The Snorkel Bob Foundation focuses on reef recovery. To that end, the Foundation will oppose fin-fish harvesting that may cause reef collapse or critical by-catch. It’s all one reef; the Snorkel Bob Foundation recognizes the global impact of problems occurring on reefs around the world, and will  focus on this as well as the recovery and protection of whales, monk seals, dolphins and other marine cetaceans. Offensive vessels shall include long liners, drift netters, whalers and factory ships.

The Snorkel Bob Foundation shall further resist reef fish harvest by any means for commercial sale or display by the aquarium trade. Commercial sale of freeze dried seahorses, blowfish, seashells or corals is an assault on reefs worldwide, warranting response, as the Foundation is able to provide. We will also defend marine habitat against human effluent where mitigation is still practical.  The Foundation donates ‘Snorkel Bob’ Brand masks, fins and snorkels to those organizations engaged in defense of marine habit and/or species.

The Snorkel Bob Foundation provided pivotal efforts toward gill net regulation for the first time ever in Hawaii in 2006. Maui is now 100% free of gill nets by administrative rule. Often called “curtains of death” gill nets killed millions of reef fish, along with sea turtles and monk seals, and are still killing monk seals (endangered), Hawaiian green sea turtles (endangered) and hawksbill turtles (endangered) on other Hawaiian islands and around the world.

The Snorkel Bob Foundation was instrumental in exposing the Hawaii aquarium trade and its devastating attack on Hawaii reefs. The aquarium trade fills 80% of all tanks in the U.S. with Hawaii reef fish, 99% of which die in ayear. Those same fish live up to 40 years on the reef. Those fish leave $3-4 each in Hawaii but retail for $40-50, and each fish requires a few hundred dollars more in hardware—tanks, filters, pumps, etc.
The struggle continues. Hawaii aquarium hunters have no limit on their catch, no limit on the number of catchers and no constraint on species. 80% of the fish taken by the aquarium trade are herbivores. The biggest threat to Hawaii reefs is algae.

The Snorkel Bob Foundation donated masks, fins and snorkels to the Kauai Children’s Discovery Museum and to the Ko’ie’ie Fishpond on Maui, so that Hawaii children on these islands can visit the reef and see what they’ve been missing.

The Snorkel Bob Foundation donated $45,000 in Snorkel Bob Brand masks, fins & snorkels to 6 Pacific island nations through Coastal Resources & the Peace Corps, in order to show the residents of those islands what they’ve been missing—that their reefs can provide a wealth of sustenance far more valuable than a convenient dumping ground. Reef recovery has begun in those places.

The Snorkel Bob Foundation produced Turtlerama in 2004, a gala evening of turtle and reef movies, once on each island, so that reef huggers around Hawaii could gather to celebrate what we love, and to mobilize a petition and letter campaign to the Secretary General of the United Nations, urging the ban of North Pacific drift nets and long lines.

In 2010, a move is afoot to take Hawaiian green sea turtles off the endangered species list so that these turtles may be eaten. This initiative by the National Marine Fisheries “Service” is part of a greater move to reopen the Hawaii long line fishery, so that the turtle and sea bird by-catch kill will be tripled, and many thousands of humans will incur mercury poisoning from eating tainted swordfish. The Snorkel Bob Foundation is now focused on that campaign.

Spear fishers with scuba or other surface-supplied air are devastating Hawaii reefs by killing all the parrot-fish as they sleep. Parrot-fish are a lynchpin species. The Snorkel Bob Foundation is focused on this challenge and several others.

We hope you find our ‘Go Green; Preserving our ‘Aina’  news and event updates useful in plotting your own course for a better Hawaii.  Be sure to share it with your friends and family!

-Maurizia Zanin, Kauai, Hawaii

UA OLA I KE ALOHA.  “Love gives life within”.

Love is imperative to one’s mental, physical, emotional and spiritual welfare.  A kind word can melt the hardest heart.  Look at a situation with love, it changes everything.

Activities at a Glance

• Indoor Event
• Handicapped Access
• Auction
• Live Entertainment
• Live Music

For More Information

King Hale

Some of the features & amenities of the King Hale house include:

• One 2nd floor Master Suite with King Bed, Air Conditioning, and Private Bathroom with Jacuzzi Tub and large walk-in Shower.
• Another 2nd floor Master with King Bed, Air Conditioning, and Private Bathroom with Large Walk-in Shower and Tub.
• One Guest room with Queen Bed, Air Conditioning, and Bathroom in the hall.
• One Ground Floor Guest Suite with a seperate entrance, King Bed, Private Bathroom, and Private Living Area.
• The Living Room has two large separate seating areas, fireplace, and floor to ceiling windows and sliders that look out to the lawn and tropical garden and beach beyond.
• A wide-open floor plan that is great for family or gracious entertaining.
• A fully-equipped gourmet kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and granite countertops is perfect for intimate meals or large dinner parties.
• Oversized sliding doors to the lanai that open up fully so that you can capture the gentle tradewinds blowing in off the bay. They allow for seamless indoor/outdoor living.
• TVs, DVD/CD players, Satellite TV, and iPod docking stations.
• Other amenities include: Outdoor shower, barbeque grill, Wireless High Speed Internet, quality linens, beach chairs, umbrella, and beach towels.
• The home accommodates up to 8 guests.

You can enjoy nearby historic Hanalei town, where you will find restaurants offering sushi, burgers, vegan dining, fresh fish, Pacific Rim, pizza, Brazilian, and tapas. Several restaurants have been featured in Food and Wine and Gourmet Magazine. Also, don’t miss the Hawaiian Shave Ice!

Hanalei has a variety of charming boutiques and services, including yoga and massage, as well as shops to rent kayaks, snorkel gear, or bikes. You can fish and kayak at the Hanalei pier and river. There is seasonal world class surfing along the two-mile white sand crescent beach. Hanalei has a backdrop of 5000 foot mountain peaks that are often covered with waterfalls. Princeville is 15 minutes from the house and offers golf, zip-lining tours, horseback riding, jungle waterfall kayak trips, shopping, and more.
Please do contact Jean & Abbott, Kauai Vacation Rentals for further details on this vacation home and many others in the area.

KAUAI ISLAND ARTISAN FAIRE
over 40 Artisans from Kaua’i showcase an array of handcrafted products from Kaua’i and Polynesia. Hawaiian music all day. Plate lunches, Hawaiian Shave ice, Smoothies. Free and open to the public. Poipu Beach from 9am-3pm. For more information call 808-245-9021.

KAUAI CONCERT ASSOCIATION CONCERT SERIES
The Kauai Concert Association concert series features a wide variety of performances including Latin/jazz, string quartet, modern and classical dance, piano/violin, jazz piano, gospel, classical piano, a jazz festival and more. Programs vary year to year. All performances take place at the Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices range from $30 to $45. For more information call (808) 245-SING.

December 2009, Festivals & Events

Hyatt Holiday Craft Fair
December, TBD 2009
Enjoy handmade arts and crafts displayed by more than 60 island crafters including Ni‘ihau shell lei, koa wood jewelry, lauhala woven picture frames and much more. The event is held annually at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort & Spa. For more information, call 808-240-6337.

The Annual Festival Of Lights/Lights On Rice Parade
December 4, 2009
Watch the lighting of Christmas decorations on the grounds of the Historic County Building. This family event includes local entertainment, Christmas caroling and a parade of floats. Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. and proceeds down Rice Street ending at the Historic County Building. For more information, call 808-826-1469.

Christmas Craft Fair At Kaua‘i Museum
December 4, 2009
Enjoy the annual Christmas Craft Fair at the Kaua‘i Museum. Visit the museum, support local artisans, enjoy delicious food and participate in Hawaiian music and hula performances. The event is from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information, call 808-245-6931.

Easter Seals Hawai‘i Gingerbread Festival
December 12, 2009
Easter Seals Hawai‘i on Kaua‘i will be selling gingerbread houses for the annual Gingerbread Festival at Kukui Grove Shopping Center. Participants can get together to construct a gingerbread house with family, friends or co-workers. Gingerbread Festival packages must be pre-ordered. Packages can be reserved by calling 808-245-7141. All proceeds raised will benefit Easter Seals Hawai‘i for the Kaua‘i Early Intervention Program.

Annual Boat Parade Of Lights
December 13, 2009
The Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Annual Boat Parade of Lights will take place at Nawiliwili Harbor starting at 6:30 p.m. Boats lit by strings of holiday lights and decorations will motor around the commercial harbor, jetty wall area and Kalapaki Bay for about an hour. The public is invited to view the parade from the jetty or harbor area adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Nawiliwili Moorings. For more information, call 808-742-2512.

Holiday Hula Christmas Celebration
December 13, 2009
Enjoy a Hawaiian Christmas performance by Na Hula ‘O Kaohikukapulani. The event includes chants, hula, Christmas melodies, a silent auction and pupus. For more information, call 808-335-6466.

Waimea Town Parade
December 19, 2009
Waimea Town gets decked-out with holiday cheer! Celebrate with street-front lighting and the annual parade, which starts at 6:00 p.m. Come early to enjoy the refreshments and entertainment following the parade. For more information, call 808-338-9957.

Audobon Christmas Bird Count
December 19, 2009
Join the Koke‘e Museum and volunteer for the annual Christmas bird count. Trek into some of the most botanically-rich areas of the island and enjoy the opportunity to see Kaua‘i’s native birds. For more information, call 808-335-9975.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks
December 31, 2009
Enjoy an aerial fireworks display in the early evening at Po‘ipu Beach Park. The event is free. For more information, visit www.poipu-beach.org.

I LOVE my salads and feel like I am always experimenting with different store bought dressings without ever finding that perfect one (not to mention also paying an arm and leg for a little bottle!).  I have made it my mission to come up with a home made dressing that tastes great (for my husband and I as well as my two little ones… this is the hard part), is healthy and much less expensive. With much trial and error, I believe I have finally come up with a recipe that is worthy of sharing with you all… Here it is, Jean & Abbott’s Papaya Seed Dressing:

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar (or if you prefer you can substitute with 2/3 cup Honey)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon English-style dry mustard
• 1 cup tarragon vinegar
• 1 cup light olive oil (of if you prefer the stronger olive flavor you can use full-bodied olive oil)
• 1/4 cup minced Maui sweet onion or red onion
• 1 papaya, halved, reserving 3 tablespoons of the seeds and reserving the fruit for another use

Preparation

In a blender or food processor blend the sugar (honey), the salt, the mustard, and the vinegar until the mixture is smooth. With the motor running add the oil in a stream and blend the dressing until it is emulsified. Add the onion and the reserved papaya seeds and blend the dressing until the papaya seeds are the consistency of ground pepper. The dressing keeps, covered and chilled, for 2 weeks.

I hope you enjoy this dressing as much as my family does… Happy Salad eating!

I KA MOANA NO KA I’A, LIULIU ‘IA NA PONO LAWAI’A.  While the fish are still in the sea, get your gear ready.  (Be Prepared).

Focus on what you want to achieve, then do everything possible to help achieve it.  Look at the patterns of Life so as to know what is coming.  Good luck happens to those who are ready for it.

-Clifford Nae’ole, Cultural Advisor, Maui, Hawaii

Look Familiar?  This magnificent estate was the home used for the movie “Honeymoon in Vegas”, Beachfront at Anini, the largest continuous coral reef in the Islands, it doesn’t get much better than Keawaihi Hale! Not only are the views and the beach spectacular, there’s some of the best snorkeling on the Island right out your front door. Set on a roomy one acre landscaped with swaying palms, hala, native naupaka, and Tahitian gardenia, this 4,000 square foot, single story home is a subtle mix of Japanese, Hawaiian, and contemporary styles that blend richly with the surroundings.

The living, dining, and master bedroom areas have floor- to- ceiling glass doors that “disappear” into the walls allowing the magnificent ocean view to flow into the interior. The private master suite features Italian marble surrounded with luxurious facilities including a Jacuzzi tub, King size bed, private lanai, sitting area, and spectacular views! The second and third bedrooms in the main house both have en-suite bathrooms, with a King bed in one and twin beds in the other.

For additional guests there’s also a separate studio cottage with a Queen bed, bath, and kitchenette. For those who like to cook the main house has a fully equipped ultra modern kitchen, with European fixtures and granite counter tops. And if you must bring your work with you there’s an office desk with high speed Internet access, a fax machine, and a Meridian two-line phone system with room-to-room intercom and answering machine. The beautiful gardens are tastefully landscaped to ensure your privacy while preserving the ocean views. Stay at Keawaihi Hale and you’ll never want to leave!