Honuaiākea: Developing Kapu and Kānāwai Through Ancestral Ecological Knowledge

Join ʻImiloa for this conversation with Luka Kanakaʻole as he demonstrates the development of kapu (elements to hold sacred) and kānāwai (protocols that uphold them) through the analytical process of Honuaiākea — a rigorous methodology for shaping contemporary policy, governance, and environmental stewardship.

Emerging from the Papakū Makawalu framework, Honuaiākea centers ʻike Hawaiʻi as foundational scientific knowledge. Rather than positioning culture as an addition to Western science, Kanakaʻole advances an approach in which conventional biological data and ancestral ecological knowledge inform one another as equals. With a background in biology, he reflects on moving beyond a data-dominant “sprinkle of culture” model toward a comprehensive, place-based knowing grounded in location-specific Ancestral Ecological Knowledge.

Central to this work is protocol: opening with oli sets intention, removes ego from decision-making, and situates governance within relationship—to place, to ancestors, and to future generations.

We’re celebrating Engineers Week with a free, family-friendly Engineering Bash! Meet some of the island’s most talented students, professional engineers, and community experts and discover the amazing world of engineering! Bring all your engineering questions and enjoy mind-bending and inspiring indoor/outdoor activities, demonstrations, and displays, including drones with Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum, hovercraft with the Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi, magnetic slime with Parker School students, and more!

The Engineering Bash is presented in collaboration with our NASA@My Library partners and community friends: Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope, Girl Scouts of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Keiki Museum, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Hawaiian Electric, Laupāhoehoe Train Museum, Parker School, PISCES, UH Institute for Astronomy/Maunakea Observatories, UH Space Science and Engineering Initiative, W.M. Keck Observatory, Waimea Fire Station, Waimea Middle School, and West Hawaiʻi Concrete.

Join us on February 27 for Waimea Family Food Truck Friday, a monthly community event held in the heart of Waimea Town at the W.M. Keck Observatory Headquarters. This free, family-friendly gathering brings together a variety of local food and beverage vendors, offering delicious meals, sweet treats, and specialty favorites from across the island. Listen to live music from 5:00 to 7:30p and do outdoor keiki activities. Enjoy great food, support local businesses, and connect with friends, family, and the Waimea community.

Restrooms and ample parking are available. Bring an umbrella, as the event will happen rain or shine. There's plenty of space for picnic blankets and chairs, so bring them along!

This is an alcohol-free event.

We live in an era where worlds like Tatooine — the iconic twin-sun planet from Star Wars — have leapt from science fiction into the realm of modern astrophysics. These distant worlds, orbiting stars beyond our Sun, are known as exoplanets.

At the Subaru Telescope, a powerful instrument called the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) makes it possible to directly image these alien worlds. By combining cutting-edge adaptive optics with coronagraphy, SCExAO suppresses starlight and reveals the faint glow of orbiting exoplanets.

This Shadow the Scientists session will offer a sneak peek into SCExAO observations of one such extrasolar world captured by the Subaru Telescope. While an exoplanet may not be visible in the raw images during this observation, the session will explain the methods behind these observations, which are similar to those used by the James Webb Space Telescope in space.

Join W.M. Keck Observatory and International Gemini Observatory on Tuesday, February 24, at 6:30 pm for A Shared Sky: Kaulana Mahina and the Lunar Eclipse in Hawaiʻi. This free ʻohana event is in anticipation of the upcoming total lunar eclipse (Blood Moon) on March 13/14 and will feature a talk and Q&A with three speakers from the observatories.

Speakers

• Preethi Krishnamoorthy - Staff Astronomer, W.M. Keck Observatory

• Avinash Surendran - Adaptive Optics Scientist, W.M. Keck Observatory

• Leilehua Yuen - Hawaiʻi Culture & Language Resident, International Gemini Observatory

This event will be held in the Jerry Nelson Conference Room at the Keck headquarters in Waimea. Doors will open at 6:00 pm, and the talk will begin at 6:30 pm. There is limited seating available, so don’t wait and register today. 

The Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA) is preparing to take office under a new management plan and is hosting a community talk story on Thursday, February 19, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi. This talk story is part of a series of gatherings across the pae ʻāina to connect with community and share ʻike about the future stewardship of Mauna Kea, with a focus on Access and Aspiration.

These gatherings are not formal hearings. Instead, they are designed as spaces to listen, connect, and talk story — an opportunity for community members and the Authority to sit together, build shared understanding, and reflect on what stewardship, access, and aspiration mean for Mauna Kea moving forward.

The first portion of each gathering will provide a brief overview of Mauna Kea and the role of the Authority, ensuring everyone has a shared foundation. The majority of the time will then be dedicated to small-group conversations, where participants can share perspectives, experiences, and manaʻo in a more personal and relational setting.

These conversations will help ground the Authority’s early work in community values, cultural context, and lived experience, and support the development of stewardship priorities rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

The Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA) is preparing to take office under a new management plan and is hosting a community talk story on Wednesday, February 18, in Nāʻālehu, Hawaiʻi. This talk story is part of a series of gatherings across the pae ʻāina to connect with community and share ʻike about the future stewardship of Mauna Kea, with a focus on Access and Aspiration.

These gatherings are not formal hearings. Instead, they are designed as spaces to listen, connect, and talk story — an opportunity for community members and the Authority to sit together, build shared understanding, and reflect on what stewardship, access, and aspiration mean for Mauna Kea moving forward.

The first portion of each gathering will provide a brief overview of Mauna Kea and the role of the Authority, ensuring everyone has a shared foundation. The majority of the time will then be dedicated to small-group conversations, where participants can share perspectives, experiences, and manaʻo in a more personal and relational setting.

These conversations will help ground the Authority’s early work in community values, cultural context, and lived experience, and support the development of stewardship priorities rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

The Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA) is preparing to take office under a new management plan and is hosting a community talk story on Wednesday, February 11, in Waimea, Hawaiʻi. This talk story is part of a series of gatherings across the pae ʻāina to connect with community and share ʻike about the future stewardship of Mauna Kea, with a focus on Access and Aspiration.

These gatherings are not formal hearings. Instead, they are designed as spaces to listen, connect, and talk story — an opportunity for community members and the Authority to sit together, build shared understanding, and reflect on what stewardship, access, and aspiration mean for Mauna Kea moving forward.

The first portion of each gathering will provide a brief overview of Mauna Kea and the role of the Authority, ensuring everyone has a shared foundation. The majority of the time will then be dedicated to small-group conversations, where participants can share perspectives, experiences, and manaʻo in a more personal and relational setting.

These conversations will help ground the Authority’s early work in community values, cultural context, and lived experience, and support the development of stewardship priorities rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

Join ʻImiloa and embark on an interstellar voyage with Hālau ‘Ōkupu Play and Learn program theme Hōkūhele: Planets in our Solar System! Board a rocket with your young astronomer and traverse the vast expanse of our solar system. From the fiery storms of Jupiter to the icy plains of Pluto, each planet is unique and fascinating. Enroll your little space explorer today and let the cosmic exploration begin!

Hālau ʻŌkupu is a monthly Play & Learn experience thoughtfully designed for our youngest learners. Held on a day when ʻImiloa is closed to the public, this program offers a calm, safe space for keiki to explore, move, and discover alongside their caregivers.

• ʻImiloa Members: $20 (1 child + 1 adult)

• General: $30 (1 child + 1 adult)

• Additional eligible children or adults: $10 each

Walk-ins welcome if space allows. Refunds not available for missed sessions.

Join Shadow the Scientist and W.M. Keck Observatory as they investigate distant solar system objects, our newest interstellar visitor, and objects that share a similar orbit to the Earth’s with the Keck/MOSFIRE near-infrared camera.

They have a triple feature planned for you with the Keck telescope: the near-infrared investigation of Neptunian Trojan objects, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, and Earth co-orbitals.

They will discuss the challenges of observing these enigmatic objects from the summit of Maunakea and what we can learn about the formation of planetary systems from their observed physical properties.

Join Shadow the Scientist and W.M. Keck Observatory as they investigate distant solar system objects, our newest interstellar visitor, and objects that share a similar orbit to the Earth’s with the Keck/MOSFIRE near-infrared camera.

They have a triple feature planned for you with the Keck telescope: the near-infrared investigation of Neptunian Trojan objects, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, and Earth co-orbitals.

They will discuss the challenges of observing these enigmatic objects from the summit of Maunakea and what we can learn about the formation of planetary systems from their observed physical properties.

The Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA) is preparing to take office under a new management plan and is hosting a community talk story on Thursday, February 5, in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This talk story is part of a series of gatherings across the pae ʻāina to connect with community and share ʻike about the future stewardship of Mauna Kea, with a focus on Access and Aspiration.

These gatherings are not formal hearings. Instead, they are designed as spaces to listen, connect, and talk story — an opportunity for community members and the Authority to sit together, build shared understanding, and reflect on what stewardship, access, and aspiration mean for Mauna Kea moving forward.

The first portion of each gathering will provide a brief overview of Mauna Kea and the role of the Authority, ensuring everyone has a shared foundation. The majority of the time will then be dedicated to small-group conversations, where participants can share perspectives, experiences, and manaʻo in a more personal and relational setting.

These conversations will help ground the Authority’s early work in community values, cultural context, and lived experience, and support the development of stewardship priorities rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

The Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA) is preparing to take office under a new management plan and is hosting a community talk story on Wednesday, February 4, in Laupāhoehoe, Hawaiʻi. This talk story is part of a series of gatherings across the pae ʻāina to connect with community and share ʻike about the future stewardship of Mauna Kea, with a focus on Access and Aspiration.

These gatherings are not formal hearings. Instead, they are designed as spaces to listen, connect, and talk story — an opportunity for community members and the Authority to sit together, build shared understanding, and reflect on what stewardship, access, and aspiration mean for Mauna Kea moving forward.

The first portion of each gathering will provide a brief overview of Mauna Kea and the role of the Authority, ensuring everyone has a shared foundation. The majority of the time will then be dedicated to small-group conversations, where participants can share perspectives, experiences, and manaʻo in a more personal and relational setting.

These conversations will help ground the Authority’s early work in community values, cultural context, and lived experience, and support the development of stewardship priorities rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

Join us on Wednesday, February 4, at 5:30 pm at ʻImiloa Astronomy Center's planetarium for a special screening of Messengers of Time & Space featuring a panel conversation with astronomers discussing the show and the future of astronomy.

Please arrive early to find your seats. The show will start at 5:30 pm.

ʻImiloa Members: $5

General Public: $10

The Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA) is preparing to take office under a new management plan and is hosting a community talk story on Thursday, February 3, in Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi. This talk story is part of a series of gatherings across the pae ʻāina to connect with community and share ʻike about the future stewardship of Mauna Kea, with a focus on Access and Aspiration.

These gatherings are not formal hearings. Instead, they are designed as spaces to listen, connect, and talk story — an opportunity for community members and the Authority to sit together, build shared understanding, and reflect on what stewardship, access, and aspiration mean for Mauna Kea moving forward.

The first portion of each gathering will provide a brief overview of Mauna Kea and the role of the Authority, ensuring everyone has a shared foundation. The majority of the time will then be dedicated to small-group conversations, where participants can share perspectives, experiences, and manaʻo in a more personal and relational setting.

These conversations will help ground the Authority’s early work in community values, cultural context, and lived experience, and support the development of stewardship priorities rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

Our favorite Friday night in Waimea is back! Waimea Family Food Truck is a monthly community event held in the heart of Waimea Town at the W.M. Keck Observatory Headquarters. This free, family-friendly gathering brings together a variety of local food and beverage vendors, offering delicious meals, sweet treats, and specialty favorites from across the island. Listen to live music from 5:00 to 7:30p and do outdoor keiki activities. Enjoy great food, support local businesses, and connect with friends, family, and the Waimea community.

Restrooms and ample parking are available. Bring an umbrella, as the event will happen rain or shine. There's plenty of space for picnic blankets and chairs, so bring them along!

This is an alcohol-free event.

The Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA) is preparing to take office under a new management plan and is hosting a community talk story on Thursday, January 29, in Kaunakakai, Molokaʻi. This talk story is part of a series of gatherings across the pae ʻāina to connect with community and share ʻike about the future stewardship of Mauna Kea, with a focus on Access and Aspiration.

These gatherings are not formal hearings. Instead, they are designed as spaces to listen, connect, and talk story — an opportunity for community members and the Authority to sit together, build shared understanding, and reflect on what stewardship, access, and aspiration mean for Mauna Kea moving forward.

The first portion of each gathering will provide a brief overview of Mauna Kea and the role of the Authority, ensuring everyone has a shared foundation. The majority of the time will then be dedicated to small-group conversations, where participants can share perspectives, experiences, and manaʻo in a more personal and relational setting.

These conversations will help ground the Authority’s early work in community values, cultural context, and lived experience, and support the development of stewardship priorities rooted in trust, transparency, and respect.

Join ‘Imiloa for this free, exciting talk with Dr. Don Hemmes, Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Edible and poisonous mushrooms of Hawai'i will be illustrated along with fruiting bodies of other fleshy fungi including stink horns, earth stars, bird's nest fungi, shelf fungi, and morels. Species endemic to the islands and newly introduced species will be described.

MKSOA is preparing to take office with a new management plan and will be hosting 10 community workshops across the pae ‘āina to discuss the future of Mauna Kea, focusing especially on Access and Aspiration. Registration is optional and helps determine a headcount for pupus and refreshments at the venues.

Attend a workshop to share your mana‘o (thoughts) and input to provide critical guidance for helping to shape decision-making, inform stewardship priorities, and ensure that the path forward is grounded in transparency, cultural respect, and community-driven values.

Topics:

• Comprehensive Management Plan

• Drafting the Aspirational Statement

• Access

• Application of Kānāwai

• Q&A

Kīlauea volcano has historically erupted more than 35 episodes in the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Lava fountains from two eruptive vents have built an impressive cone on the crater rim and incrementally filled in Halemaʻumaʻu crater with stacks of lava flows. Volcanic gas emissions and particles of lava are carried in downwind directions. Have there been similar eruptions in the history of Kīlauea? What are the hazards associated with this activity? How could this eruption potentially end? Join USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory deputy Scientist-in-Charge David Phillips at the ʻImiloa Planetarium as he answers these questions and more.

ʻImiloa Members: $5

General Public: $10

The Onizuka family, the Onizuka Memorial Committee, the Hawaiʻi Science and Technology Museum, PISCES, and the Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope are bringing Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day back to Hilo for the first time since 2020! This free community event for all ages will feature a day of STEM exhibits, hands-on workshops, AMA with an astronaut, special guest speakers, and food in celebration of the inspiring life and legacy of Hawaiʻi’s first astronaut. All ages are welcome!

Highlights & Activities

• Meet a real NASA astronaut

• Special guest speakers

• Exhibits and demonstrations by local STEM organizations

• Hands-on workshops for students, grades 3–12 (details TBA)

• State Qualifying VEX IQ Robotics Tournament

Workshop Registration

Onizuka Day will include a variety of 1-hour, hands-on workshop sessions geared for students in grades 3–12. Seating is limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff will do their best to place students in their preferred workshops. View the list of workshops and register using the links below.

MKSOA is preparing to take office with a new management plan and will be hosting 10 community workshops across the pae ‘āina to discuss the future of Mauna Kea, focusing especially on Access and Aspiration. Registration is optional and helps determine a headcount for pupus and refreshments at the venues.

Attend a workshop to share your mana‘o (thoughts) and input to provide critical guidance for helping to shape decision-making, inform stewardship priorities, and ensure that the path forward is grounded in transparency, cultural respect, and community-driven values.

Topics:

• Comprehensive Management Plan

• Drafting the Aspirational Statement

• Access

• Application of Kānāwai

• Q&A

MKSOA is preparing to take office with a new management plan and will be hosting 10 community workshops across the pae ‘āina to discuss the future of Mauna Kea, focusing especially on Access and Aspiration. Registration is optional and helps determine a headcount for pupus and refreshments at the venues.

Attend a workshop to share your mana‘o (thoughts) and input to provide critical guidance for helping to shape decision-making, inform stewardship priorities, and ensure that the path forward is grounded in transparency, cultural respect, and community-driven values.

Topics:

• Comprehensive Management Plan

• Drafting the Aspirational Statement

• Access

• Application of Kānāwai

• Q&A

Come enjoy the holiday season at the 9th annual Garden Enchantment! Garden Enchantment is a two-night event taking place the evenings of December 23 and 24 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. On Tuesday evening, the perimeter of the park will be lit by several community groups, including astronomers, Lions Clubs, Volkswagen Club, and others. A free photo booth featuring the Grinch will be near the east torii under the monkeypod tree on Banyan Drive.

Come enjoy the holiday season at the 9th annual Garden Enchantment! Garden Enchantment is a two-night event taking place the evenings of December 23 and 24 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. On Tuesday evening, the perimeter of the park will be lit by several community groups, including astronomers, Lions Clubs, Volkswagen Club, and others. A free photo booth featuring the Grinch will be near the east torii under the monkeypod tree on Banyan Drive.

ʻImiloa's Halau ʻOkupu Play and Learn is a unique Place-based and Play-Based Enrichment Program designed for keiki (Ages 1-4) along with a max of 2 caregivers per toddler.

ʻOkupu refers to young sprouts or the new shoots of a plant sent out to grow. ʻImiloa invites parents and caregivers to come explore with their young sprouts in an environment that fosters learning through curiosity, exploration, and play! Through a variety of activities, including gross and small motor skill exercises, sensory exploration, dramatic play, movement activities, and arts and crafts, keiki are encouraged to actively engage while developing essential skills. These engaging experiences are specially developed to provide opportunities for keiki and their caregivers to foster stronger connections to their island home and community. Join ʻImiloa on this exciting journey of discovery and growth at Halau ʻOkupu Play and Learn!

Member Admission: $20 (includes one child and supervising adult)

General Admission: $30 (includes one child and supervising adult)

Stop by the Keck Observatory booth for hot cocoa at the 65th Waimea Twilight Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 6p. This year’s theme is A Waimea Christmas Birthday Celebration.

The parade route is the same as last year and will begin with units leaving Waimea Park onto Kawaihae Road (across from Habitat for Humanity’s RESTORE), turning left onto Kawaihae Road, then right onto Lindsey Road to the main intersection. The parade will turn left onto Mamalahoa Hwy (Hwy 19), pass through the town center, turn right on Pukalani, right on Ala ʻOhia, and conclude at the Kalani Schutte Waimea District Park.

Spectators are asked to please stay on the sidewalk or grass and off the roadway; no open fires/barbecues/hibachis to prevent wildfires; and please do not throw candy from parade units for everyone’s safety!

Join the Shadow the Scientists initiative for an exciting special event as Bryce Bolin (Eureka Scientific), Laura-May Abron (Griffith Observatory), and Matthew Belyakov (Caltech) use the Gemini Observatory North to observe comet 3I/ATLAS, a rare interstellar object passing through our solar system!

As only the third confirmed visitor from beyond our solar neighborhood, 3I/ATLAS offers an extraordinary opportunity to study material that formed around another star. Ejected from its original system millions to billions of years ago, the comet recently entered our solar system from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, near the Milky Way’s galactic center.

In this special observing session, astronomers will attempt to capture some of the first post-perihelion observations of comet 3I/ATLAS, following its reemergence from behind the Sun. Building on Gemini South data from August, the team aims to detect chemical signatures in the gas it emits to learn about the comet’s composition, physical state, and evolution.

Supported by the Gemini North science and outreach staff and leading experts in comets and interstellar visitors, this event offers one of the closest looks yet of this enigmatic interstellar visitor!