Restore West Lo‘i This Weekend

The Ka‘onohi taro patch will open Saturday to volunteers for a monthly work day, set for 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in a 2-and-a-half-acre space behind Pearlridge Center.

Located between the center’s Uptown and Downtown sections, with a view of the monorail, organic farmer Anthony Deluze strives to restore the lo‘i that once fed native Hawaiians, and to reintroduce other indigenous plants and trees to the urban farm lot.

Volunteers can expect to pull out koa haole stumps, clear the waterway, move cut wood, clear space for planting, and plant ti. Wear long pants, gloves and shoes, and bring tools such as picks and shovels. Park by Sears and enter through the road next to Sumida Farm. The nonprofit group Ho‘ola Hou Ia Kalauao will provide lunch, drinks and a guided tour of Ka‘onohi, which is part of the Kalauao ahupua‘a. RSVP by today (Jan. 21) to Deluze at 397-8685 or by email at kaonohipoi@gmail.com.