Hawaiian Research Project - Overview

We've returned from our 3 month adventure in Hawaii, conducting the Hawaiian Reseach Project. It was an invaluable experience to educate ourselves...as well as to grow as people and adventurers.

While in Hawaii, Melinda and Dani became aware of their next step to evolve D.r.e.e.m. Reality - to attend the University of California - Berkeley for Conservation and Resources, and Energy and Resources (respectively). In order to accomplish this sudden and exciting goal, we have swiftly moved to Berkeley and are deep in the application process.

As we see D.r.e.e.m. Reality as the motivating factor to furthering our education in these areas, Dani has chosen to provide an evaluation of the Hawaiian Research Project as one of her entrance essays. The following is her submission, which provides a general overview of the findings. We definitely want to have a more in-depth evaluation at some point, but for now - here it is!

~Dani

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Hawaiian Research Project Review

On August 16th, 2010 at approximately 1pm Greenwich Mean Time, I cautiously climbed up to the raised bed, constructed completely of local guava tree wood, that would act as my open-aired room for three weeks. I pushed through the mosquito net that offered the only separation between myself and the surrounding tropical jungle, to plop down after my first day of work exchange at Hedonesia Eco-Hostel. Sun burnt and exhausted, I couldn't have been more satisfied with my decision to conduct this three month long research project throughout the Islands of Hawaii . I'd like to share the details of this project in order to demonstrate my affinity for hands-on research and education, which I am eager to proliferate through graduate studies with the Energy and Resource Group.

I've always had in interest in the creation and execution of research projects, and have been known to interview and evaluate friends, family, and co-workers for various reasons. The recent establishment of an educational non-profit, called D.r.e.e.m. Reality that I am co-founder and Vice President of, offers opportunities to apply my desire to administer significant research. The purpose of this organization is to empower people to make informed choices and actions toward sustainability. In order to provide such services, we must first ensure that we are properly informed ourselves by humbly becoming the student. The Hawaiian Research Project (HRP) was the first attempt of my organization to learn through true hands-on experience. In addition to creating this study, my role in the HRP was to be participant, observer, documenter and evaluator.

The objectives of the HRP were to:

1. Gain understanding of the environmental, social/cultural, and economic sustainable techniques of various communities and farms
2. Educate ourselves with hands on experience
3. Test and fine tune evaluative and observational techniques
4. Begin a vast network of new friends, family, and resources

The following methods were used to accomplish these objectives:

1. Immersion and Integration
2. Observation
3. Interview
4. Earth Charter Assessment.

During our time in Hawaii, we were able to spend two to three weeks at each location with some evaluative, resting, and adventuring time in between. In total, we participated in three different communities/farms – each varying in their size, structure, mission, and lessons. Notes were taken in dedicated folders as we lived and worked within the community. Additionally, a quantifiable evaluation of the community's sustainability was done with the “Earth Charter Assessment”, created by the well established educational non-profit organization called Earth Charter (www.EarthCharterUS.org). We find that this organization's mission is in line with many of our own “Universal Principals” and mission, therefore seeing it as a valuable tool in this research project.

The following is a brief profile of each community/farm that was studied:

1. Hedonisia Eco-Hostel. A 3 acre plot with community-like elements such as shared facilities and group work. Number of residents range from 4-8 at any time, with 2 permanent residents and the rest guests or staff. Study conducted for 3 weeks.
2. Pele Aina. A 10 acre farm with strong sense of community, sharing facilities, meals, traditions, and work. Number of residents range from 6-12 at any time, with semi-long term status. Study conducted for 2 weeks.
3. Pueokea and Apanalani. Two private residences (3 acre each), with established gardens and orchards. The family welcomes people to share in household chores, cooking, work load, etc, while integrating them into the family environment at either property. Study conducted for 3 weeks.

It is my desire to share an overview of the findings from the HRP, as they now are to be incorporated into the educational tool-box of D.r.e.e.m. Reality. Below I will discuss the important environmental, social, and economic techniques I discovered from observing both the communities' successes and areas of improvement. It should be noted that each community/farm has signed a release waiver and are aware of my intention to use the results for educational purposes.


Environmental Techniques
The following are effective techniques that could be utilized while establishing environmental sustainability:

• Food, agricultural, and human waste for composting and soil creation
• Passive solar heated and gravity fed water
• Rain catchment – effective in conserving water, but demanding to maintain
• Utilize local and recycled materials for building needs
• Tropical environment allows year-round farming

Social Techniques
The following are effective techniques to be explored while establishing social sustainability:

• Community meetings, shared meals, group motivation and creation
• Organization and leadership that clearly defines roles and responsibilities
• Established decision making and conflict resolution methods
• Individual living structures with shared facilities and common areas

Economic Techniques
The following are effective techniques to consider while building economic sustainability:

• Eco-Hostel – housing guests with options for work-trade to lower rates
• Woofing and work trade – providing living basics for workers, while having free or low cost labor
• Renting property or rooms
• Sales of goods and products produced in the community with its resources
• Independent financial responsibilities of residents – work outside the community
• Ensure proper zoning and permitting for community to avoid future costs and complication

Another enriching part of the research project was to ask for advice from the founders of the communities. Below are the responses to the question “What are 3-5 tips or pieces of advice you could share about building and maintaining a sustainable entity?”.

1. Hedonisia Eco-Hostel. Make a profit to ensure economic sustainability, have an effective leadership structure in order to make decisions, and be respectful and open with conflicts.
2. Pele Aina. Choose your residents and leaders carefully, it is important to trust them; allow for individual as well as community space; have a theme or purpose for your community.
3. Pueokea and Apanalani. Prioritize, keep goals reasonable, utilize good time management; be creative, barter, share, give. It's like eating an elephant so to speak, one bite at a time.

In conclusion, the experience of creating and administering The Hawaiian Research Project has provided a well of knowledge about sustainable techniques that will trickle down through D.r.e.e.m. Reality and into the community. It is this kind of first-hand education that solidifies the knowledge gained through books and within classrooms. I am eager to refine my research skills and evolve my topics of interests through the Energy and Resource Group studies at UC Berkeley, in order to create substantial change throughout the community and world.

It Ain't Easy Being Green...but we're working on it!

Hello, all! Kaitzilla, here: one of D.r.e.e.m. Reality’s east coast voices! One of my favorite things to do includes noticing the many sustainable techniques already available where I live. It’s easy to take personal responsibility and make a difference, even in unlikely places!

For example, I went to the North Carolina State Fair this year. Growing up in the capital city of North Carolina, naturally I went to the State Fair every year. However, I noticed a different experience this year. I found myself surrounded by gardens, culture, and even… recycling? That’s right! The State Fair is no longer just about deep-fried candy bars, donut-bacon cheeseburgers, and nauseating rides anymore! It’s also about helping to protect the earth. For the record, no, I’m not kidding. There was seriously a bacon-cheeseburger with all the fixin’s served between two glazed donuts instead of a bun… Mmmm, can you feel your arteries shutting down just thinking about it? I digress. Anyway, I am proud to acknowledge that recycling bins were abundant and convenient at the fair this year! Almost every trash can had a recycling bin right beside it. Now, if we could keep the trash cans from overflowing, and use the recycling more, we’d be in great shape, NC! I want to urge people to be more aware and take notice of these convenient receptacles. They are available, let’s use them!

You may already be familiar with the giant pumpkin sporting a blue ribbon you can find at a state fair, but what about entire gardens? We saw dozens of squares of land, themed and decorated with a wide variety of beautiful plants. Beyond the judging area there were also larger gardens on display, including a huge one dedicated to edible plants growing easily together! This garden (a small portion pictured to the right), simply named “Pretty and Tasty Garden,” contains all-edible plant life. The experience felt particularly exciting for me, as I got to see a prime example of the many foods that can grow in my current climate! [*if you read my last blog, I recently encouraged everyone to figure out what kinds of foods can grow easily at home. In fact, I encourage you further. Check out Where to Find Pick-Your-Own Fruit and Vegetable Farms / Orchards for Local, Fresh Fruit, Vegetables*]

The art projects on display at the fair are inspiring to see. Entries include traditional folk art, to cake decorating. Wonderfully, the artists range from professional s to children! To close, I leave you with the wise words of my favorite entry, a robot built by a young child.

“Hi, I’m Recycle Bot! I am made of a lot of recycled things. Recycling is very important in the state of North Carolina! Each year North Carolinians throw away $74,072,000 in aluminum and $41,411,600 in plastic. Did you know N.C. has a statewide ban on the disposal of these items?...”

The delightful robot goes on to boast about the numerous things made from recycled materials! Listen to the robot, recycle!

<3 Kait

Director Introduction - Kait!

Howdy, fellow D.R.E.E.M.ers!

Allow me to introduce myself… Kaitzilla here! I just want to start off by saying “Thanks for reading!” I can hardly express how grateful & blessed I feel to officially take part in this wonderful organization. There are many exciting endeavors & educational experiences to look forward to, & I delight in having opportunities to share them with the world! One of the first, but biggest, lessons I learned from being inducted has to do with what it takes to be a D.R.E.E.M.er. Originally, I thought it would take some sort of meditative ascension, or that I would have to suddenly & immediately become a flawless human [a complete contradiction]. However, I began to realize that qualities that simply made me me also made me a D.R.E.E.M.er! Passion, pluck, and perhaps even my perkiness all add keys to the instrument that is myself. Of course, many instruments must come together to make dynamic music. 

On Oct. 5, 2010, Ashley Munday and I [Kait Vettel] were awarded our certificates of induction, and we officially became directors of D.R.E.E.M. Reality! We felt especially thrilled because of the love and energy poured into our certificates. They were lovingly hand- crafted from recycled [and reused] brown paper bags and decorated with love & intention, plus lots of flowers! The certificates serve as beautiful visual reminders of the commitment we have made to ourselves, this organization, our community, as well as the whole environment!

Due to fortunate happenstance, Ashley and I were recently able to join D.R.E.E.M. Reality president and vice-president [Melinda & Danielle Phoenix, respectively] for a week during their Hawaiian Research Project. Hawaii is a stunning, majestic place to visit. Many people already know that. However, I had no idea what amazing examples of sustainability the Big Island has to offer. For starters, there is hardly any trash to throw out. Even public areas in the bigger cities offer recycling bins, compost receptacles, and sometimes even paper compost! Due to the limited space and fertile soil, Hawaii has to be extremely conscious of how often landfills/dumps get used. Imagine how much of a difference we could make here on the mainland if we simply adopted more of these simple waste reduction techniques! The notion is not as distant as it sounds. Even fast food companies where you live make efforts toward sustainability. Many fast food containers, such as cups, lids, and even the plastic nacho trays at your local Taco Bell are recyclable. The swirling triangle of arrows has become a widely recognizable symbol, and I urge everyone to take note of just how many products bear that symbol! This is our ever-important first step: Awareness. Next, let’s start encouraging these fast food places to provide customers with recycling bins in the stores! They have made the effort to use recycled materials, it’s up to us to complete the cycle. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if they made it easier on us!

On another sustainability note, the town of Hawi, where Ashley and I stayed during the majority of our Hawaii visit, gets its energy from wind power! The vast fields of massive windmills are majestic, and awe-inspiring. The city took responsibility for its residents. Which brings up a good point: what about individuals visiting or living in Hawaii? There are many amazing work-exchange programs in Hawaii for visitors. It is an incredible way to experience the heart of Hawaii, while simultaneously giving something back to the land. Aside from the eco-villages, farms, and intentional communities on the big island that tend land & farm their own food, average families living there also grow food. During our stay, we were lucky enough to share in many amazing dining experiences with many of the ingredients being picked just before preparation. Nothing short of inspiring; clearly gardening is no longer only for large-scale, mass production farmers! In our work-a-day world, it’s often easy to get caught up in convenience, as opposed to procuring our own food. I myself am often guilty of ignoring where my food comes from. I encourage everyone reading this to find out what foods grow easily in your climate, and get planting! You’ll be sold once you taste the food you pick fresh. Plus, getting your hands dirty and working directly with the earth & soil can be a powerfully spiritual and fulfilling experience. I felt elated, accomplished, & on top of the world after rescuing a mango tree from parasitic vines! I bet the mango tree felt pretty good, too! When you feel that good [and the earth does too!], nothing can get you down.

Though sometimes overlooked, the spiritual, emotional, and communal experiences we share as people are just as vital to sustainable living as environmental considerations. After all, if you do not feel emotionally or spiritually fulfilled, then you yourself do not share the ability to sustain healthy living! The earth is not the only thing that needs help. Our souls need to utilize tools of sustainability as well. For example, one of the most unique and fascinating experiences I had during our time on the island came from our fortunate involvement in what is known as a Dream-In. An exercise where each participant sets intention into one’s dreams before bed, so as to better absorb the messages within them after awakening. The next morning, the sense of spiritual community that we each search for made known that it exists already in our subconscious during the sharing of the dreams. Many people, whether they knew one another or not, shared similar dream symbols and emotions during the night. Also, about half the group awoke at the same time [before the chimes to wake up went off]. It made me realize that there may be nothing so powerfully universal, yet seemingly impossible to fully understand, as the act of dreaming. Whether one thinks of a dream as a seemingly random assortment of images perceived during sleep, or the waking desire that fuels our very existence, dreams power us all.

D.R.E.E.M. on!

<3 Kait

PS- An extra thanks to those of you who actually sat through this long-winded introduction! <3