Hands On Projects: Energy Auditing and Vermicomposting

A great day of hard work and learning!
Making a vermicomposting bin
Learning how to harvest vermicompost worms, good fun!
Ivory Mclintock of the Blue Planet Foundation give students an introduction into energy in Hawai'i and the how to conduct energy audits to know how energy efficient a room or building is or is not.

Continuing on the theme of "waste management and recycling," we spent the rest of the afternoon at Kapolei High school learning how worms can turn our kitchen waste into nourishing compost (vermicomposting). It was hands-on learning, you'll see!  We also snuck in a lesson on conducing energy audits in buildings to help conserve energy.

Tour de Trash!

Lovely compost made by Hawaiian Earth Products

Students get a bus tour of Hawaiian Earth Products with City Recycling Specialist Kevin Nesnow to learn how their green bin waste is turned into much and compost.

Students learn about how cardboard is recycled at RRR Recycling. This is where things from our household blue bins end up.

Plastic cartons being recycled at RRR Recycling

Look at all that trash, ready to be converted into energy at H-Power


Ahmed at H-Power shows students the controller where you can see how much energy is being generated from trash!

On the next day, we went on field trips in the Kapolei region to focus on the theme of "waste management and recycling." Mahalo to the City and County of Honolulu's Recycling office for arranging a customized "Tour de Trash" for us. It was an eye-opening experience!

"Huliau" Film and Inspirational Speakers

On Friday, January 7, 2011, we gathered at Leeward Community College for a special showing of the film, "Huliau" and were given the opportunity to address questions about the film to the filmmaker David DeLuca. He then joined Maile Meyer (owner of Na Mea Hawai'i/Native Books), Sam Gon, III (Senior Scientist and Cultural Advisor at The Nature Conservancy), and Solomon Enos (muralist, painter, and all-around artist) in a discussion about finding a career path through following your passions.