Day 2 – Academics, Nature, and Community
Today was divided into three areas: 1) academics, 2) nature, and 3) community. We began the day on UC’s campus, visiting the Environmental Studies course taught by Dr. Laura Zanotti and Professor Teri Jacobs.
News & Updates
Day 1 – And so it begins…
We’ve been planning. We’ve been waiting. We’ve been hustling. And now it’s time.
Less than a Week Away
I’m so excited! I still cannot believe what has been accomplished over the last two years! Something that once existed only as an idea has grown into seven projects, dozens of collaborators, and countless hours of work. And this upcoming week, that work will finally come to life.
One Week from Today!
One week from the time of this writing, the Live Performance will have already taken place, and we’ll be taking the last steps of a critical walk on the last day of BLINK. It is hard to believe how far we have come from where we started. Last year was a huge hustle to find ways to fund this project. Several external and internal grants were written, and while few were funded, enough were to make this happen.
Creativity, Knowledge and Wisdom
We’ve been working hard for the last two years to make this happen. All this time, our rallying cry has been “Imua”, which in Hawaiian, translates to “forward,” “ahead,” or “onward.” Like most Hawaiian words, “Imua” carries deeper meaning. In this case, the expression conveys advancing with courage, striving toward a goal, or pressing onward through adversity (“go forward,” “charge,” or “keep moving ahead”). And that’s what we did through all the “ups and downs”.
Getting ready! Hoʻomākaukau!
This morning, I stepped out into the crisp autumn air at Ault Park to clear my mind and get into the spirit of a very special week ahead. Walking through our local trails is the perfect way to ground myself before the grand arrival of our beloved friends and cultural practitioners from Hawai’i for the Forest Calls events. There is something truly magical about the quiet energy of the forest when you are preparing to host a weeklong journey centered entirely around deep, meaningful transformation.
Hurricane Lowell
Last week, Hawai’i was hit by Hurricane Lowell. The peak of the storm reached Kaua’i late Monday night (September 7) and lasted through the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday morning (September 8). During that window, the core of the storm made its closest approach just west of Niʻihau and Kauaʻi as a Category 2 hurricane, tracking northward.
Honoring Pakele: A Celebration of Life, Resilience, and Hope
When Graham and I first ventured deep into the rain-drenched wilderness of the Alakaʻi Plateau to film When Silence Becomes the Song, the silence settling over the canopy felt overwhelming. Yet beneath that quiet lay a story of fierce, breathtaking persistence. Recently, the island of Kauaʻi came together to honor that exact spirit: Pakele, the last known wild ʻakikiki. Marking one year since she was last seen on August 29, 2025, Mayor Derek Kawakami issued an official proclamation and the Kauaʻi County Council presented a certificate celebrating Pakele’s extraordinary life and recognizing the tireless biologists at the Kauaʻi Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP) who fought along her side.
PBS Hawai’i Broadcast
Yesterday, I received an email from PBS Hawai’i, letting me know that they have scheduled “When Silence Becomes the Song” for broadcast on Thursday, October 8th at 8:30 pm (HST), with a repeat on Sunday, October 11th at 1:00 pm (HST).
“Wings of Wonder”
On August 21, 2026, Ella and Derek went to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens to do b-roll video of the Zoo’s action-packed free-flight demonstration called “Ameritas Wings of Wonder”. Footage from that day will be used in an upcoming full length documentary, written and directed by Ella.