By Aero Coomer
Aloha, Folks, and welcome back to another exciting edition of happening events right here in the Punaverse!
First on the list for April is the adopt-a-highway clean up just south of Pahoa town, organized by the Mankind Project, on Saturday, April 5th from 2 pm until about 4 pm. It’s open to men & women of all ages. There is alot of cleaning up to do in our world at the moment, and what place better to start than in our own backyard?
Clean highways, roads, and public areas have a direct positive correlation to our mental health and those around us. We meet at the Sacred Heart Church across from the schools, 15-3006 Pahoa Village Road, with shuttles bringing people to and from the clean-up areas as needed. I also want to give a shout-out to all the men doing the inner alchemical work out there – transforming their lead into gold. So, in that respect, direct anyone else interested in a positive men’s support group to Clive’s farm in Kapoho, where the Mankind Project meets weekly. Connect with us at the clean-up for more details. As always in Puna, be prepared for the weather and more. Check the Facebook page for more details of what to bring.
Next we have the Puamana Farm Fest going on at Mile Marker 12.9 just south of Pahoa. This is their 6th annual event and it just keeps getting bigger and better! This year, over 40 bands are scheduled to take the stages from Noon to Midnight in a musical smorgasbord of symphony and sound. Expect lots of vendors, crafts, and foods to be front and center as well, as Puna comes out to showcase its talents of all kinds. Three non-stop stages will be going this year, and they added a Goddess Stage with over 10 woman musicians. A kids’ play area will be set up with folks to help keep the keiki occupied and engaged with face painting and more. Chill out around the campfires at night with friends new and old. Some of the musicians include Chris Berry, Unity and the Band of Angels, Peace Tribe, Punacat, thee Warren Weston, Tommy Osuna and bluegrass outfit Maple Flo and the Goats. Suggested donation is only $25. Stay tuned for the new flyer to be released with even more details.
Another event I am really stoked about is the Pahoa Urban Food Forest (PUFF) class and plant give away with Root Crops at the Living Planet Learning Center, 15-2881 Pahoa Village Road, just across the street from Napa Auto Parts. Root crops like Kalo and Cassava make up an integral part of a balanced food forest system. There are up to 9 layers or levels of food-growing capacity in a permaculture food forest, and if we miss just 1 of them, we are missing out on 10% or more of our food security. Learn how to live sustainably with this engaging class on some of these farming principles. Don’t forget to dig up and take home some keiki or starts for your own garden! Class is from 11 am to noon, digging & tour is noon to 1 pm, and plant giveaway is from 1 pm to 2 pm. $10 Suggested Donation.
And, saving the most exciting for last – how could an event calendar in Puna be complete without commenting on the ongoing lava extravaganza up at Volcano National Park?! Since December, the lava has been acting more geyser-like than lava-like, with the USGS relatively predicting when the lava bursts forth from the ground. Check their website or live online camera on YouTube for the latest. This last eruption was the 15th episode since December – and the lava fountain lasted for hours and reached over 1000 feet – above the crater rim itself, the highest recorded since 1959!
A word of caution, though, for all those making the trek to see the sights for themselves – beware the VOG and Pele’s Hair, which has been raining down on sightseers. Here are a few tips for mitigating potential dangers: wear long clothes, solid shoes, a hat, and more. Bring a change of clothes that you can put into a bag before you get back into your vehicle so that you don’t drag her hair through your life. Pele’s hair is composed of very fine pieces of volcanic glass that can easily embed themselves under our skin or in our eyes. Wear glasses or even goggles to protect the sideways hair that gets blown by the wind. Ski masks, snorkels, and face masks are not as funny as we might initially think in this situation. Bring extra water to flush out human or pet eyes and more to wash off what can be very dirty windshields after the event. Don’t wipe the hair off, as much as you might rinse it off. Be aware of your surroundings, and generally speaking keep visits in hazardous conditions to 2 or 3 hours at the most. Be prepared – but ultimately, don’t let her stop you from experiencing the worldy wonders of nature right here in our own backyard!
Aero Coomer
Aero grew up in a log cabin in the thick Wisconsin woods and has never been able to shake the Wilderness from his Soul.
A decades-long forager and wildcrafter, from Portland to Arcata to San Francisco, he supplied many grocery stores, restaurants, & farmers’ markets with gourmet mushrooms.
In the last decade, medicinal mushrooms and plants such as reishi, chaga, and lion's mane have taken a focal point in his life for his healing process, so he started Old Growth Organics, as he continually refines and creates some of the cleanest and most potent medicinal mushroom and la’au lapa’au products around. Find him at the farmers market just giving away the best Chaga Chai you have ever tried.
20-year master gardener, blue ribbon flower grower, with the knowledge to create diverse & specific compost teas. Highly attuned to the Moon and Elementals, he used his visionary artist skills to channel a new Planetary Moon Calendar, amongst other agricultural inventions. Here in Hawai'i, he has spent time as a teacher and permaculture facilitator at the Hawaiian Sanctuary.
Long-term volunteer of many issues of social justice, family and human rights, environmental rights, indigenous rights, food sovereignty, and community solidarity- here to continue the mission of bringing health & happiness to the world – starting with the Ohana gathered here.
Only eight years here in Puna so far, but here to stay, the love of Malama Aina has touched the core of his being, along with the Spirit of Aloha. 600 coconut trees deep, he prefers to spend his free time planting food forests for the future.