Each year, billions of North American monarch butterflies undertake a remarkable journey to spend the winter in central Mexico’s high mountains, carpeting treetops in gold. Some estimates place the colonies’ density as high as 50 million per hectare. The pines and eucalyptus trees of Pacific Grove, California also are a wintering spot for the monarchs, some traveling as much as … [Read more...] about Julia Butterfly Hill
Rob Report
Eleven Ideas for Fixing Agriculture on Maui
It’s been distressing to witness the unraveling of once-viable agricultural operations over recent years and months. The old paradigm of large mono-crop plantations and export commodity crops is dying, but it still hasn’t yielded to new models that favor local food security and sustainability. We spend about $4 billion annually on food imports (amounting to 85-90 percent of our … [Read more...] about Eleven Ideas for Fixing Agriculture on Maui
A Week of Maui Meetings, One Familiar Story…
Four separate assemblages last week showcased the bewildering extent to which Maui’s leaders are still marching in step with the old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” In spite of multiple signs indicating the decay of long-standing institutions and practices, failure to heed the handwriting on the wall is hindering substantial progress, while … [Read more...] about A Week of Maui Meetings, One Familiar Story…
From Gutenburg to Texting
Torrents of rain upon my Haiku rooftop woke me from dreamland. The volume of water overflowed the gutters, sending a mini-waterfall onto the porch stairs, so forceful it power-washed the paint right off. After five minutes, the downpour subsided. Thus began my day of writing the weekly column that has been a regular routine and central focus over the past three years. The Rob … [Read more...] about From Gutenburg to Texting
Remembering Chris Harstad
The business card he handed me many years ago read, “West Maui Big Kahuna,” fitting for the tall, athletic Colorado native who moved to Maui in 1988, following an older brother who lived in Lahaina. I met Christopher Harstad during my previous incarnation as owner/operator of Grand Wazoo Piano Moving, and he often helped provide muscle for deliveries. Chris would always arrive … [Read more...] about Remembering Chris Harstad