NTBG-KCC ‘Balance of Nature’ public lecture on Oct 13 – “Growing Lata’s Garden: What Pacific Canoe Plants Offer Us Today”

NTBG and KCC’s Balance of Nature lecture series continues on Tuesday, October 13, with a free public talk entitled “Growing Lata’s Garden: What Pacific Canoe Plants Offer Us Today” by Dr. Mimi George and H. Meph Wyeth, from 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at the KCC Campus Center in Puhi.

In their talk, Dr. George, an anthropologist and sailor, and Ms. Wyeth, president of the Ka‘imi Na‘auao o Hawai‘i Nei Institute, will discuss how Taumako Islanders in the Solomon Islands nurture, process, and assemble the plants that their culture’s hero Lata used to build an early voyaging canoe. Learn how current day Taumako artisans work with plants to perpetuate their knowledge of ancient technology used to navigate their vast ocean surroundings.

In an age of increasing competition for dwindling resources and in a place where we rely heavily on imported goods, what lessons do these Pacific Island neighbors hold for us in Hawai‘i?

The “Balance of Nature” lecture series is one of many collaborations between the nonprofit National Tropical Botanical Garden and Kaua‘i Community College. Both NTBG and KCC share a common goal of quality education to truly change lives. NTBG is a not-for-profit institution, headquartered in Kalāheo. KCC, which is part of the University of Hawai‘i system, operates a large campus in Līhu‘e.

For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, please contact Margaret Clark at (808) 332-7324 ext. 225 at least 10 days in advance.

For information on the institutions, visit their respective websites at www.ntbg.org and kauai.hawaii.edu

Photo contributed by Dr. Mimi George