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Kevin Gavagan Receives 2022 Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Serena Fukushima

Kevin Gavagan, Assistant Director of Engineering at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, is the 2022 recipient of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award. The award is given each year to recognize efforts in the landscape and agricultural community toward stopping the spread of invasive species in Maui County. The award is presented by the Maui Invasive Species Committee, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and the County of Maui.

Gavagan was raised on a carnation flower farm in Kula. At 12 years old, he was driving a tractor to help the family business. At 13, he obtained his pesticide applicator license, sitting in classes alongside experienced upcountry farmers decades his senior. He joined the Future Farmers of America in high school and studied agriculture at Maui Community College. With help from his parents and the Alu Like Native Hawaiian Scholarship Program, Gavagan earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1986.

After graduation, Gavagan worked on the University’s nitrogen-fixation project, the USDA, and some landscaping businesses. After jobs with a handful of hotels in landscape management, in 2001, he joined the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea managing the grounds and landscaping team.

His combined passion for horticulture and his Hawaiian culture sparked Gavagan to lead cultural garden tours at the resort for over two decades. A quiet and humble man at first introduction, a fire slowly builds, and he becomes animated talking about native plants. He is dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of Hawaiian place names and moʻolelo (stories) of Wailea. Gavagan weaves cultural knowledge into his tour of the native and exotic plants on the resort grounds, and lights a spark in all who join him. He is creating a sense of place for guests and locals alike. “So much of the life of this land is buried in modern-day tourism and real estate activities,” Gavagan says, “When I do my tours, I try to expose people to the beautiful history of this place through the garden. I try to help them acquire a connection and respect for this wahi pana (sacred place)”.

Kevin Gavagan, Assistant Director of Engineering at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, is the 2022 recipient of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award. Photo: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

In 2011, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts celebrated its 50-year anniversary. In celebration of the event, the international luxury hotel and resort company pledged to plant 10 million trees around the world. Maui was tasked to plant 10,000 trees. Gavagan reached out to the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC), and in their first year of the initiative, Four Seasons Resort Maui staff planted 2,000 native plants on Kahoʻolawe. Gavagan returns each year with volunteer hotel staff to plant more native plants, and his eyes light up when he talks about these trips. “We have long since eclipsed the original goal of 10,000 plantings and continue to volunteer to go there to help restore the island.” He says, “These trips are not only a way to give back in alignment with the mission of Four Seasons, but greatly enrich us all personally. Kahoʻolawe always gives more than we could ever give it.”

Gavagan’s nomination for the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award stems from his passion for horticulture, native plants, and Hawaiian culture, his leadership in helping to restore Kahoʻolawe, and the importance of preserving Hawaiian place names in Wailea.  He has affected not only the industry and community he works in but countless malihini (visitors) and kamaʻāina (locals) alike through sharing of his knowledge and skills, advocation for native plants in landscaping practices, perpetuating Hawaiian cultural values, and his commitment to maintaining a Hawaiian sense of place within Maui’s visitor industry.

This year’s commemorative plaque features a sculpture of a wiliwili flower by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen, modeled after Gavagan’s favorite tree on Kahoʻolawe. Photo: MISC

The Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2022, as part of the Maui Arbor Day Garden Expo and Tree Giveaway held at the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens. The in-person event will feature home garden and tree care demonstrations by the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, cultural demonstrations and workshops, a “Hale ʻŌhiʻa” with games, prizes, and speakers revolving around the native ohia lehua, and a giveaway of more than 1,000 Hawaiian trees.

The award ceremony will feature a short mini-documentary about Kevin, filmed by videographer Spencer Hyde of Dgtl Film. The presenters include Allison Wright, President of the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, Allison Cleghorn, Maui County Environmental Coordinator, and Serena Fukushima, Public Relations and Education Specialist of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. This year’s commemorative plaque features a sculpture of a wiliwili flower by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen, modeled after Gavagan’s favorite tree on Kahoʻolawe.

More information on the Maui Arbor Day Garden Expo and Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award can be found at arbordayexpo.com.

Filed Under: Home Slider, Malama i ka Aina Award, Press Release Tagged With: 2022, malama i ka aina award, malama i ka aina winner

Duane Sparkman Receives 2021 Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Serena Fukushima


Duane Sparkman, Chief Engineer at the Westin Maui Resort and Spa, is the 2021 recipient of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina award. The award is given each year to recognize the efforts in the landscape and agricultural community towards stopping the spread of invasive species in Maui County. The award is presented by the Maui Invasive Species Committee, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and the County of Maui.


With his roots in landscaping, Sparkman worked his way up to become part-owner of a large landscape company that maintained 65 acres of resorts along Maui’s coastlines before coming on board with the Maui Westin Resort and Spa. Along with his day job, Sparkman has pursued his passion of learning about Maui’s unique environment. He has volunteered with over a dozen conservation organizations, removing invasive species and planting endangered plants in some of Maui’s most pristine places. In 2012, he worked at Haleakalā National Park with their resource management team, which drastically changed his view of landscape maintenance.

Duane Sparkman, Chief Engineer at the Westin Maui Resort and Spa, is the 2021 recipient of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina award. MISC photo.


Through his experience, Sparkman came to a realization: “If I don’t have to fertilize a native forest, why do I need to fertilize urban landscapes?” He then proceeded to transform the landscape practices at the Maui Westin Resort and Spa’s 12-acre oceanfront resort to organic practices.


Additionally, Sparkman sits on the board of directors of Maui Cultural Lands as their botanist and is the project manager for a 72-acre Hawaiian cultural reserve called Kīpuka ʻOlowalu. He also has a consulting company called Edaphic Perspective, where he assists homeowners, landowners and municipalities transition to organic landscape practices, and has recently partnered with the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council to assist them with their organic land management division

This year’s commemorative plaque featured a sculpture of a Maui Parrotbill perched on a koa branch by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen. MISC Photo.


Sparkman’s nomination stems from his passion in seeing thriving and healthy ecosystems from mauka to makai. He has affected not only the industry he works in, but countless other organizations throughout Maui, by sharing his knowledge and skills with community members, respecting and promoting Hawaiian culture and practices, working with local non-profit organizations, and continuing to improve sustainable landscape practices within Hawaii’s resort industry.


Due to Covid-19, the award was presented in a small, socially distanced award ceremony in West Maui and filmed by videographer Spencer Hyde of Dgtl Film. The presenters included Allison Wright, President of the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and Adam Radford, Manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. This year’s commemorative plaque featured a sculpture of a Maui Parrotbill perched on a koa branch by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen. The Mālama i ka ʻĀina award is a part of the 2021 Maui Arbor Day Garden Expo and Tree Giveaway held November 2-6. This year, local experts will offer tree and plant care lectures and webinars and the Maui Nui Botanical Gardens will host a nursery open house in addition to giving away more than 1,000 Hawaiian trees. More information on Arbor Day can be found at arbordayexpo.com, and the short film can be found at mauiinvasive.org/MIKA.

Filed Under: Malama i ka Aina Award, Press Release Tagged With: 2021, malama i ka aina award, malama i ka aina winner

Mark Blietz Receives 2020 Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Lissa Strohecker

Mark Blietz, owner of Northshore Tropicals in Haʻikū, is the 2020 recipient of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina. The award is given each year to recognize the efforts of individuals in the landscape and agricultural community towards stopping the spread of invasive species in Maui County. The award is presented by the Maui Invasive Species Committee, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and the County of Maui.

Blietz is a well-known nursery owner who has led by example throughout his career, both in the landscaping community and throughout Maui. He and his family have been in the nursery business for over 30 years and throughout that time, he has been active locally in the Maui Orchid Society and nationally as a judge in the American Orchid Society. Blietz has been proactive in dealing with invasive species and urges others to do the same. When the stinging nettle caterpillar arrived to Maui in 2008, he started controlling it around his nursery himself to keep from spreading it – he continues to control invasive species, currently working to keep coqui and ivy gourd out of his nursery.

But it was his generosity over the last year that led to his nomination for the award. The Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC) needed temporary storage and facilities to keep their crews working after they lost access to the facility they had been in for over a decade. Blietz shared his property and barn, keeping MISC operational until a new baseyard became available. “Mark saved the day for MISC…MISC couldn’t have kept working to protect Maui County from invasive species without his help” said Adam Radford, MISC Manager, in acknowledgement of Blietz’s efforts.

In accepting the award, Blietz encouraged community action. “There’s so much that we, as stewards of the land, can do to protect our ʻāina from invasive species. Simply being able to identify them and letting them [MISC] know” he said.

Mark Blietz, recipient of 2020 Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award, pictured at his Haʻikū nursery.


Due to Covid-19, the award was presented In a small, socially distanced award ceremony in Haʻikū. The presenters included Makaleʻa Ane, Resilience Officer with the County of Maui, Allison Wright, President of the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, and Adam Radford, Manager of the Maui Invasive Species Committee. This year’s commemorative plaque featured a sculpture of an ʻiliahi branch (the native sandalwood) by glass artist Jupiter Nielsen.

Filed Under: Malama i ka Aina Award, Press Release Tagged With: 2020, county of maui, malama i ka aina award, malama i ka aina winner, Mark Blietz, maui association of landscape professionals, Northshore Tropicals

Plant a Wish founders receive 2017 Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Lissa Strohecker

Allison Wright of the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, Teya Penniman of the Maui Invasive Species Committee, Joe Imhoff, Henry Imhoff, Sara Tekula, and Jeremiah Savage of the County of Maui. Photo by Bryan Berkowitz/Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Sara Tekula and Joseph Imhoff were the 2017 recipients of the Mālama i ka ʻĀina Award, presented June 17th in a ceremony at the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals’  Maui Garden Expo held at the Maui Mall.

The annual award recognizes an individual or business working within the landscape or agricultural community to keep invasive species out of Maui County. It is sponsored by the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals, the County of Maui, and the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Joe Imhoff, Sara Tekula, and their son Henry. Photo by Bryan Berkowitz/Maui Invasive Species Committee

Tekula and Imhoff are co-founders of “Plant a Wish,” a Maui-based native tree planting and stewardship project. Their mission is to encourage people to plant trees indigenous to the places they live and in doing so, bring communities together.

Plant a Wish began when Tekula and Imhoff married in 2007. At their wedding they asked friends to write down

wishes for them on slips of paper and deposit them into the earth. There, they planted a tree — in Upper Kula.

This one act grew into a project – people asked them to plant a wish tree for baby showers and birthdays. They began growing and promoting native trees as alternatives to importing Christmas trees on Maui, and then they decided to plant trees in all 50 states — species native to each place. They spread the word about their work as they traveled, explaining what has happened in Hawaii and how it is a microcosm for the rest of the world.  They have become messengers in our community and across the United States about the importance of using native species.

“We believe that each individual has the power to make a difference,” said Imhoff in his acceptance speech. “We want to inspire others.”

“What is special about their story is that neither Joe nor Sara had any formal background in conservation. They learned of a need, developed a passion for protecting the place they love, and took action,” said Teya Penniman, presenting the award on behalf of the Maui Invasive Species Committee.

Outside of their Plant-a-Wish project, Tekula works as the communications and outreach director for The Merwin Conservancy, home to one of the most extensive palm collections in the world, and Imhoff is the program manager for Skyline Eco-Adventures conservation initiative.

Award presenters included Allison Wright from the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals and Jeremiah Savage for the County of Maui.

The award featured a sculpture of an ʻōlapa, a tree native to the rainforests of Hawaiʻi, by artist Jupiter Nielsen (http://jupiternielsenflameworking.com/).

This year’s commemorative plaque featured a glass sculpture of an olapa branch, a native tree found in the rainforests of Hawai’i, by local artist Jupiter Nielsen.

Filed Under: Malama i ka Aina Award, News Tagged With: joe imhoff, jupiter nielsen, malama i ka aina award, malama i ka aina winner, plant a wish, sara tekula

Flower grower who detected little fire ant in December 2013 receives award

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Lissa Strohecker

Masako Cordray, 2014 Malama i ka Aina Award Winner

Masako Cordray, 2014 Malama i ka Aina Award Winner

 

Farmer and flower grower Masako Cordray was the 2014 recipient of the Malama i ka Aina Award, presented Saturday June 14th in  a ceremony at the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals’ Lawn and Garden Fair held at the Maui Mall.

 

The person nominating her said “Masako’s passion for land stewardship extends beyond the boundaries of the land she farms to the entire island.

 

On December 23, 2013, Cordray tested plant material she had recently purchased for little fire ants. After finding small orange ants on peanut-butter coated sticks she contacted MISC. Confirmation of the detection by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture set off a chain of events that resulted in the discovery of little fire ants at other garden shops and nurseries on Maui and Oahu and has sparked a statewide response “The 45 minutes she took to sample plant material has had immeasurable consequences. This is truly an example of the contributions one person can make” said MISC manager Teya Penniman.

Cordray has influenced invasive species prevention efforts for many years. She was part of grass roots efforts to incorporate an improved biosecurity facility when the Kahului airport was being expanded–actions that led to the completion of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s state of the art inspection facility completed in 2007. In addition to being a farmer, Cordray is an award-winning photographer and videographer and donated much of her time to helping educate the public about invasive species. She worked to create a film about miconia in 2006 and when little fire ants were discovered on Maui n 2009, she approached MISC about creating a film about this devastating species. A true artist, her attention to detail and uncompromising standards are evident in the quality of her work, both

(L-R) Allison Wright, MALP; Masako Cordray; Teya Penniman, MISC; Rob Parsons, County of Maui. MISC file photo

(L-R) Allison Wright, MALP; Masako Cordray; Teya Penniman, MISC; Rob Parsons, County of Maui. MISC file photo

in her photographs and floral arrangements.

 

The Malama i ka Aina Award is presented annually to recognize an individual or business working within the landscape or agricultural community to keep invasive species out of Maui County.  The award is sponsored by the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals (MALP), the County of Maui, and the Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC).
This year’s award featured a glass sculpture of an endemic Hawaiian damselfly, or pinao, by local artist Jupiter Nielsen. Award presenters were MALP Vice-President Allison Wright, Maui County Environmental Coordinator Rob Parsons, and Penniman.

Press Release – 2014 MIKA awardee Masako Cordray_final

Filed Under: Malama i ka Aina Award, News, Solutions Tagged With: little fire ant, malama i ka aina winner

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Maui Invasive Species Committee (MISC)
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Acting Manager / Public Relations: Lissa Strohecker
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