[INTRO MUSIC] [INTRO MUSIC] >> HIKI NO, HAWAI'I'S NEW WAVE OF STORYTELLERS.

>> ALOHA AND WELCOME TO HIKI NO ON PBS HAWAI'I.

I'M HIROKO YASU, A SENIOR AT CAMPBELL HIGH SCHOOL ON O'AHU.

THANKS FOR TUNING IN TO WATCH THE WORK OF HAWAI'I'S NEW WAVE OF STORYTELLERS.

THIS EPISODE IS ALL ABOUT TREES.

THEY GIVE US OXYGEN, THEY GIVE US SHADE, AND THEY GIVE OUR ISLANDS LIFE.

BUT JUST LIKE US, THEY NEED A LITTLE CARE TO TRULY THRIVE.

TODAY, WE'LL MEET A LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT TURNED THEIR PASSION FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN TREES INTO AN EDUCATIONAL CARD GAME, AND WE'LL EVEN LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.

WE'LL ALSO VISIT A SPECIAL SANCTUARY FOR NATIVE ACACIA KOAI'A TREES ON HAWAI'I ISLAND, EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF A LEGENDARY BANYAN TREE THAT STOOD IN WAIKIKI FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, AND DISCOVER ONE INNOVATIVE WAY TO MAKE USE OF THE INVASIVE ALBIZIA TREE.

BUT FIRST, LET'S TAKE A LOOK BACK ON HIKI NO'S ANNUAL TEACHERS CONFERENCE.

EDUCATORS FROM O'AHU, MAUI, KAUA'I, AND HAWAI'I ISLAND CAME TO THE PBS HAWAI'I STATION IN SEPTEMBER FOR A JAM-PACKED DAY OF LEARNING AND MEDIA EDUCATION TRAINING.

>> WE'RE HERE FOR THE 2025 HIKI NO TEACHERS CONFERENCE HERE AT PBS HAWAI'I.

IT'S REALLY EXCITING.

WE HAVE TEACHERS HERE FROM ACROSS THE STATE.

>> IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE ALL YOU TEACHERS BACK HERE IN PERSON.

IT WAS 2019, THE LAST TIME WE WAS 2019, THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS IN PERSON.

>> TODAY IS ALL ABOUT OUR TEACHERS.

OUR TEACHERS ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF HIKI NO.

OBVIOUSLY WE COULDN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT THE HARD WORK THAT THEY PUT IN.

>> THE REALLY COOL THING IS WE'RE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS TO TELL THE STORIES THEY WANT TO TELL IN A REALLY COMPELLING WAY.

AND WE'VE BROUGHT TOGETHER TEACHERS AND MENTORS AND HIKI NO STAFF, ALL TO THAT END, TO PROVIDE TRAINING IN PRODUCTION AND STORYTELLING SKILLS.

>> AND THAT MAKES YOU FASTER, BECAUSE STUFF IS ALWAYS IN THE SAME PLACE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO LOOKING FOR IT.

>> AS A MENTOR, I'M HERE TO JUST IMPART SOME KNOWLEDGE IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR DAY-TO-DAY WORK FOR THE STUDENTS BETTER.

>> AND THIS REALLY CONTROLS THE DEPTH OF FIELD, AND WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO DETAIL OF THIS.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU'RE GOING TO ADJUST THE ISO.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS KIND OF ONE BY ONE.

>> THE TEACHERS THAT ARE HERE TODAY, THERE ARE A WIDE VARIETY OF SOME ARE NEW TEACHERS WHO ARE TEACHING MEDIA, MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME, OR SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN ON FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT WHAT'S BEEN GREAT IS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP THEM, WHATEVER THEIR PROBLEMS MAY BE, MAYBE WITH TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF USING THE CAMERAS, OR JUST EVEN A REFRESHER ON HOW TO DO SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES TO HELP THEM TELL THEIR STORIES.

>> THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES, IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH YOUR PROCESS AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH, SOMETHING'S NOT WORKING, OR SOMETHING DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT OR DOESN'T FIT, CHANCES ARE YOU DIDN'T MEET ONE OF THESE CRITERIA.

>> I REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, SO I'M STARTING FROM SCRATCH.

>> MY MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA IS THE FIRST ONE.

AM I COMPELLED TO WATCH WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE SECONDS?

>> I'VE BEEN LEARNING ABOUT PRE-PRODUCTION, POSTPRODUCTION, WRITING SCRIPTS FROM PROFESSIONALS, AND THAT'S BEEN SO VALUABLE.

>> AS A FIRST-YEAR MEDIA TEACHER, EVEN THOUGH I HAD DONE IT IN THE PAST, I CAME BECAUSE I REALIZE HOW BIG THE TASK OF TEACHING MULTIMEDIA SKILLS IS.

[LAUGHTER] >> SO, MAYBE JUST A PROFILE OF US.

>> I NEED A MEDIUM NOW, SO MAYBE JUST THE PROFILE OF US TODAY.

I'M HERE SPEAKING TO TEACHERS ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS A VETERAN HIKI NO TEACHER AND A VETERAN TEACHER OF MEDIA PROGRAMS, KIND OF SHOWCASING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO, HOW WE GOT HERE, TALKING A LOT ABOUT CULTURE BUILDING AND PROGRAM BUILDING, AND JUST GENERALLY, TRYING TO SHARE MY EXPERTISE, OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, IN THE FIELD OF TEACHING MEDIA.

>> AND AS YOU GET MORE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR DECISION MAKING, THE BETTER YOU GET, THE EASIER THOSE PROJECTS WILL BECOME.

BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE NOT FOCUSED ON 'WHAT DO I DO,' YOU'RE FOCUSED ON 'HOW DO I GET IT?'

>> THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO LEARN.

SO, WE'RE SO LUCKY TO JUST KIND OF GET TO CROSS POLLINATE WITH EACH OTHER.

>> REALLY, IT'S ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS.

IT'S YOU KNOW, THE SKILLS WILL COME.

BUT WHEN YOU ARE ABLE TO KIND OF CONNECT WITH THE KIDS, GAIN THAT TRUST, THEY TRUST YOU, THEN A LOT OF REALLY GOOD STUFF CAN HAPPEN, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO BUILD THAT.

>> THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT I GAIN FROM THE PROS.

>> WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE IS GOING TO GET OUT OF IT?

THAT IS A NATURAL BEGINNING FOR YOUR SCRIPT, RIGHT?

YOU'RE GOING TO TELL YOUR AUDIENCE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF MY STORY.

>> I LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS AND WRITING AN OUTLINE AND A MORE EXPANSIVE REVIEW ON VOICEOVERS AND SOUND BITES.

>> MAKE SURE THEY'RE PREPARED FOR THAT.

>> I'VE COME AWAY WITH SOME REALLY VALUABLE THINGS THAT I CAN BRING BACK TO MY CLASSROOM.

JUST BEING HERE AT PBS IS REALLY COOL, AND JUST MEETING ALL THE PROFESSIONALS THAT DO THIS FOR A LIVING, THAT'S BEEN VALUABLE TO ME.

>> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE VERY BEST THINGS ABOUT HIKI NO IS THAT WE HAVE THIS COMMUNITY OF STORYTELLERS, AND WE COME TOGETHER AROUND THIS COMMON GOAL OF TRYING TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS AND BUILD CRITICAL THINKING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.

>> I LOVE COMING TO THESE THINGS.

THESE ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO AS A TEACHER.

BEING A MEDIA TEACHER IN A HIGH SCHOOL, YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH BY YOURSELF.

AND SO BEING ABLE TO KIND OF COME ALONG AND FIND A NETWORK OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS YOU, AND YOU GET TO SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH THEM, AND WHO GET IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TO ME, THE BEST PART ABOUT COMING HERE TODAY.

MAKES ME FEEL GREAT.

[OCEAN WAVE] >> ALL RIGHT, LET'S KICK OFF OUR SHOW WITH A STORY FROM WAI'ANAE HIGH SCHOOL ON O'AHU.

STUDENTS AT SEARIDER PRODUCTIONS SPENT THEIR SUMMER SPOTLIGHTING A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT'S SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES BY TURNING LEARNING INTO A GAME.

>> I GOT NUTRIENTS, MY NUTRIENTS CARD.

>> IN JUNE 2025, THE NONPROFIT TREES FOR HONOLULU'S FUTURE CAME TO WAI'ANAE TO SHARE THEIR EDUCATIONAL CARD GAME WITH THE YOUTH.

>> OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A FUN AND EDUCATIONAL WAY TO LEARN ABOUT TREES SPECIFIC TO HAWAI'I, BUT ALSO TO LEARN ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF TREES AND HOW THEY HELP BUILD HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.

SO, KUMULA'AU IS AN ALL-AGES CARD GAME ALL ABOUT HAWAI'I'S TREES.

>> KUMULA'AU WHICH TRANSLATES TO TREE IN 'OLELO HAWAI'I, WAS DEVELOPED BY THE ORGANIZATION TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF URBAN TREE CANOPY ON O'AHU.

>> THE BASIC CONCEPT IS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO COLLECT RESOURCES, SOIL, WATER, SUN AND NUTRIENTS TO GROW YOUR TREE.

SO, YOU NEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EACH OF THOSE THINGS TO SUCCESSFULLY GROW YOUR TREE.

BUT THEN AS YOU'RE COLLECTING THOSE YOU ARE ALSO ENCOUNTERING CLIMATE HAZARDS LIKE FLOOD OR DROUGHT.

SO, YOU JUST KEEP GOING ALONG, BUT YOU'RE TRYING TO COLLECT YOUR RESOURCES, BUT ALSO AVOID OR DEAL WITH THESE CHALLENGES THAT COME UP.

>> SO, THEN YOU GET A NEW ONE.

YES, THEN YOUR RECIPE CHANGES.

>> MY FAVORITE PART OF THE GAME WAS ACTUALLY LEARNING AND TRADING RESOURCES.

SO, I DIDN'T KNOW CERTAIN TREES NEEDED CERTAIN RESOURCES FOR IT TO GROW.

I THOUGHT THEY JUST NEEDED THE LIKE, SUN, WATER AND SOIL.

BUT LIKE, KNOWING THAT THEY NEED NUTRIENTS, AND ALSO LIKE, KNOWING THAT WHEN WE CHOOSE A CARD, WE GET, LIKE, DOUBLE THE CARD, SO WE NEED TO TRADE IT.

AND IT WAS PRETTY FUN, TRADING IT.

>> SORTING IT OUT, IT WAS JUST THE SAME COLOR EVERY TIME.

>> SO, THIS GAME WAS INSPIRED BY ANOTHER CARD GAME CALLED TREEMENDOUS.

WE WERE REALLY INSPIRED BY THAT GAME AND WANTED TO REDEVELOP IT TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE EDUCATIONAL AND WEAVE IN ELEMENTS OF HAWAIIAN CULTURE AND LANGUAGE AND GOOD AND BAD TREE CARE PRACTICES.

SO, KIDS HAVE FUN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO COLLECT EVERYTHING THEY NEED, AND THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF CHANCE TO IT.

SO, SOMETIMES YOU JUST GET A BAD HAND THAT'S REALISTIC, LIKE IN LIFE AND IN TRYING TO KEEP A GARDEN OR TREES ALIVE.

AND THEN IT'S EDUCATIONAL, BECAUSE ALL THE INFORMATION ON THE CARDS IS TRUE, AND IT'S REFLECTING ACTUAL SITUATIONS IN HAWAI'I RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS AND THE TYPES OF TREES WE HAVE HERE AND THE CULTURAL USES OF THEM, ALL THAT.

THERE'S LOTS OF INFORMATION ON THE CARDS ON THE TEXT.

>> STUDENTS ENJOYED AN AFTERNOON OF KUMULA'AU FUN WITH THEIR FRIENDS, WHILE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING HAWAI'I'S TREES.

>> I ACTUALLY REALLY HAD A GOOD TIME LEARNING ABOUT WHAT THE GAME WAS ABOUT AND ALSO LEARNING HOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF LIKE, THE TREES HERE ON OUR ISLAND.

I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS GAME TO MY FRIENDS, KNOWING THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY COMPETITIVE WITH BOARD GAMES, BUT CARD GAMES IN GENERAL, IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A PRETTY FUN TIME.

>> THEY START TO LEARN THE NAMES OF NATIVE TREES.

THEY START TO LEARN WHAT TREES NEED TO THRIVE, THE DIFFERENT NUTRIENTS THEY NEED, BUT ALSO THE DIFFERENT TREE CARE PRACTICES THAT WE AS HUMANS CAN DO TO HELP THEM GROW, AND I HOPE THAT THEY LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT HAZARDS WE FACE AND HOW WE CAN BUILD RESILIENCE AS A COMMUNITY, AND WHAT THE ROLE THE TREES PLAY IN THAT.

>> THIS IS JANE KUHIIKI FROM WAI'ANAE HIGH SCHOOL FOR HIKI NO, ON PBS HAWAI'I.

[OH MY GOD, MAIKA'I, TREE!]

[LAUGHTER] [OCEAN WAVE] >> IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY KUMULA'AU, STAY TUNED.

WE'VE GOT A HOW-TO TUTORIAL COMING UP AT THE END OF THE SHOW.

NOW, LET'S TRAVEL TO KAUAI TO VISIT A FATHER AND SON FARMING DUO WHO SHARE A LOVE FOR CACAO TREES AND CHOCOLATE.

THIS STORY IS FROM KAPA'A HIGH SCHOOL.

>> WHAT CAME FIRST?

THE CHOCOLATE BAR OR THE CHOCOLATE TREE?

WELL, THE CHOCOLATE TREE CAME FIRST.

SO, FIRST YOU PLANT THE TREES, WAIT A FEW YEARS, HARVEST, AND THEN YOU PROCESS CHOCOLATE.

>> AT GARDEN ISLAND CHOCOLATE IN KILAUEA ON KAUAI'S NORTH SHORE, MR.

KOA KAHILI AND HIS 16-YEAR-OLD SON, MAKANAKAI, WORKED TOGETHER TO PRODUCE MANY PEOPLE'S FAVORITE TREAT.

>> WHEN I FIRST STARTED MAKING CHOCOLATE, I WAS PROBABLY FIVE OR SIX.

THE MACHINES WERE JUST SUPER COOL, AND I LOVED THE TASTE OF THE RAW FRUIT.

AND EVER SINCE, I'VE JUST BEEN INTRIGUED BY THE WHOLE THING.

>> I SAW THAT CHOCOLATE - NO ONE WAS MAKING CHOCOLATE ON KAUA'I, SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A NICHE, FINDING A LITTLE NICHE AND FILLING IT.

OH, WHAT I DO HERE AT GARDEN ISLAND CHOCOLATE, AS THE OWNER AND MANAGER AND TOUR GUIDE, PRETTY MUCH DO EVERYTHING.

I LIKE BEING OUTSIDE.

I LIKE FARMING.

I LIKE GARDENING.

I LIKE EXPERIMENTING IN THE KITCHEN.

I LIKE COOKING.

>> PRODUCING CHOCOLATE IS COMPLICATED AND INVOLVES MANY STEPS, STARTING WITH HARVESTING RIPE CACAO.

>> ALL CHOCOLATE STARTS AS A FRUIT, AND THEN THE FRUIT IS OPENED, THE BEANS ARE FERMENTED, ROASTED AND GROUND.

AND FINALLY POURED INTO MOLDS TO CREATE THE BAR SHAPE WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE.

>> MAKING CHOCOLATE IS A LENGTHY PROCESS, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY, BUT IT'S VERY REWARDING.

>> WORKING IN THE CHOCOLATE BUSINESS HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT ECONOMICS AND A LOT ABOUT MAKING MONEY.

>> THE PLAN IS ALWAYS TO EXPAND THE BUSINESS AND GROW THE BUSINESS.

YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE A TREE, THE BUSINESS GROWS, AND YOU WANT TO HAVE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.

>> AS A TWO-MAN OPERATION, GARDEN ISLAND CHOCOLATE RELIES ON BOTH FATHER AND SON WORKING TOGETHER TO KEEP IT RUNNING SMOOTHLY.

PROBLEM SOLVING IS PART OF THE JOB.

>> MACHINES BREAK, AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL TO FIX THEM, SO YOU'VE GOT TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY, AND SPILLS HAPPEN.

GOT TO CLEAN UP THIS SUGARY MESS.

THAT CAN ALWAYS BE A BIT OF A HASSLE.

I ALWAYS DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP OUT, WHETHER THAT BE IN THE GARDEN PULLING WEEDS, OR HELPING PAINT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.

>> THE KAHILIS ARE COMMITTED TO OFFERING THE PUREST FORM OF CHOCOLATE WITHOUT THE USE OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS OR PESTICIDES.

>> YOU'RE HELPING TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS, NOT IN TERMS OF MAKING MONEY, BUT IN TERMS OF GROWING HEALTHY ORGANIC FOOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF KAUAI.

IT'S VERY REWARDING TO SEE THE PLANTS GROW, AND THE BUSINESS GROW.

AND LIKE I SAID, THEY GROW SLOWLY.

>> THEY PLAN TO SLOWLY INCREASE PRODUCTION WHILE STILL PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY CHOCOLATE POSSIBLE.

>> I JUST HOPE THAT THE BUSINESS GOES ON TO CONTINUE PROVIDING CHOCOLATE TO EVERYBODY ON KAUAI.

>> THIS IS PRESTON HAYDEN FROM KAPA'A HIGH SCHOOL FOR HIKI NO.

[OCEAN WAVE] >> IN HAWAI'I, WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE A CLIMATE RIPE FOR ALL KINDS OF FRUIT.

THIS NEXT STORY FROM STUDENTS AT MAUI WAENA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL EXPLORES A FARM THAT'S BEEN IN THE SAME FAMILY FOR FOUR GENERATIONS: HASHIMOTO'S KULA PERSIMMONS AND CHERIMOYA FARM.

>> WE HAVE THIS - THE ORIGINAL TREES THAT MY ANCESTORS, YOU KNOW, PLANTED HERE.

>> LOCATED IN KULA, MAUI, HASHIMOTO'S PERSIMMON FARM HAS BRANCHED OUT INTO ITS FOURTH GENERATION.

>> SO, OUR FARM IS, LIKE OVER 100 YEARS OLD.

MY GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER BROUGHT OVER THE FIRST PERSIMMON TREE FROM JAPAN, AND THEN MY GREAT GRANDFATHER HAD THIS FARM.

THEN MY GRANDFATHER AND NOW MY DAD, AND MY DAD IS RUNNING IT, AND SINCE I WAS BORN, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FARM.

AND NOW MY CHILDREN WORK ON THIS FARM.

>> DESPITE THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES, IT'S IN THEIR ROOTS TO COME BACK AND HELP.

>> YOU KNOW, DURING THE SEASON, WHICH IS REALLY SHORT, IT'S ONLY FROM OCTOBER TO LIKE END OF NOVEMBER.

MY PARENTS ARE HERE EVERY DAY, BUT MY FAMILY AND I ARE HERE EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

WE GIVE UP OUR WEEKENDS AND WE SPEND, YOU KNOW, ALL DAY TOGETHER.

SO, MY DAD HAS WORKED REALLY HARD AT KEEPING UP, YOU KNOW, THE TRADITIONS, KEEPING UP WITH MODERN TIMES.

MY MOM HAS WORKED AT DIVERSIFYING THE FARM BY MAKING PRODUCTS, YOU KNOW.

SO, WE DON'T JUST HAVE FRESH FRUIT ANYMORE, BUT WE HAVE SCONES AND JAMS AND COOKIES.

>> WHAT STARTED AS A HOBBY HAS BLOSSOMED INTO A UNIQUE AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.

>> I HAVE TRIED PERSIMMONS.

USUALLY, THEY'RE IMPORTED.

I HAVEN'T EVER HAD PERSIMMONS FROM HAWAI'I BEFORE.

SO, YOU KNOW, THEY BRING THEM IN FROM JAPAN, USUALLY, AND FROM THE CONTINENT.

SO, IT'LL BE EXCITING TO HAVE PERSIMMONS FROM HAWAI'I.

>> CUSTOMERS ARE SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF YOU HAD NO CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANYONE TO SELL TO.

>> SO, WE DO ENJOY WHEN PEOPLE COME AND VISIT.

AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, I THINK, ENJOY BECAUSE THEY COME AND THEY SEE, LIKE, OH, IT'S THE SAME FARM, SAME PEOPLE.

WELL, ONE THING IS, NOW WE DO TAKE CREDIT CARDS.

THAT'S HUGE.

WE NEVER DID.

WE HAVE A WEBSITE.

WE STILL, YOU KNOW, WE DO MAIL ORDERS, SO WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES.

IT'S VERY HARD TO HAVE A FAMILY BUSINESS.

IT'S A LOT OF WORK.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY WORTHWHILE, AND THE LEGACY IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT, AND FAMILY IS WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.

>> AND THESE YEARS OF HARD WORK HAVE HELPED THE FARM AND THE FAMILY FLOURISH.

THIS IS KALLYSTA MIGUEL FROM MAUI WAENA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL FOR HIKI NO ON PBS HAWAI'I.

[OCEAN WAVE] >> IN THIS NEXT 'DID YOU KNOW' PIECE FROM STUDENTS AT HAWAI'I PREPARATORY ACADEMY ON THE BIG ISLAND, WE'LL VISIT A SPECIAL SANCTUARY FOR NATIVE KOAI'A TREES HIDDEN IN A KIPUKA, OR OASIS, AMONGST PASTURELAND.

>> DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE TWO SPECIES OF KOA WOOD NATIVE TO HAWAI'I?

THE KOAI'A IS A SUBSPECIES OF KOA THAT GROWS IN DRY AREAS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

>> THIS WOOD IS EVEN HARDER THAN KOA WOOD AND IS PRIZED FOR ITS GNARLED GRAIN.

>> THESE TREES ARE ENDEMIC TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, LIKE THEIR MORE WELL-KNOWN COUSIN, THE KOA TREE.

EARLY HAWAIIANS USED THE TREE FOR SMALL WOOD PRODUCTS, BUT ADDITIONALLY, ITS LEAVES AND BARK COULD BE MIXED WITH OTHER PLANTS AND USED IN A STEAM BATH TO TREAT SKIN DISORDERS.

>> KOAI'A NATURALLY GROW IN THE OPEN AND TEND TO PERFORM WELL UNDER DRY CONDITIONS.

THE KOAI'A TREE SANCTUARY IN KOHALA ON HAWAI'I ISLAND IS ONE OF THE ONLY NATURAL HABITATS OF THE SPECIES LEFT.

>> THIS IS VICKEN EZIK FROM HAWAI'I PREPARATORY ACADEMY FOR HIKI NO, ON PBS HAWAI'I.

[OCEAN WAVE] >> NOT ALL TREES ARE WELCOME HERE.

THE ALBIZIA IS INVASIVE AND KNOWN FOR CAUSING PROBLEMS ACROSS THE ISLANDS.

IN THIS CLASSIC HIKI NO STORY FROM HALAU LOKAHI PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL, STUDENTS EXPLORE CREATIVE WAYS TO TURN A PROBLEM TREE INTO SOMETHING USEFUL.

[HAWAIIAN CHANTING] >> IN THE 14TH CENTURY, RULING CHIEF KALANI'OPU'U PREDICTED THAT TREES FROM OTHER LANDS WOULD FLOURISH WHILE NATIVE TREES WOULD BECOME EXTINCT.

>> BETWEEN 1910 AND 1960, THE HAWAI'I DIVISION OF FORESTRY OUTPLANTED OVER 130,000 ALBIZIA TREES AS PART OF THEIR EFFORT TO REFOREST A LOT OF THE AREAS THAT HAD BEEN DENUDED BY PAST POOR CONSERVATION PRACTICES.

IT IS ACTUALLY A FAIRLY INVASIVE TREE BECAUSE IT PRODUCES LOTS OF PODS, WHICH GERMINATE, THE SEEDS GERMINATE REALLY FAST, AND THE PLANT GROWS REALLY FAST.

IT GROWS UP TO LIKE 15 FEET A YEAR, AND IT PRODUCES A WIDE, BROAD CANOPY THAT SHADES OUT ALL OTHER SPECIES AND PREVENTS THEM FROM GROWING.

>> THE CANOPY OF A SINGLE ALBIZIA TREE CAN SHADE OVER HALF AN ACRE OF LAND, KOKUA KALIHI VALLEY'S HO'OULU 'AINA, AN ORGANIZATION OF LAND STEWARDS, IS TAKING A POSITIVE APPROACH TO REVERSE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT THESE INVASIVE MONSTERS HAVE ON A FRAGILE KOA AND 'OHI'A FORESTS.

IN KALIHI, ALBIZIA IS BEING USED TO PERPETUATE A CULTURAL TRADITION.

>> I MEAN, TO SEE A TREE THAT THAT I MAY HAVE HELPED CUT DOWN TO THEN BE TRANSFORMED INTO A CANOE, SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTS OUR CULTURE AND OUR PEOPLE AND OUR TRADITION, AND REPRESENTS HOW WE CAME TO BE IN HAWAI'I, AND THEN NOW FOR OUR YOUTH TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT AND TO RIDE ON THAT LOG THAT WAS ONCE GROWING IN THIS FOREST, I THINK, IS BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING.

[CHOPPING WOOD] >> 85% OF WHAT WE'VE DONE HAS ALL BEEN WITH HAND TOOLS, MOSTLY THE KO'I OR THE ADS.

[CHOPPING WOOD] >> THE ALBIZIA IS SOFT, GENERALLY PRETTY SOFT AND EASY TO CARVE, AND SO IT BECOMES A REALLY NICE WOOD FOR BEGINNERS AS WELL AS EXPERTS.

>> WAY TO USE THOSE PROBLEMATIC TREES AND THEN TO TURN IT INTO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL, LIKE A CANOE.

SO, THAT RIGHT THERE, THAT'S THE SUSTAINABILITY AT ITS FINEST.

>> THIS IS CHAZARI EDWARDS COMING TO YOU FROM HALAU LOKAHI PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN KALIHI FOR HIKI NO.

[OCEAN WAVE] >> NOW, WE HEAD TO THE HEART OF WAIKIKI, WHERE ONE MASSIVE BANYAN TREE HAS BEEN A LANDMARK FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.

THIS NEXT STORY WAS PRODUCED BY STUDENTS AT MID-PACIFIC INSTITUTE ON O'AHU.

>> WHEN GUESTS COME HERE, THEY STAND UP THERE ON THE VERANDA AND THEY GAZE UPON THIS TREE.

AND WHEN YOU SPEAK WITH THEM, THEY'RE LIKE, MY GOD, THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

>> THE MOANA BANYAN TREE WAS PLANTED IN 1904, THREE YEARS AFTER THE MOANA SURFRIDER HOTEL WAS BUILT.

IT WAS SEVEN FEET TALL AND SEVEN YEARS OLD.

TODAY, AT 117 YEARS OLD, IT STANDS OVER 75 FEET TALL, AND ITS CANOPY IS OVER 150 FEET WIDE.

>> UP UNTIL 1979, IT WAS SO FULL THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU COULDN'T SEE THROUGH THE TREE AND LOOK OUT INTO THE OCEAN.

>> THROUGH THE LAST CENTURY, THE MOANA BANYAN HAS PROVIDED SHADE FOR COUNTLESS GUESTS, AMONG THEM CELEBRITIES SUCH AS AMELIA EARHART, ERNEST HEMINGWAY, FRANK SINATRA AND LUCILLE BALL, TO NAME A FEW.

AND FOR MANY, IT'S BEEN A PLACE TO RELAX AND UNWIND.

>> I ACTUALLY CAME HERE IN 1971, AND I REMEMBER SEEING THIS TREE THEN AND WAS FASCINATED BY IT, AND SO I BROUGHT MY DAUGHTER BACK.

>> IN 1979, THE MOANA BANYAN TREE BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST TREES ADDED TO THE CITY'S EXCEPTIONAL TREE LIST, AND IN 2001 IT WAS DECLARED A MILLENNIUM TREE BY THE AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL FUND.

BUT CARETAKERS DISCOVERED AILMENTS WITH THE TREE THAT COULD BE TRACED BACK TO 1989 WHEN MAJOR RENOVATIONS WERE COMPLETED.

HEAVY CONSTRUCTION WORK PRODUCED UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES THAT AFFECTED THE TREE'S HEALTH.

>> HEAVY MACHINERY ON THE ROOTS ALWAYS IS STRESSFUL FOR THE TREES.

>> IN 2007, THE MOANA SURFRIDER STAFF MET WITH CHERI BARSTOW, WHO IS A NATURE SPIRIT CHANNEL AND AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, ELEMENTALLY SPEAKING.

SHE CLAIMS TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH NATURE SPIRITS, INCLUDING THE MOANA BANYAN TREE.

>> AND SO, WE WERE REALLY INTERESTED BECAUSE, NUMBER ONE, IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU GET TO SPEAK TO A TREE.

AND NUMBER TWO, WHAT SHE WAS SAYING ACTUALLY MADE SENSE, SCIENTIFICALLY AND ARBORISTICALLY.

AND WHAT THE TREE SAID, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THAT HER ROOTS, WHICH ONCE TOUCHED THE VIBRATIONS OF THE HUMANS AND THE PEOPLE THAT SURROUNDED HER, WERE NO LONGER FELT.

SO, IN OTHER WORDS, SOMETHING WAS PHYSICALLY COVERING HER, HER ROOTS.

>> THE INFORMATION CHERI PROVIDED AND WHAT WAS ALREADY SUSPECTED BY THE MOANA LANDSCAPING STAFF WAS CONFIRMED IN 2011 WHEN EXCAVATIONS UNCOVERED DEAD ROOTS UNDER THREE FEET OF SOIL.

>> SHE'S A TEENAGER RIGHT NOW, SO RIGHT NOW SHE'S IN THE PRIME OF HER LIFE, AND WE WANT HER TO TAKE US THROUGH THE NEXT CENTURIES.

>> IT'S SO PEACEFUL AND SO NICE.

I THINK THAT ONE DAY, MAYBE WE'LL COME BACK, AND YOU'LL BRING YOUR DAUGHTER.

>> ALTHOUGH THE TREE'S HEALTH HAS IMPROVED GREATLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, PLANS ARE ONGOING TO ENSURE THAT THE MOANA BANYAN IS HEALTHY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

THIS IS ANDY LAM FROM MID-PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR HIKI NO.

>> TIME FOR SOME FUN, AS PROMISED, HERE'S AN INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE TO A NEW LOCAL CARD GAME, KUMULA'AU.

THIS HOW-TO WAS PRODUCED BY STUDENTS AT WAI'ANAE HIGH SCHOOL.

>> KUMULA'AU IS A LOCAL CARD GAME ALL ABOUT HAWAI'I'S TREES.

HERE'S HOW TO PLAY.

IN A GROUP OF THREE TO FIVE PEOPLE, START WITH EACH PLAYER PICKING A TEAL CARD.

THIS WILL DETERMINE WHAT TREE YOU WILL GROW AND THE RESOURCES YOU'LL NEED TO COLLECT.

THEN CREATE TWO PILES, A SHUFFLED STACK OF THE REST OF THE CARD DECK AND A SPACE FOR YOUR DISCARDED CARDS.

>> CHOOSE A PLAYER TO START OFF THE ROUND, AND IN A CLOCKWISE ROTATION, EACH PLAYER WILL DRAW A CARD FROM THE SHUFFLED STACK.

TAKE TURNS COLLECTING NUTRIENTS, WATER, SUN AND SOIL CARDS TO BE THE FIRST TO GROW YOUR TREE.

>> DURING THE GAME, YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT NATIVE TREES WE HAVE HERE IN HAWAI'I, WHAT RESOURCES THEY NEED TO THRIVE, AS WELL AS SOME CHALLENGES OUR TREES FACE.

DRAWING A PILIKIA OR 'AUE CARD CAN STUMP YOUR TREE'S GROWTH.

PILIKIA CARDS CAN STIR UP A NATURAL DISASTER, WHILE 'AUE CARDS ARE COMMON ERRORS THAT CAN HAPPEN WHILE TRYING TO GROW A TREE.

THESE CARDS CAN MAKE YOU DISCARD RESOURCES, SKIP A TURN, OR EVEN START FRESH.

BUT DON'T SWEAT.

MALAMA AND MAIKA'I CARDS CAN HELP GET YOU BACK ON TRACK BY EITHER CANCELING OUT A PILIKIA OR REPLACING RESOURCES.

DURING YOUR TURN, YOU CAN ALSO BRANCH OUT AND TRADE RESOURCES WITH OTHER PLAYERS.

ONCE YOU'VE SUCCESSFULLY GATHERED ALL YOUR RESOURCES, DEALT WITH EVERY MINOR SETBACK, AND AVOIDED ALL HAZARDS• >> KUMULA'AU!

>> YOU WON!

[OCEAN WAVE] >> THAT'S IT FOR OUR SHOW.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE WORK OF HAWAI'I'S NEW WAVE OF STORYTELLERS.

DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW PBS HAWAI'I ON YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.

YOU CAN FIND THIS HIKI NO EPISODE AND MORE AT PBSHAWAII.ORG.

TUNE IN NEXT WEEK FOR MORE PROOF THAT HAWAI'I STUDENTS HIKI NO, CAN DO!

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