat
- Swam to the boat
- Rode home
If I could do this again I would….
● Begin open
communication sooner
● Better identify
weaknesses and strength
● Document each day
better
● Allow my mentees more
responsibility
Thank You!