Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a two-part story on the state’s partnership with local schools to manage public fishing areas. KAPA‘A — Kapa‘a High School is sailing in uncharted waters. It will be the first school in the
Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a two-part story on the state’s partnership with local schools to manage public fishing areas.
KAPA‘A — Kapa‘a High School is sailing in uncharted waters.
It will be the first school in the state to partner with the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources to manage a public fishing area, said DAR’s Wade Ishikawa.
When Ishikawa approached Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada with the partnership idea, Hamada said he saw a way to bring civic responsibility — one of the three Department of Education priorities — to fruition.
“It’s giving students an opportunity to plan for something in their future and for their children,” said David Kagawa, Kaua‘i Complex Area resource teacher.
The different perspectives will gel into families fishing for bluegill at Wailua reservoir, in much the same way families now fish for trout in Koke‘e.
To begin the journey, Kapa‘a High School revitalized their aquaculture facilities last year by re-doing the grounds and getting their aquariums and outdoor tanks up and running. They designated their Workplace Readiness program in the Special Education department to lead the way.
Kaulana Smith, Workplace Readiness teacher, said that they try to find what motivates and interests their students. In discussions, they discovered that the students enjoyed being outdoors and enjoyed fishing. The students appeared motivated by the idea of revitalizing the aquariums and outside tanks and the creation of a multi-use facility, which could include aquaculture, stock enhancement and aquarium fish trade. The water could also be used to irrigate crops and support a lo‘i, or taro patch.
The teachers found that they could integrate workplace readiness skills like timeliness, planning, starting and finishing a project. Three subject area teachers found that they could integrate science, math and technology while working on a Hawai‘i Networking Learning Communities grant project, funded by the DOE, University of Hawai‘i and National Science Foundation.
A grant from the Hawaii Community Foundation and donations from community individuals and businesses allowed for the revitalization of the facilities. It also allowed for a student and adult worker to watch and maintain the facility during fall, winter and spring breaks and summer vacations.
Students were disappointed at the beginning of each school year coming back from vacation and finding the fish dead and the grounds in a mess, Smith said. It was like starting from scratch every year. The HCF grant took care of that problem.
As news of the revitalization of the fishery program spread, community support increased. Community members donated fish. The Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center donated some tanks.
Smith has established an adopt-a-tank and adopt-an-aquarium program where her program students set everything up and teachers or students can maintain the tank or aquarium for projects that fit into their respective curriculum.
Smith said more and more, students come around asking questions. She e-mails their teachers to let them know of their students’ interest and invites the teachers to use the facilities.
The journey thus far has had its ups and downs. The fish have to spawn. The eggs or live babies have to be transferred to the aquariums and raised until they are large enough to be placed in the tanks. The bluegill have yet to spawn.
Growth needs to be tracked. Conditions need to be monitored. Questions — What is the best water temperature? What is the best food at the various stages of growth? What kinds of plants should be added? What would be the best habitat? — need to be answered.
Smith said they experienced a “fish kill,” where all the fish in a tank died. That’s when Smith said the importance of having fishery programs around the island and the benefit of collaboration among schools were emphasized.
Part 2 will discuss certain aspects of inter-school collaboration, other bumps in the road and the state’s goals in involving schools into a conservation program.
• Cynthia Matsuoka is a freelance writer for The Garden Island and former principal of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. She can be reached by e-mail at aharju@kauaipubco.com.
