That tropical look may be achieved with the right plants

Today’s column comes to you from the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew. We are here for a meeting of the International Palm Society. For those who have not experienced this amazing 500 acre plus garden, it is like the Walt Disney World of horticulture. The gardens date back to the early 18th century as royal palace gardens to today’s globally renowned scientific institution for plant and fungal research. In 1759, Princess Augusta, mother of King George the third, started it all. Today it employs over a thousand people. Kew is London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage site and houses over 50,000 species both native and introduced from all over the world. We are here primarily to study the family of palms.

Hundreds of kids attend Hawaii Keiki Rodeo

Nearly 400 keiki ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old displayed the paniolo spirit at the Hawaii Keiki Rodeo held on Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30, at the Pana‘ewa Equestrian Center

Army soldiers help clean Pu‘ukohola Heiau site

More than a dozen soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment on May 16-17 volunteered to clean up the beach area of the Pu‘ukohola Heiau National Historic Site in West Hawaii.

Let’s Talk Food: Recipes from HIAC Cookbook

Many nonprofit organizations need to constantly have fundraisers to continue their programs. One such is the Hawaii Adult Day Care Center, which started in 1976 with a dozen frail elderly adults gathered at Kaumana Baptist Church. Their sons and daughters needed to have them watched over while they were at work.

Tropical Gardening: Many plants from the Southern Hemisphere thrive in Hawaii

It seems bizarre that many plants from some of the most ancient geological regions of the world readily adapt to Hawaii’s young volcanic soils. Some in Hawaii are from Australia and ancient islands like Madagascar and New Caledonia. When it comes to strange animals and plants, Australia is in the lead for its share of the unusual to unique. This ancient mini continent has mammals that lay eggs to the marsupials that carry their premature babies in pouches. Recent fires put many in the animal kingdom at risk and the plant kingdom as well. Some Australian ecosystems will be altered for centuries and some may never recover.

EHCC to host discussion on policing

The East Hawaii Cultural Center will recognize its history as the former police station, jail and courthouse from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday by hosting a panel discussion on policing that is free and open to the public.

Two blood drives set for the Big Island

The Blood Bank of Hawaii is holding two blood drives. They are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday in Hilo at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and June 20-22 in Kailua-Kona at The LDS Church Kona’s cultural hall.

Volcano Watch: Explosive eruptions from Halemaʻumaʻu in 1924

May 2023 marks the 99th anniversary of a sequence of explosive eruptions from Kilauea’s summit that occurred over 16 days from May 11–27, 1924. During this eruption, about 60 explosions occurred from Halema‘uma‘u with fragments ranging from volcanic ash to large blocks the size of cars falling around the summit caldera.