What are the significant changes caused by natural events or human actions, including current policies and practices, on the population or habitat?
Due to the fact that our location are elementary schools, the young students have had a tremendous impact on the natural environment. They have opportunities to tear up and trample plants, unless otherwise educated. The rain in these three locations often affects the environment by making it green and lush, due to its large quantity. Hawaii gets an average annual rainfall of 58.69 inches, which is 19.52 inches above the national average of 39.17 inches.
Are human actions contributing to the resiliency of this population or habitat?
Human actions are contributing to these habitats’ resiliencies, but usually in a negative way. They often damage the flora, and scare off animals. Oftentimes, these animals are feral cats, which are harmful, but they also can be native insects or birds. Human actions have shaped the landscape; the natural terrain has been manipulated to submit to the implementation of roads, houses, and even elementary schools.
What is the current implementation of current laws, policies, and management practices?
In recent years, a new program has been launched in schools called the Hawaii Healthy Initiative (HHI) that stresses and promotes healthier policies. This involves the change that places recess before lunch, and requires that school lunches be healthier and more wholesome. School nutrition has changed dramatically, but it could still be greatly improved through food from gardens; trans-fat is no longer used, grain items have to be 50% whole grain, milk is 1% fat or skim and vending machines only supply water.
The DOE Hawaii school lunch menus are selected on the basis of these 4 categories:
1. Equivalency/equitability
2. Nutritional standards
3. School system’s food budget
4. Safety of fresh and processed products
-
There are no rules/regulations requiring any local foods to be used, however a report by the University of Hawaii states that, “within these requirements, local farmers and producers may have the opportunity to provide food to the school lunch program.”
-
Hawaii is part of the Hawaii Farm to School and School Garden Hui, even though not every school has a garden.Currently, there are 168 school gardens involving 21,577 students and 830 teachers on 30 acres of land.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, there is an independent, community based research center, called Kohala Center. This center has a program called the Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network which helps to implement sustainable gardens in Hawai’i schools.