We are a
A Grass Roots
Volunteer Organization
Working to Promote
Sustainability
in Kohala and
the State of Hawaii
Sustainable Kohala
Why We Exist
As the earthquake of October 2006 reminded us, we live at the end of a tenuous road, on an isolated island with a very fragile infrastructure. We import most of our food and all of our manufactured goods. Because of our isolation, North Kohala is vulnerable to a host of emergencies caused by:
• Weather related disasters
• Rising fuel costs
• Economic decline
• Terrorism
• Pandemic plagues
Any of these global events could easily leave us stranded and unable to meet our basic survival needs for food, water, and power. Thankfully, in the not-too-distant past, North Kohala was self sufficient; residents relied upon what they could cultivate, hunt, or make. Such wisdom and skills need to be recovered. We now depend on available on-the-shelf food supplies, with less than a week’s reserve on hand.
Sustainable Kohala was organized to promote emergency readiness, food security, alternative energy, and sustainable agriculture in the face of these threats. An important goal is to spread the spirit of ohana, learn from our elders, and teach each other survival skills.
Our Vision:
Emergency Readiness
Local Food Security
Neighborhood Ohanas
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Energy
Zero Waste
Ecosystem Resilience
Affordable Housing
Thriving Community
Intergenerational Participation
“Supersistence” - Not just surviving, but thriving with better quality
Our Current Programs
• Monthly Film: free showings of full length movies to inform, inspire, and illustrate strategies for sustainability. First Sunday of every month at The Barn behind Luke’s, Hawi (7 p.m.)
• Talk Story sessions on Sustainable Agriculture and Emergency Readiness
• Green Zone at 2008 Kohala Country Fair:
Green Booths, Seed Exchange, Green Auction, and Talk Story sessions promoting sustainability
Workshops and tours of
• biodynamic composting
• raised bed gardening
Some of our Dreams
• Extensive backyard gardens and small farms throughout Kohala
• Enhanced Farmers’ Market in Hawi
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs where customers pre-pay for weekly produce
• Effective distribution of fresh food for all income levels
• Accurate data base of all food being produced in Kohala
• Farm Map so people know when and where to buy local produce from farmers selling directly
• Gardening programs for all school-aged children in Kohala
• Affordable and swift connection to Kohala ditch water for any and all serious gardeners
• Solar collector on every building in Kohala
• Water catchment for every dwelling in Kohala
• Regular schedules of Workshops, Tours, Talk Story and Forums on Sustainability
• Re-use and Recycle stations throughout Kohala
• Zero Waste
• Community Gardens
• Emergency Planning by neighborhoods
• Sharing skills and working together
Our Steering Committee:
2008-2009
Forrest Arnold
Jim Channon
Karin Cooke
Susan Cox
Tim Head
Richard Liebmann
Carolyn Mondress
Keith Nealy
Eddie Pollock
Lew Whitney
Deborah Winter
John Winter
To get on our email list, please send a request to
karin@kokolulu.com
Sustainable Kohala is sponsored by the North Kohala Community Resource Center, and can accept tax deductable donations.
GET THE WORD OUT ON THIS WEBSITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
