Ari, You go girl!!! For folks that don’t know you and your work I was blown away when I first saw your interpretation through your art work of natures abundance. For those at the conference I stumbled through a impromptu drawing of the isthmus showing the wind corridors and how they enter the island whether from the NE and or the South. I went on to vocalize what that could look like if we planted a dryland native and a bamboo timber forest on either end of the isthmus and utilized the existing land quadrants in between all of the access roads that now has cane growing in them. One of the ideas that came out of the conference also from our group was ringing Haleakala with forested and grassland bands to promote food production quell erosion and restore micro-climates.
I’d like to elaborate on all of this with you, and others who want to jump in. You tell me what works for you and I will set up a meeting of everyone who wants to play so that we can all mastermind the visual to communicate to your heart and hands. V

Sorry I missed the conference. I heard it was wonderful. Congratulations to you and Vince. Your descriptions conger wonderful images David. I look forward to seeing what Ari produces.

David B. Fisher said:

Since what we are going for is quite different than we have now, and since many would consider it very idealistic (which it is) I think any visualization has to be very realistic as opposed to fantastic. The other theme is “back to the future” drawing on the fact that our Native Hawaiian hosts were able to be fully-self sustaining with their ahupua’a system. There is a good visualization of this in a Kamehameha Schools poster that was on the wall at the retreat center. I also have a copy and a companion book if you are interested (I understand we are neighbors). Also check out the Polynesian voyaging art of Herb Kane and in a very different setting Diego Rivera.

Of course, we can not literally go back–we will have windmills, PV panels, electric vehicles, small value added manufacturing facilities, satellite dishes, a very diverse community with visitors from all over the world, lots of students and mentors, big farms, small farms, gardens, apartment gardens, hotel room gardens, and free-ranging chickens, ducks, cows, goats, etc. plus modern aquaponic fish farms. Most of all we will have diverse plantings lots of small different plots–see Craig Elevitch’s “Pathways to Abundant Gardens – A Pictorial Guide to Successful Organic Growing” out of the Big Island.

Hi Vincent.

Thanks always for your consistent stream of enthusiasm and positive encouragement.

I think we need to get the county plans for that area. I hear they have plans for the next 30 years. If we want them to take us seriously ,we need to include them. If someone who is better with beaurocracy than I am could round up such a thing that would be super helpful.Also a google earth map of the boundaries in the area to be transformed.
Monsanto has a big presence down there too. Until they are eliminated ,we will have to work around them and I want to show that we are considering the reality of the present (insane as it is) mind set ,while presenting our vision. I think this shows that it is not all just a visionary fantasy but a serious projection of our intention that will create our reality.
I also think a meeting is a great idea,but to keep throwing in ingredients into this channel first until we have more of a soup to work with. Then we call a meeting. Waddaya think?

Vincent Mina said:

Ari, You go girl!!! For folks that don’t know you and your work I was blown away when I first saw your interpretation through your art work of natures abundance. For those at the conference I stumbled through a impromptu drawing of the isthmus showing the wind corridors and how they enter the island whether from the NE and or the South. I went on to vocalize what that could look like if we planted a dryland native and a bamboo timber forest on either end of the isthmus and utilized the existing land quadrants in between all of the access roads that now has cane growing in them. One of the ideas that came out of the conference also from our group was ringing Haleakala with forested and grassland bands to promote food production quell erosion and restore micro-climates.
I’d like to elaborate on all of this with you, and others who want to jump in. You tell me what works for you and I will set up a meeting of everyone who wants to play so that we can all mastermind the visual to communicate to your heart and hands. V