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  • Essay / Reflection on the community service program: Malama Loko Ea

    Last September 15, 2018, I participated in a community service program with my friends at the Malama Loko Ea fish pond on the north coast of Hawaii. This was the first community service I did in this area. We chose the place because we just want to go to the North Shore, especially me who has never been there. The only problem we had was the mode of transportation, but we discussed that later. We all listened to each other express their thoughts on this task and we arrived at the intersection point. Since I've never been to the North Shore, I was so excited and a little nervous at the same time. I had to go there alone and the whole journey on the way was so amazing. I woke up early in the morning to catch the bus. It took me two hours to get there but those two hours were one of the most magnificent moments of my life. I got to see a whole new side of Hawaii, different from what I've seen so far. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Instead of tall buildings, I saw plantations and mountain ranges. It was the first time I saw a mountain that looked like knuckles and it was truly beautiful. We all met up nearby and went to the fish pond together. Before the activity began, we made some small presentations and one of the area managers told a brief history of the pond. The Loko e'a is a 400-year-old Hawaiian fish pond. I learned that the pond is self-sustaining and can maintain fish stocks if managed well. This reflects the art of Native Hawaiian resource management practices. The foundation's mission is to perpetuate Native Hawaiian culture through education, land stewardship and community development, while sustainably restoring our precious natural resources. On the other hand, their vision is to connect the present with the past. The purpose of this foundation is to restore aea. Ea has many translations, including independence, life, air or breath. It can also be a verb meaning “to rise” or “to feel.” The fish pond is home to many aquatic species like Ahole, Ama'ama, 'O'opu Naniha, all native to Hawaii. This is one of the reasons the foundation has worked hard to restore and improve the pond. After the brief discussion, we were divided into separate groups. We went to the part where there are a lot of weeds. We were given gloves and tools and then we started working. I noticed that we all have the same work style: execution. We just did as we were told and pulled out all the weeds. While we were working, we had the opportunity to speak to Sayo Costantino, the director of Kupuohi's educational program. She has been serving the foundation for over 10 years. She said removing invasive grass species is important to reopen waterways and allow native vegetation to thrive. It was then that I realized how important our duty is to restore balance to the region's ecosystem. By pulling these weeds, we not only help native plants grow, but we help the marine species in Waialua Bay that rely on these natural food sources. To conclude, my experiences in this community service made me aware of the importance of our aina. The little things we did, like pulling weeds, had a significant effect on the..