Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants

To continue this year's exploration into ethnobotany (or, "the study of how people use plants in different cultures, regions, and time periods"), our next book is Lāʻau Hawai‘i: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants, by Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott (Bishop Museum Honolulu, 1992). The book provides a detailed description of the Polynesian canoe and Hawaiian native plants that are most important for Hawaiian culture. Before its publication, such a a general text on the traditional cultural uses of plants did not exist. [Although Plants of Old Hawai'i, by educator Lois Lucas (Bess Press, Honolulu, 1982) provided us with a wonderful high-level introduction to canoe plants.]

Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott (1919-2010) earned her doctorate degree in algal taxonomy from the University of California, Berkeley in 1950. In 1972 she became a full professor in Stanford University’s biology department, and published her definitive book Marine Algae of California in 1976 with George J. Hollenberg (earning her the nickname of "First Lady of Limu"). She later taught Hawaiian ethnobotany at the University of Hawaii. She learned about traditional Hawaiian foods and the Hawaiian language from her mother. Dr. Abbott chose to emphasize the ethnobotany and cultural aspects of Hawaii's plants in this book, rather than focusing on the plants themselves.

The Preface and Introduction set the context for the book and how it came to be. Chapter 1 describes the first Hawaiians—their origins from the maritime Lapita people (later the Polynesians), the migration routes from Polynesia to the Hawaiian islands, and the plants they brought with them. Chapter 2 describes the evolution of Hawaiian culture and its relationship to the land and crops, using a framework of development periods—First Settlements and the Development Period, the Expansion Period, and the Historic Period. Chapter 3 describes the religious dimensions of Hawaiian agriculture, which included sustainable practices of caring for the land to ensure ongoing productivity.

Chapters 4 - 17 describe important canoe and native Hawaiian plants that provided sustenance and met every need of cultural life, including food, housing, transportation, ritual, healing, warfare, music, and leisure. Woven throughout the chapters is information about "Kapu", the ancient Hawaiian laws, rules, and taboos that governed all aspects of life, including social interactions, gender roles, religious practices, and food preparation. As an example of kapu, taro was a forbidden food for women and limu was forbidden for men (in this example, women became the cultural experts on seaweed as a food source and knew the names of Hawaii's limu species, while men did not). The Afterward describes changes in society and plant use after first contact with European culture in 1820. The backmatter includes an appendix of flowering plant and fern names, chapter notes, a bibliography of citations, and an index.

My husband and I are planning a trip to several of the Hawaiian islands in the next year or two, so I  especially appreciated reading about the migration from Polynesia to Hawaii, the developmental phases of Hawaiian culture, the impact on Hawaiian culture after first contact, and the renaissance of Hawaiian culture in the 1970s. I also appreciated learning more about canoe and native plants, the reliance on plants for all aspects of Hawaiian life (ethnobotany), the deep respect for the land; and the dedication to its stewardship. I was also interested to learn about making kapa, cordage, war regalia, and houses, from plants and other natural materials. The chapter on war regalia includes a photo showing the netting to which bundles of feathers were attached to construct the helmets and cloaks worn by Hawaiian nobility. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the people of Hawaii and Hawaiian ethnobotany.

Field Notes for August 2025

Welcome back to Field Notes!

August 1, 2025

All summer I've been marveling at the many faces of Clarkia (Clarkia amoena) in our native garden. According to Wikipedia, Clarkia is native to western North America and can be found in the coastal hills and mountains from British Columbia south to the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a wonderful self-seeding annual that attracts pollinators, and thrives in the Bay Area.

The many faces of Clarkia amoena

Clarkia is also known as Godetia and Farewell to Spring, but all species have been reclassified as Clarkia, in the Onagraceae (evening primrose) family. Note that the name "Godetia" was given to  honor Swiss botanist Charles-Henry Godet. "Clarkia" honors William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

August 3, 2025

My sister, Marianne, is visiting Southeast Alaska this month, and they are having a run of beautiful weather (temperatures have been warmer than the Bay Area some days)! Mom, brother Dave, and Marianne have been enjoying time together with Dad at the Pioneer Home, taking drives, and working on family business. Recently they had a delicious meal at the Salmon Bake, and then took a walk out at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. This brings back fond memories of my summer visit in 2024!

Mom and Marianne at Mendenhall Glacier
(photo from Marianne)

August 6, 2025 🎂

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband! We celebrated remotely last year, while I was in Alaska. This year we are observing a Week of Celebration! Today we celebrated at Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar, with a delicious dinner, a beautiful sunset, and moon rise over the harbor. Chocolate cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream awaited at home.

 

Moon over the harbor by Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar

August 9, 2025

Naked ladies always start blooming around my husband's birthday. They are native to the Cape Province of South Africa, but have naturalized in Northern California and elsewhere. Strappy green leaves appear in spring and then die back. The flowers appear from the bulb with no foliage in late summer. These bulbs were a gift from gardening buddy, Pam Konigsberg. They have grown in the same spot for years, and have never become invasive.

Naked ladies ready to bloom (Amaryllis belladonna)

A group of Warriner Lytle Buckwheat is planted in the street-side easement. The low growing shrub has finely textured needle-like leaves and globe-shaped clusters of tiny flowers that appear in late summer. This is a California native and quite lovely. Here the buckwheat has surrounded a grass clump.

Warriner Lytle Buckwheat (Erigonum fasciculatum 'Warriner Lytle')

Several groups of California Goldenrod have shot up in a sunny section of the yard. The yellow flower spikes grow to five feet tall, and spread from common rootstock, so can become invasive. California Goldenrod likes to be wet in winter/spring and dry in the summer when it blooms. Goldenrod is a dye plant, so I may harvest and dry the flower spikes for a future dye project (although I'm enjoying the flowers in the garden, so I may wait until next year)!

California goldenrod (Solidago velutina ssp. Californica)

August 12, 2025 - Jökulhlaup Alert

Mom and Marianne have been hiking at Eagle Beach! As you may know, Eagle Beach State Recreation Area and Eagle River are some of our favorite hiking areas in Juneau (located near the Boy Scout Trail hike, another favorite). Eagle Beach is a great place for sweeping views, easy terrain, and lots of interesting birds, sea creatures, and plants to investigate.

Mom at Eagle Beach
(photo by Marianne)

Mom and Marianne (the Chilkat Range is in the background)
(photo by Marianne)

In other news, there is a Flood Warning for the Mendenhall Lake and River, due to a Suicide Basin release of water and ice (called a jökulhlaup). To learn more, see the Juneau Glacial Flood Dashboard. This is a good time to stay away from Mendenhall Glacier!

August 15, 2025 - Be Brave Day 

For this week's hike, Mari, Gaymond and I decided to go to Huckleberry Botanical Regional Preserve, instead of joining the Over-the-Hills Gang hike at Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park. We had just hiked at Redwood in June, so we decided to go rogue and visit its nearby neighbor instead. The Huckleberry Botanical Preserve is tucked between Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve and Redwood; and is also a good choice for summer hikes, with its shady forest, green understory, and cooling breezes. Gaymond's grandson, Jayden, has already started back to school, so we missed his inquisitive mind and lively conversation!

Huckleberry Trail winds along the canyon

Mount Diablo in the distance, beyond the chapparal (photo by Mari)

We followed the self-guided, 1.7 mile Huckleberry Interpretive Loop Trail (both the Upper and Lower sections). The 21 Interpretive Panels are so informative about the plants and ecosystem of this unique canyon. We learned that the native plant community is found nowhere else in the East Bay and represents a relic plant group similar to plants that originated in the southern coast of California, when its climate was more moist and tempered by the cool coastal fog. The unusual geology of the Preserve also contributes to the plant community (the nutrient-poor soil was once an ocean bottom that has been compressed, pushed up, and folded).

Manzanita trees and shrubs

Fallen limb from a California Bay tree,
with new sprouts in the background  

Mari surprised us with our favorite lemon and ginger cookies from Trader Joes, so we took our usual cookie break at the half-way point. We sat on the bench at Panel 11, surrounded by Canyon Live Oak, Manzanita, and Coast Huckleberry, and enjoyed our snack and companionship.

We returned to the car via the Lower Huckleberry Loop through the bay forest. This portion of the trail has quite a few switch backs and steep elevation changes, both up and down, so it was quite arduous for our 55+ year old bodies. We were grateful to end the hike at TGI Oni Sushi in Montclair District, for restorative Bento Boxes and interesting conversation!

Intrepid hikers (photo by Gaymond)

August 16, 2025

We always see interesting plants, trees, fungus, birds, and other wildlife while on hikes in the East Bay Regional Parks. Huckleberry Botanical Regional Preserve is no exception. The Coast Huckleberry berries were ripe, or on their way to being ripe; as were the berries from a second variety (V. ovatum var. saporoslum). We liked them both!

Coast Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)
(photo by Gaymond)

Following are a few snapshots of plants; clockwise from the top left corner: (1) Pacific Madrone (Arbutus Menziesii) - native to the western coastal area of North America and California, with beautiful, red, shreddy bark. (2) Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) - native to the Pacific Northwest and California; "leaves of three, let it be". (3) Coastal Wood Fern (Dryopteris arguta) - native perennial; notice the spores on the underside of the leaves. (4) Jim Brush (Ceanothus sorediatus) - native/endemic to California. (5) Possibly, California Spikenard (Aralia californica) - native to California, with greenish-white flowers in large ball shaped clusters, and small dark purple or black berries with 3-5 seeds (we saw both).

August 18, 2025

My sister Marianne's family—a son, daughter, and grandkids—have joined the family in Juneau  (missing are a second son and daughter). What a fun opportunity for family members to be together! New activities include exploring and playing at Overstreet Park and taking the tram up Mount Reports. Photos indicate the weather is beautiful and warm!

Playing on a Tlingit war canoe at Overstreet Park
(photo by Marianne)

Harper and Sarah on the Mount Roberts Tram
(photo by Marianne)

Uncle Luc on the Mount Roberts tram
(photo by Marianne)

Ferocious bear cub in the forest
(photo by Marianne)

August 20, 2025 🎂

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Aunt Char! She is so much fun to be with, enjoys puzzles and books, and is wise, kind, and adventurous. We have visited many gardens and garden shows, traveled in Alaska, and enjoyed family gatherings together. She loves her kids and a growing brood of grandkids. She has written her memoirs, gone white water rafting, and has recently gone hot air ballooning! 

Intrepid balloonists (photo from Jen)

What a view! (photo by Jen)

August 28, 2025

Mari and I met up with the Over-the-Hills Gang hike at the Marina Bay in Richmond for the latest group hike (Gaymond was travelling). Marina Bay is located in the Richmond Inner Harbor, the former location of the World War II-era Kaiser Shipyards. The area has been transformed to now include Marina Bay Park, Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, a Yacht Club, the Rosie the Riveter Memorial (National Park Service), and a residential community. Across Harbor Channel is the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park (NPS).

View of the East Bay shoreline from Marina Bay Park 

Pelicans assembling in formation

Meeker Slough is close by, and a popular spot for birds and birders to gather. We saw pelicans, herons, ducks geese, and many shore birds. The San Francisco Bay Trail runs through the area, all the way to Point Isabella and the Point Isabella Dog Park. The view across San Francisco Bay takes in the San Francisco skyline, Sutro Tower, the Bay Bridge, the Emeryville skyline, Oakland shipyard, and the hills behind Cerritos, Albany, Berkeley and Oakland.

View of San Francisco skyline from the shore

Meeker Slough

Cookie Break at Meeker Slough bridge

Anthony Fisher led our bay-side hike, and provided information about flora and fauna and delicious lemon and ginger cookies at the half-way point. These hikes are so much fun—the pace is perfect for the 55+ crowd and the company is excellent. Check the website to learn more about upcoming events offered by the East Bay Regional Park District.

Intrepid hikers at Rosie the Riveter Memorial (photo by Mari)

August 30, 2025

While at Marina Bay in Richmond, we saw so many interesting native and exotic plants, and local and migrating birds.

Matillija Poppy (Romneya coulteri, naive to California), against a back drop of Red Conebush (Leucadendron salignum, native to South Africa) 

Following are a few snapshots of some of the wildlife we encountered, clockwise from the top: (1) Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos); (2) Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias occidentalis); (3) Hornet's nest (deserted); (4) Black Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax); (5) Black lab enjoying its yacht (Canis lupus familiaris); and (6) Canadian goose (Branta canadensis).

Dye Project: Beet Stems

I recently tried solar dyeing using beet stems (Beta vulgaris) from one of our son's borscht cooking projects. The stems are red, but not as intensely red as the beet roots. I was curious whether the stems would provide the same color. I also wonder whether the dye will be colorfast, or will it fade rapidly with time like the red cabbage. Surprisingly, I have never dyed with beets before!

Solar dyeing with beet stems - day 1

I forgot to weigh the stems before creating the dye bath, but I guestimate they weighed about the same as the fabric - 77 grams. I rinsed the stems with water and gave them a very rough chop.

Beet stems ready to chop

For this project, I used one cotton dish towel that had been prepared as described in Preparing your Fabric (Scour, Mordant, Brighten or Sadden). The towels had been scoured, mordanted with oak gallnut extract, and brightened with alum and soda ash. The weight of fabric (WOF) was 77 grams, or 2.7 ounces. The WOF% was 100% for the approximately 77 grams of fruit. Dyers typically recommend equal weights of fabric and plant material for solar dyeing. I added three teaspoons of alum and boiling water to the jar, and then layered beet stem chunks with dishtowel fabric, and topped off the jar with more boiling water.

Beet stems - day 14

I steeped the dishtowels in the beet stem dye bath for two weeks, making sure to rock and rotate the jar daily to distribute dye and fruit evenly. Over the course of the two weeks, the color turned from a lovely pink to a brownish pink.

Hang to dry

As with previous solar dyeing projects, I squeezed out excess dye, rinsed the fabric, and then ran it through the washing machine without detergent and hung to dry. After waiting two weeks to set the dye, I washed the fabric with a mild textile soap [like Synthropol or Professional Textile Detergent (a.k.a., Dharma Dyer's Detergent)] and hung it out to dry. The result is a pale shade of brownish-gray (with a possible tinge of pink in certain light). It will be interesting to see how colorfast the dye is over time.

Beet stems produce a shade of brownish-gray

Ethnobotany: Kanaka Maoli Kapa

Our theme this year is "Ethnobotany and Dyeing with Plants", with the goal to learn more about how several indigenous people groups use plants and natural materials to dye fabric or objects. So far we have learned about the Tlingit people from Southeast Alaska (see Ethnobotany: Tlingit's and Dyeing with Plants) and the Muwekma Ohlone people in the Bay Area (see Ethnobotany: Muwekma Ohlone and Basketry). This time, I want to learn about Hawaiians in preparation for a future trip to Hawaii. My research lead me to the Kanaka Maoli people (the name used by Hawaiians for themselves).

The Kanaka Maoli are descendants of the Polynesians who migrated to the Hawaiian Islands around 300-450 CE. The Polynesians were seaworthy people, with exceptional navigation skills that included using the stars, and knowledge of ocean currents and avian migration routes. The journey could take up to two months, so they had to bring the supplies needed for basic survival during the journey. They also brought plants that were especially important to their way of life (called canoe plants to distinguish them from plants native to Hawaii). From the Polynesian Voyaging Society website, I learned about modern wayfinders who replicate voyages made by the ancient Polynesians.  

Kapa barkcloth - National Park Service
(photo in public domain)

Hawaiian Kapa

The Polynesians brought with them their cultural knowledge of making barkcloth. As the name suggests, plant fibers are beaten into a sheet of cloth. Similar processes are used around the world to produce cloth. Different names may be used by culture, language, or specific location, such as tapa (the Pacific Islands, or Polynesia), masi (Fiji), siapo (Samoa), ngatu (Tonga), hiapo (Niue), Aute (Aotearoa), and Lubugo (Uganda). In Hawaii, barkcloth is known as kapa, or "beaten thing". Kapa was typically made by the women, but the men played an important role in cultivating and harvesting the wauke (the paper mulberry tree), and creating the tools needed to beat and embellish the cloth.

Traditional Hawaiian kapa collected around 1884 (Peabody Museum)

Kapa was used for clothing, bedsheets, birthing cloths, and funeral cloths for cremated ashes. With European influence, cotton fabric and other materials were introduced, and kapa fell from use for about 100 years. The knowledge of plants, tools, and processes used to make kapa became lost.

Within the last 60 years, kapa and kapa making has experienced a Renaissance. Hawaiian craftspeople, such as Moana Eisele, Dalani Tanahy, and Marie McDonald, revived the art form. They learned by studying barkcloth in museums and barkcloth making around the world; planting trees that were no longer cultivated; and by experimenting. Now this knowledge is being passed to subsequent generations.

Contemporary Hawaiian kapa created by Dalani Tanahy (screen shot from
Hawaii's Cultural Renaissance: The Return Of Kapa Makers, ~marker 40 )

Hawaiian Kapa Making

Kapa making starts with growing the wauke, or paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera), and crafting the tools that are needed. Wauke is native to East Asia and was brought to Hawaii by Polynesians as a canoe plant. Other plants and trees can be used, and are used around the world, but the Polynesians felt that wauke makes the best kapa cloth.

Saplings are harvested when they are just under eight feet tall. The outer bark is stripped from the wauke sapling using a shell or similar tool. The inner bark is then stripped from the core, using a sharp tools such as a shark tooth knife. The strip of inner bark is about three or four inches wide, and placed in water to keep it moist.

Harvesting the inner bark of a mulberry sapling
(photo from Kapa Hawaii website)

The inner bark is beaten to prepare the fiber for kapa making. A strip is placed over a wide wood beam and pounded with a wooden beater. During the pounding process, moisture is released and the strip of inner bark widens up to four times its original width. Each beater has a purpose in this process. The pounded inner bark is placed in water to ferment for up to two weeks. Fermentation breaks down the fibers and connective tissues to soften the strips.

Pounding kapa with wooden beater - National Park Service
(photo in public domain)

Wooden kapa beaters
(photo from Kapa Hawaii website)

The second beating is when the kapa is actually made—the softened strips are pounded into sheets. The water is squeezed out of a strip and it is placed over the wide wood beam. The strip is beaten with a grooved beater to join the strips together and to spread the fibers wider and thinner. The length of the bark cloth is set at about six feet, but the width is flexible, such as 36 inches.

Adding a watermark
(photo from Kapa Hawaii website) 

During the last beating, a watermark pattern can be added. Once finished, the kapa can be used as is or decorated with dyes, stamps, feathers, shells, or leaves. The resulting cloth is meant to be used for ceremonies or for the activities of everyday life. The cloth is said to embody the spirit of the wearer (and the the kapa maker).

Decorating kapa cloth with dye (Photo by John Hook)

To learn more, I recommend watching Hawaii's Cultural Renaissance: The Return Of Kapa Makers (Perspective, Handmade In The Pacific, 2022). The video follows kapa maker, Dalani Tanahy, through all the processes of kapa making—growing and harvesting wauke, carving beaters and stamping tools, pounding the inner bark into barkcloth, gathering material for dyes, decorating the finished cloth, and using the kapa in a ceremonial dance.

Dye Sources

The Kanaka Maoli Hawaiians created a broad spectrum of dyes that were used to decorate the kapa barkcloth. Dye sources included plants, and materials such as soot, mud and clay, and octopus ink. Natural additives included seawater, coconut water, lime, and egg whites. The Kanaka Maoli were master artisans and scientists, developing a wide palette of color from the plants and resources available, and they continue to innovate and expand the art today. For my own quick reference, the following table provides a summary of some of these dye sources, grouped by color. 

Kanaka Maoli Dye Sources - Hawaii

Color	Dye Source	Notes
Red Dye	Indian Mulberry	(Noni) The root boiled with lime made from coral produces a red dye.
	True Kou	(Kou) The leaves produce a reddish-brown dye.
	Banana	(Mai'a) The flower petals produce shades of red, depending on factors like pH, fabric, and the mordants used.
	Hawaiian Raspberry	(Akala) Produces a brilliant red dye (once used to adorn Hawaiian royalty).
	Ohelo	The berries produce various shades of red dye.
	Candlenut	(Kukui) The sap produces a red or reddish-brown dye.
	Alaea	The iron-rich native red clay mixed with sea salt creates a red dye.
Purple Dye	Banana	(Mai'a) The flower petals produce shades of light magenta, depending on pH, fabric, and the mordants used.
Blue Dye	Uki	The berries produce shades from purple-blue to a true blue (with added lime).
Green Dye	Uki	The berries produce shades of green, depending on the area from which it comes, growing conditions, soil quality, and the age of the plant.
Yellow Dye	Indian Mulberry	(Noni) The inner bark of its roots produce a yellow dye; the root bark produces a dye with a tinge of golden yellow.
	Ma'o	The flowers produce a yellow dye.
	Turmeric	(Olena) Young, underground stems produce a bright yellow dye.
	Hawaiian yellowwood	(Holei) The mottled gold fruit produces a yellow dye.
	Kukaenene tree	The bark produces a yellow dye.
Orange Dye	Turmeric	(Olena) Steamed young, underground stems produce an orange dye; steamed mature, underground stems produce an orange-gold dye.
Brown Dye	Candlenut	(Kukui) The bark produces a brown or reddish-brown dye.
	Milo	The inner bark produces a yellowish-brown dye.
Black Dye	Candlenut	(Kukui) The roots produce a black dye; the charred nut shells and soot from burned nuts also produce a black dye.
	Day Octopus	(Octopus cyanea) Produces black ink that can be used as a dye.

Decorative Sources

Decorative elements included dye and objects such as feathers and leaves. Paint was made from dye and applied with brushes and stamps. Additionally, the second beating of the kapa cloth was done with finely carved beaters that produced a distinctive texture or watermark on the kapa surface.

Hala brushes for painting kapa designs
(Hawaii State Art Museum)

Paint brushes were made from dried hala seeds, and used to apply dye to the surface of the kapa barkcloth. Stamps were made by carving designs on strips of bamboo and used to apply dyed patterns to the surface of  the kapa. Other objects were used to apply designs, such as shells, or plaited strings and ropes used to splatter dye.

Carved bamboo stamps used to apply dye to kapa
(Hawaii State Art Museum)

Kapa was also decorated with feathers, especially for the feather cloaks and capes used by Hawaiian nobility. The feathers were collected, attached in bundles to a fine netting of fiber, and then attached to the kapa in overlapping rows.

Cloak and Helmet of feathers for a chief
(Bishop Museum Oahu, Hawaii)

Summary

This concludes another brief ethnobotany tour, this time for resources used to create, dye, and decorate the beautiful Kanaka Maoli kapa cloth from Hawaii. I hope to visit the Bishop Museum on Oahu one day, to see for myself exhibits of kapa samples, and the tools and plants used in kapa making. It would be an extra thrill to try beating kapa myself. I'm also inspired by the creative use of plants and materials to produce such a wide range of colors!

This also concludes our high-level series on the ethnobotany of three distinct groups: Tlingit (Southeast Alaska), Muwekma Ohlone (San Francisco Bay Area), and Kanaka Maoli (Hawaii). I had planned to learn how different indigenous groups used plants to dye fabric, but soon realized that not all groups needed to dye fabric. Instead, I expanded my original vision to how people groups brought color and texture to basketry and barkcloth, using plants, mud and clay, octopus ink, and soot. There is always more to learn!

Learn More

• Hawaii's Cultural Renaissance: The Return Of Kapa Makers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guSPppwqXqk). Perspective, Handmade In The Pacific, 2022. Video follows contemporary kapa maker, Dalani Tanahy, through the process of growing and harvesting wauke, making tools for pounding and printing, beating barkcloth, gathering dyes plants, and decorating the finished cloth. Also discusses the challenges of reviving the art form.

• Hawaii Dye Plants and Dye Recipes (https://www.amazon.com/Hawaii-Dye-Plants-Recipes/dp/0824806980). Professor Emeritus Val Krohn-Ching, University of Hawaii Press, 1980. Fabric artist shares recipes and experimental results of using kapa dyes to dye wool. 

• Kapa. Hawaiian Skies, 2015 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWk1lfZ7XPo). Three kapa practitioners are reviving the ancient art of kapa making: Moana Eisele, Dalani Tanahy, and Marie McDonald. They advocate using the cloth as it was intended, and not just creating art or museum pieces.

• La'au Hawai'i: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants (https://bishopmuseumpress.org/products/laau-hawaii). Isabella Aiona Abbott, Bishop Museum Press, 1992. Describes the native and exotic plants used by Hawaiians. Of special interests for this topic, see the chapters on "The First Hawaiians and their Plants", "Clothing and the Making of Kapa", "Cordage for All Occasions", "Household Furnishings", and "Warfare and Chiefly Regalia".

• Natural Dyes, Paints & Colors. Kapa Curious website (https://www.kapacurious.com/dye). Learn about natural sources of Hawaiian colors. 

• Plants of Old Hawaii (https://www.amazon.com/Plants-Old-Hawaii-Lois-Lucas/dp/0935848118). Lois Lucas, Bess Press (Honolulu, 1982). Joan Fleming, illustrations; and Julie Williams, poems. Describes the twenty major plants that the original Hawaiians brought with them from the South Pacific (canoe plants vs. native plants). Written for elementary children, but a good quick-start for anyone.

• Polynesian Voyaging Society website (https://hokulea.com). The society's mission is to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, each other, and their natural and cultural environments. Learn about modern wayfinders who replicate journeys made by ancient Polynesians.

Also learn about the recently relaunched Moananuiākea Voyage (2023 to 2027). The  original launch took place on June 29, 2023 at Statter Harbor in Juneau, Alaska (see Hōkūle'a Departs Juneau Launching Moananuiākea Voyage) in a cross-cultural Pacific Rim ceremony.

• "Shades of the Past" (https://www.mauimagazine.net/shades-of-the-past). Sarah Ruppenthal, No ka 'oi Maui Magazine, 2019. Ethnobotanist Lisa Raymond's garden is filled with Hawaiian plants that are used to make dyes. Early Hawaiians developed techniques to extract dyes from a vast number of native plants, and used the dyes to decorate kapa.

• The Ancient Hawaiian Art of Bark Cloth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5nCKvz83No). Great Big Story, 2019. A cultural practitioner on Kauai, Sabra Kauka, teaches Hawaiian children the arts of their ancestors, including kapa making.

Plants of Old Hawai'i

This year we're learning more about ethnobotany, or "the study of how people use plants in different cultures, regions, and time periods", with special focus on plants that are used for dyeing and embellishing fabric and basketry. This time our book is Plants of Old Hawai'i, by educator Lois Lucas (Bess Press, Honolulu, 1982). The book describes the twenty major plants that the original Hawaiians brought with them from the South Pacific, when they settled in the Hawaiian Islands around 450 CE.  

Plants of Old Hawai'i grew out of Lucas's many years of teaching Hawaiian culture, history, and botany to elementary school children, and her experience planning and cultivating native plants at the Hawaiian Garden at Punahou. Fellow educators also contributed to the book—Joan Fleming provided illustrations of the plants, proverbs, and legends associated with the plants,  and Julie Williams provided poems that incorporate factual information. The book is easy to read, since it is pitched for middle-elementary school children, but I found it a charming and informative introduction to the non-native plants that we now associate with Hawai'i. 

The introduction provides context for the topic, describing that the book is to teach the science of botany, but also to introduce the student to Hawaiian culture. The bulk of the book is devoted to chapters for each of the twenty plants presented in alphabetical order, such as Arrowroot, Banana, Coconut, Sugar Cane, and Taro. The typical chapter provides the common and Hawaiian names, habitat, description, poem, a line drawing of the plant (and its stem, leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots), uses, and legends, proverbs, and riddles. The back matter includes sections on Resources for Teachers, Resources for Children, Diacritical Markings, and a Glossary. An index is not provided.

I am especially interested in Hawaiian plants that can be used for dyeing, basketry, and kapa (bark cloth) making. (After some preliminary research, I'm adding kapa to my list)! Dye plants include Candlenut, Indian Mulberry, True Kou, Milo, and Turmeric. Basketry plants include Coconut, Bottle Gourd, Hau, and Paper Mulberry (fibers may be used for creating rope, strainers, nets, containers, and so forth). Kapa-making and decorating-related plants include Bamboo, Banana, Hau, and Paper Mulberry. I found this book to be a great kick-off to my next Ethnobotany project, Kanaka Maoli/Polynesian plants. I recommend the book for kids and adults alike!

Field Notes for July 2025

 Welcome back to Field Notes!

July 1, 2025

It's July and summer is in full swing. I'm enjoying all the summer fruit - peaches, plums, apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew, and lots of watermelon!

Ice cold watermelon

July 4, 2025 🎆

July Fourth is the perfect day to get out my copy of National Review's American Classics, and read The Constitution of the United States and The Bill of Rights and Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. I do this periodically to refresh my understanding of the constitution, and reflect on its goals and ideals. For example, why we have the three branches of government and who is responsible for what (to build in a system of checks and balances), and why we have separation of power (so that no one branch becomes too powerful).

I like knowing there is a process for elections, transfer of power, and impeachment, if needed. I like knowing that we can amend the constitution as we evolve as a nation, and that there is a process to do so. Some of the amendments we've made protect citizens from abuses of power and ensure the right to vote. The documents may not be perfect, but they serve as a guiding light for our democracy, and as an important fact-check against the daily onslaught of headlines. 

July 7, 2025

While digging up weeds in the lower garden, I came across an object attached to a twig that looked like a bee cast. The iNaturalist app identified it as a cicada. I didn't even know we had cicadas in California, but it turns out we have 65 species of them. Most of our cicadas emerge annually, rather than periodically like they do back east.

Northern California cicada exoskeleton found in the garden
(Plugable USB 2.0 Digital Microscope - 250x magnification)

The life cycle is divided into three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Adult females lay their eggs in slits in tree branches. The eggs hatch in 6-10 weeks, and the newly hatched nymphs fall to the ground and bury themselves in the soil. When the nymph reaches full size, it climbs a tree and molts into its adult form, leaving behind its exoskeleton. The adult stage only lasts several weeks. During that time, males use their distinctive call to attract females for mating; females lay their eggs and the cycle begins again. Next time I enjoy the sound of "crickets" in the night, I might actually be enjoying the mating call of cicadas! 

 

July 10, 2025

I've been weeding in the lower yard, and it's almost a full time job! I don't know when it happened, but those cute, little, green shoots that appeared in early spring, "suddenly" became big, gnarly, prickly plants. Here are a couple of shots of one of the weeds. The leaves are spiny, and the tap roots anchor straight down and deep.

Prickly lettuce from above

Prickly lettuce side view

The iNaturalist app identifies this as Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola). According to Wikipedia, this species is native to Eurasia and north Africa, and has become naturalized elsewhere. It is a close relative of cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and can be eaten as a bitter salad. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and older leaves can be steamed. Its roots have been used as a coffee substitute. Those spiny leaves do not sound very appetizing to me! Instead, I am glad to remove the plants to free up water, space, and light for other plants in the garden.

July 13, 2025

Summertime is a great time to visit The Gardens at Lake Merritt. I met up with Mari and Todd for a tour of the Bonsai garden, sponsored by AARP. I arrived a little early to stroll through the various gardens in the cool of the morning. Volunteers were already hard at work weeding, pruning, and planting, and I had a chance to study the Japanese, native, and edible gardens. During the tour, we learned all about the collection at Lake Merritt and the process to create and maintain a tree in miniature.

Gate 4 entrance to The Gardens at Lake Merritt
(forged by Alameda blacksmith, Shawn Lovell)

Dawn redwood bonsai 

Live oak bonsai

Intrepid bonsai enthusiasts by the maple grove bonsai

The bonsai trees are incredible works of art. I was surprised to learn that a bonsai tree can get a "makeover", for example, it might be reduced in size or its front-facing aspect changed. It was also fascinating to hear some of the maintenance practices, such as pulling weeds with tweezers, rewiring branches, and repotting periodically.

July 16, 2025

I'm still on my quest to remove weeds from the lower yard, in order to free up water, space, and light for the plants that I want to thrive. Here are a couple more common weeds that I've been removing. We have quite a few "dandelion-type" plants that thrive on the property; iNaturalist has given various IDs for the same plant, so I'm a little leery of the accuracy. For example, the app identified one of the prominent plants as milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis), and then later as horseweed (Erigeron canadensis).

One of many dandelion-type weeds (name unknown)

Another common weed (possibly a milkweed or horseweed)

As I pull weeds, I've noticed beetles and pill bugs scurrying for cover. I realize that I'm removing part of their their habitat, which presents a quandary. On one hand, I want to provide a wildlife-friendly, native environment; on the other, I don't want the landscape to be overrun with unwanted plants that take away resources from native plants. Many of these weeds are non-native plants, so removing them serves my goal of a providing a native habitat. Hopefully enough safe havens remain for the beneficial insects that I want to welcome!

July 19, 2025

This week's Over-the-Hills Gang hike was at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, the site of ancient volcanic activity dating back 10 million years. Mari, Gaymond and Gaymond's grandson, Jayden, joined the group, lead by Anthony Fisher, at the Sibley Staging Area. The weather was overcast, misty, and chilly to start, but soon the clouds parted and blue skies and sun appeared. The preserve is on the ancestorial home of the Huchiun Ohlone Chochenyo speaking people.

Rocky trail through the forest

The hike starts in the cool green forest, and crests in the exposed hill top with wonderful views of the Bay, the hills, and Mount Diablo. We followed the Round Top Loop Trail. One of the highlights is the half-way cookie break (the offering varies, but the lemon and ginger cookies from Trader Joe's are especially tasty). Mari, Gaymond, Jayden and I topped off the hike at Taqueria Las Compadres in Montclair Village for nachos and burritos, and good conversation.

A shady pause in the trail

View of Mount Diablo in the distance (photo by Mari)

These hikes are so much fun, and the pace and company are excellent. Check the website to learn more about upcoming events at East Bay Parks.

Hat rescue during the cookie break
(look high up on the hill)

Intrepid hikers at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
(photo by Gaymond)

July 21, 2025

While at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, we spotted an assortment of interesting plants, trees, and shrubs. Here are a few snapshots, with identifications gleaned from the iNaturalist app, and from Sibley Volcanic Wildflowers and Wild Plants in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, both available at https://www.ebparks.org/parks/sibley-volcanic#resources. Clockwise from the top left corner: Wild Teasel (Dipsacus sativus) – introduced biennial; Bush Monkey Flower (Diplacus aurantiacus, formerly Mimulus aurantiacus) – native perennial; Mayweed (Anthemis cotula) – introduced annual; California Oat Grass (Danthonia californica) – native perennial; and California Flannel Bush (Fremontodendron californicum) – native shrub.

July 23, 2025

This "Air BeeNBee" provides a nesting habitat for native bees at The Gardens at Lake Merritt. According to signage, California has 1600 varieties of native bees. They are solitary, don't have a queen, don't  have a hive, and don't make honey. They nest in holes in the ground or in wood, and their only job is to pollinate flowers. The female bees make a "bee bread" of pollen and nectar, deposit it in a hole or tube, and then lay an egg on it.

"Bee hotel" - habitat for native bees at The Gardens at Lake Merritt 

July 29, 2025

The shoreline always speaks summer to me, whether misty and overcast, bright and breezy, or cloudless and blazing hot. I met up with Gaymond and his grandson, Jayden, at Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline, for the Over-the-Hills Gang hike (we missed Mari, who was travelling). Miller/Knox is located southeast of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, and has sweeping views of San Pablo Bay, the San Francisco skyline, and Mt. Tamalpais across the bay. The park is located on the ancestorial home of the Huchiun-Aguasto speaking Ohlone people.

Keller Beach, with a view of the Chevron Long Wharf

Working an old railroad switch

Miller/Knox is a great place for large group gatherings (several of the larger picnic sites are reservable), with a kiddy park, walking trails, a lagoon, and ample parking and restrooms. Also available are Keller Beach, decommissioned railroad tracks, a Santa Fe railroad terminus, Point Richmond Pier for views and fishing, a swimming beach, and access to the San Francisco Bay Trail. Across the road is the Golden State Model Railroad Museum (see the website for hours) and the Richmond Riders Motorcycle Club. Something for everyone! Anthony was our fearless hike leader and brought our favorite - lemon and ginger cookies for the halfway point break.

Historic Santa Fe terminus, used to transfer railroad cars and people to the ferry

Side trip on the boardwalk

Intrepid hikers (photo by Gaymond)

These hikes are so much fun. We learn about the history and natural history of the Bay Area, enjoy excellent company, and get some exercise at a comfortable pace for the 55+ crowd (with plenty of interesting things to occupy the occasional younger visitor). Check the website to learn more about upcoming events at East Bay Parks.

July 31, 2025

While at Knox Miller Regional Shore, we spotted interesting birds and plants (both sea- and land-based). Here are a few snapshots, with identifications gleaned from the iNaturalist app. I didn't find any sea weed identifications in the Knox Miller Regional Shore Resources section, but the Plant ID list is still helpful for other plants (available at https://www.ebparks.org/parks/miller-knox#resources).

Birds, from top to bottom: Great Egret (Ardea alba) - native to California, but may migrate to warmer climates; California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis ssp. californicus) - native to California and the West Coast; Raven (Corvus corvax) - native to California, and related to other clades in the Southwest and throughout the United States. We also saw several hawks and red wing blackbirds, and lots of seagulls and pigeons.

Plants, clockwise from the top left corner: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) - non-native to California; Quaking Grass (Briza maxima) - non-native to California; Green and Red Sea Weed (species not yet identified); Red and Green Sea Weed (species not yet identified); Feather Boa Kelp (Egregia menziesii) - native to California and the West Coast.