The Discovery Forest at Hilo’s Panaewa Rainforest Zoo &Gardens received its quarterly grooming, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of East Hawaii ohana on Saturday, Sept. 27.
The Discovery Forest at Hilo’s Panaewa Rainforest Zoo &Gardens received its quarterly grooming, courtesy of the Kiwanis Club of East Hawaii ohana on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Every three months Kiwanis Club members and their sponsored youth clubs volunteer to maintain and nurture the Discovery Forest, a Hawaii Forest Institute and Hawai‘i Forest Industry Association project at the zoo funded by the Hawaii Tourism Authority Natural Resources Program.
Culturally significant plants that once grew in the traditional farms and native forests of East Hawaii are featured in the Discovery Forest, including Polynesian-introduced plants that arrived with migrations in voyaging canoes.
More than 40 members of the Hilo High Key Club, Hilo Intermediate School Builders Club and K-Kids at De Silva Intermediate School — all Kiwanis Club-sponsored youth service leadership programs — participated in this Phase III of the project, clearing thick growths of invasive weeds in the forest landscape with their school advisers and Kiwanis Club members.
Many of the students had volunteered for Phases I and II as well.
This latest turnout, with the big contingent of student volunteers, was the largest event yet.
HFI Executive Director Heather Simmons and caretaker Iwi Joaquim worked alongside them, teaching about native plants and forest management.
“We are very grateful for the continued support of Kiwanis Kids in creating and maintaining the Panaewa Zoo Discovery Forest over the past two years,” Simmons said. “The energetic group of Key Club members and Kiwanis Kids diligently pulled weeds and planted seedlings despite the rainy weather.”
Liz Field heads the project for the Kiwanis Club.
“It’s fun getting out to work in the zoo. It’s terrific for our sponsored youth and has a positive impact in our community,” she said. “Serving kids and the community and having fun are what Kiwanis is all about.” The Kiwanis Club of East Hawaii, part of Kiwanis International, has been serving children and the local community since 1963. For information, call 987-5186.