Taro huli workshop set

Kamuela Naihe will teach a class at Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden on making huli (taro tops, used for planting) on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 10 a.m. until noon. Participants will get hands-on experience at making the cuttings and will be able to take some huli home to plant in their own gardens. In addition, they will see the mala kalo (dryland taro patches) at Amy Greenwell Garden, and see the garden’s collection of Hawaiian taro varieties.

At the end of the class, there will be samples of several varieties of cooked taro available for tasting. Participants who stay until 1 p.m. can join the Guided Hawaiian Plant Walk through the garden’s collection of native and Polynesian introduced plants. The cost for the Huli Kalo Workshop is $20 ($15 for Bishop Museum and Amy Greenwell Garden members). There is no extra fee for participants who want to stay for the guided plant walk.

For information and registration, please call 323-3318 or email agg@bishopmuseum.org. This workshop is funded by a grant from The Ceres Trust.

The Plant Walks are supported by a grant from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the county Department of Research and Development. The garden has expanded its taro plantings thanks to a grant from the Ceres Trust and E kupaku ka‘aina – The Hawaii Land Restoration Institute. The varieties bed is maturing and large taro plants are showing off the colors and shapes of the leaves and other parts that are recognized in traditional names like uahi-a-Pele (smoke of Pele), or ‘elepaio (because coloring of the leaves resembles that of the forest bird).

Now, in addition to the varieties collection with over 70 types of taro, there are new beds with extensive plantings to bulk up the inventory of rare and desirable Hawaiian varieties.

Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden is located at 81-6160 Mamalahoa Highway in Captain Cook.