Giving Back to the Aina with Mano

I used to call Mano my "good friend" even when I barely knew him.  That's the kind of guy he is.  Something about him just makes you feel like you've known him forever.  That's how special he is.  So guess what Mano did to celebrate his birthday?   He had a Give Back to the Aina celebration today and invited his friends and family to meet him at a nature preserve deep in Kalihi Valley called  Ho'oulu 'Aina, for a morning dedicated to servicing the land.

Update from Mano:  Hey guys, every 3rd Saturday, everyone is welcomed to come and help weed, clean, pick up trash, harvest the fruits and veges on the land. 100 acres owned by the state that the community fought for and won over real estate developers. The community comes, takes ownership into the land, and everyone walks away afterwards with bags of freshly harvested produce and meeting cool people.



Ho'oulu 'Aina is located at the very end of Kalihi Street after this wooden bridge . . .


which spans over a part of Kalihi Stream.






Here's Mano.


I was surprised to see my girlfriend's daughter Sharlynn and her husband Ryan. Sharlynn said that they help out at the preserve about every other month.  She and Ryan created HIHO (Hands in Helping Out) a nonprofit organization geared to helping people become volunteers.  Pretty awesome yah!