33. Plant a Tree

Completed: 09/27/2015

  

Group photo around the commemorative 'ulu tree named after me

 

I went back again to Maui for the annual task of taking students to one of the neighbor islands to expose them to career opportunities in their fields of study and to provide them with hands-on, in-the-field learning experiences. This year,  I was able to check another item off my bucket list unintentionally: to plant a tree.

  

HUGE tree on a hiking trail in Makiki (I'm on the bottom right for scale)

 

I added this goal to my bucket list since I have somewhat of an affinity to trees. They're strong, sturdy natural structures that have many useful purposes, from converting carbon dioxide to the oxygen that animals need to survive, to grabbing onto soils that prevent erosion during rainfall, to even providing shade and comfort on a beautiful day. It's amazing how tall and wide trees can grow to be over hundreds of years. I find them fascinating to look at while I'm on my hikes, and climbing them every once in a while appeals to the hidden child in me.

 

 

 

Greenhouse with cacao plantings

 

This task has been attempted in the past. Every year, the University's landscaping department plants trees around campus on Arbor Day. I tried to go to this event last year, only to find that the group had so efficiently planted all the trees by the time I made my way over to the designated planting area. I also thought to do this as an activity for the annual trip with my students on a different island, but that never came to fruition. It's funny how opportunities don't seem to present themselves until you're no longer actively working to arrange them.

 

 

 

Gunars talking to our group about different trees for windbreak

  

Out on the hillside of the west side of Maui, in Lahaina, is a huge expanse of agricultural lands. Here is where I came to learn of a farm called SimpliFresh. The story of the farmer here, James Kimo Simpliciano, is one of how one man's passion is helping to save the island state. He used to work as a chef in a hotel chain, but didn't like the rate at which Oahu was being developed and the country no longer staying country. Because he wanted to support Hawaii's local food movement and sustainability in the islands, he moved to the lesser developed island of Maui to get involved in the agricultural industry. He has now shifted over to being a full-time farmer, devoting his time to experimenting with growing all kinds of foods that are found around the world and starting an apprenticeship program to inspire students to be future leaders in the agricultural industry. Unfortunately, he was not available during the exact weekend that we came to visit, but his partner, Gunars Valkirs, was gracious enough to host our group and give us the chance to do some real farming.

 

Charly with our Charlie-Brown-like 'ulu tree

 

One way for groups who come to volunteer here to make their mark is to plant an 'ulu (or breadfruit) tree to commemorate the experience. We had bought one after we landed in Maui, but being the last one in stock, it was a sad-looking tree. This one became affectionately named Charlie (specifically the British pronunciation of "Chah-lei") by the students, perhaps inspired by the Associate Dean of Academic of Student Affairs of CTAHR, but whose name is just pronounced the typical American way.

 

Students working on planting the Sylvia 'ulu tree

 

Luckily, the farmers we visited provided us with another more substantial 'ulu tree to plant, which the students decided to name after yours truly. If I ever go back to Maui, I wonder how this breadfruit tree will turn out. Hope it actually bears some fruit!

  

 

 First, digging a hole

 

After our nice little tree planting ceremony, we went over to Gunars' section of the farmlands, which is focused on his area of interest: cacao. He shared lots of great info about his passion for chocolate before giving us the chance to go into the fields and help to plant about 20 cacao trees. The process consisted of digging a hole, excavating the extra dirt out, massaging a small cacao tree from the container it was initially grown in so that it could be planted in the ground. After mixing some fertilizing seeds with the soil to pack the dirt so the tree could stand on its own, a stake was placed next to the tree to ensure that it would grown in a straight manner. For precautions against a meddlesome beetle that liked to dine on the cacao leaves, the trees were then protected by a circular mesh cage, which also had to be staked into the ground. Only when this whole structure was in place did we consider our work successfully complete.
 

Carefully removing tree from pot to plant into ground

  

The labor was intensive and our hands and bodies soiled by the red dirt in the fields we worked in, but it was a gratifying experience to know that we contributed in some way to Hawaii's agricultural industry. This, as did many other hands-on experiences in the field that I've done in my time in job, reminded me to be appreciative for all the work that farmers do so that I can have fresh foods for on my plate everyday to consume and enjoy.

 

Packing in the soil so the tree stays upright