Tips for Teachers
Are you thinking of getting your class involved in this year’s Mālama Wao Akua art contest? We hope so!
Here are some tips that might help! Remember, there is a $5 entry fee for all entries in the keiki division. Not all artwork entered will be selected for the show. This is a CONTEST.
- Consider having a contest within your class or school first, then enter the winning pieces from your contest to compete with the entries from other schools and individuals.
- Invite EMWP to come as a guest speaker.
We will give a presentation about Hawaiian rainforest ecology. Students build a watershed. Time: 60-90 minutes (flexible). - Check to make sure your students’ entries qualify.
Native birds, insects, plants or landscape of native species of Maui are OK. Coral reef species OK too. Polynesian introductions and other non-native species are NOT OK. - Have entries display ready.
Native or Not?
Simply put, a native species is any creature that got to the Hawaiian Islands without the help of humans. They did this in one of three ways: by Wind, by floating over the ocean Waves, or by flying over using Wings (or being stuck on a bird’s feathers). We call these the three Ws.
If you are unsure about the origins of your subject, contact us by email or phone (573-6999) and we’ll help you out. You can also do some research on your own, via the internet, or your local library.
Where to go for Inspiration
Books
Try your local bookstore and look in the Hawaiiana or Natural History sections. Below are some exceptional books with great pictures and interpretive text.
Mālama Wao Akua
Remains of a Rainbow
Eco traveler’s Guide to Hawaii
Places to go
Many popular hikes on Maui are actually altered habitats with little or no native wildlife. Come on a hike with us and travel back in time to a place filled with the plants, birds, and insects that make Maui unique. Call 573-6999 to sign up your group for an EMWP hike.
Other places you can hike to that have interpretive information and native species:
Haleakalā National Park
Hawaiʻi Nature Center
Kealia and Kanaha Ponds
Maui Nui Botanical Gardens
Maui Ocean Center
Nā Ala Hele
Sites to surf
Native Hawaiian Plant Society
Learn about native plants, and volunteer for service trips
Hear.org
Over 3,000 images of plants found in Hawaiʻi. Not all are native so be sure to check on the page if it is listed as native or not.
Native Hawaiian Plant Websites
A list of sites put together by the University of HI, Manoa
Birds of a Feather
An article with pictures of native Hawaiian birds
Jack Jeffrey’s Photos
Brilliant photographs by this wildlife biologist and photographer
Mike Neal’s Photos
Artist and photographer’s collection of native bird photos and more
nativehawaiianflora.com
Native Hawaiian Plant Photography
Native Nursery
A plant nursery in Kula that sells native and Polynesian introduced plants. Website has pictures, and you may be able to ask for a tour.
