Pua Mau
Place botanical garden is on the desert side of Kohala mountain on the
Big Island of Hawaii. This area used to be covered in vegetation, much
of which has been lost through the improper use of the land and water
resources. The Garden's mission is to protect, preserve and propagate
plant life indigenous to the arid climate of the Big Island and to promote
continuously blooming plants. We want to educate people about the beauty
and variety of plant life and promote a conscientious attitude towards
our common resources like water and electricity. Professional horticulturists
and amateurs alike delight in a creative approach to transforming desert
to an ever-blooming garden.
All gardens
require sustained effort and water. We get about 3 inches of rain
per year.
For maximum efficiency the plantings in the garden are individually
drip irrigated. We have two wells with submersible pumps that lift
the
water 500 feet from the sea level to storage tanks. From there it is
distributed to the plants.
As you
know, electricity is expensive. Currently the electricity cost for pumping
the irrigation water is nearly $4,000 a month with rising surcharges.
Most of our electricity in Hawaii is from fossil fuel and hence, not
renewable. The energy crisis in California shows that the time has come
to look for alternative sources of power.
The Kohala
coast of the Big Island has the most insolation (sun rays) among the
Hawaiian Islands - an infinite source of renewable energy! Our objective
is to install a solar collection system that can supply our current
water needs and remove us from the fossil fuel grid.*
You can
help us fund this $500,000 project that will allow Pua Mau to fulfill
the 4 March 2001 statement in the New York Times: "Now under
development, it will, when mature, be one of the finest public gardens
on the island."
Please
give to provide protection for endangered plants and the beauty that
you will enjoy on your visit. All of your contribution goes to the development
of Pua Mau.
Mahalo
e Aloha,
Irina
and Virgil Place
* Parker
Ranch (3rd largest ranch in the USA with 225,000 acres, located on the
Big Island) has installed a solar system to pump 300,000 gallons a day
through seven stages - 7,000 feet total. So, we know it can be done.
