Pu'uwa'awa'a Camping and Conservation

Sunset from the Lake House at Pu'uwa'awa'a

Last week I spend five days camping with four teenagers with Kupu, a youth conservation organization at Pu'uwa'awa'a, a few miles north of Kona on the upper road to Waimea.

View from the top of the puu

We spent most of our time planting native trees, removing invasive species, and collecting seeds.

Sunrise from the Lake House at Pu'uwa'awa'a, nene geese in the water

I've learned so much already, it feels so good to get this chance to give back to the 'aina.

Mountain views for days

Not to mention all the amazing places we've been privy to, and all the rare species of plants and animals we've seen.

Sunrise again and more nene

Of course, my first priority when it comes to camping is food. Because we are a conservation group, I feel it's important to try to eat as sustainably as possible. The menu below shows a break down of what we prepared each day, the meals that are starred were made with locally grown or produced products. I was able to purchase locally grown/made meat, fruits, vegetables, tortillas, eggs, shoyu, and tofu. Most of the meals went over pretty well with the team, except the tofu curry, they were not so hot on meatless meals.

Day	Meal	KP
Monday	*Dinner: Fish Tacos*	Cook: N, A
		Clean: J, J
Tuesday	*Breakfast: burritos*	Cook: Gwen
		Clean: N, A
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit	Gwen
	*Dinner: Teri beef stir-fry w/ rice*	Cook: J, J Clean: Gwen
Wednesday	Breakfast: bagels/yogurt/fruit	A, N
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit	Gwen
	*Dinner: Kalua pork sandwiches w/ slaw & sweet potatoes*	Cook: A, N Clean: J, J
Thursday	Breakfast: bagels/yogurt/fruit	J, J
	Lunch: leftovers, chips, fruit	Gwen
	*Dinner: tofu curry with rice*	Cook: Gwen Clean: N, A
Friday	Breakfast: bagels/yogurt/fruit	J, J
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit	Gwen