Please join us for our 7th annual Earth Day Service
April 23, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. Hawaii time
~ In person or via Zoom ~

Guest Speakers
Paul Arinaga of Grow Good Hawaii
Additional brief messages by Rev. Sol Kalu and Koki Atcheson

For those joining via Zoom, here is the link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87374948362?pwd=M2lET3g0RUdWMXh2QmgyOXJ5NGJ3Zz09

About Our Guest Speakers

Paul Arinaga is executive director of Grow Good Hawaii, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting agroecology in urban settings to strengthen the community’s food security and restore natural systems. He is an experienced project manager, communications/outreach professional, and grant writer.

Paul is also founder and manager of the “Go Native: Growing a Native Hawaiian Urban Forest” project which aims to restore nature from mauka to makai by mobilizing Hawai‘i residents to grow more native Hawaiian and Polynesian-introduced (“canoe”) plants. As part of the project, Paul co-authored Go Native! Your guide to growing Native Hawaiian and canoe plants wherever you live, work, or play which is available on Amazon.com and from local booksellers.

Paul has managed the Symphony of the Hawai‘i Forests and Honolulu Zoo Children’s Discovery Forest projects for the Hawai‘i Forest Institute. He co-founded the Genki Ala Wai Project which uses effective microorganisms to clean the waters of the Ala Wai Canal.

Paul has an MBA from London Business School and an M.A. in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University. Paul is an avid gardener, alpine and rock climber, hiker, and musician.

Rev. Sol Kalu was born and grew up in the Republic of the Philippines. He received his BS in Nursing there in 1980 and served as a nurse in the U.S. for many years, specializing in dialysis. On a visit to Kyoto, Rev. Kalu encountered the Jodo Shinshu Teachings and eventually followed the call to become a Buddhist minister. He received Tokudo ordination in 2007 and Kyoshi ordination in 2010. His new assignment with Betsuin began in March 2017.

Koki Atcheson is a 2015 Pacific Buddhist Academy graduate who is now completing a Kupu term of service with the State Division of Forestry and Wildlife. She is the daughter of temple members Penny and David Atcheson.

Thematic Refreshments after the service!

After the Earth Day Service, we’ll move to the social hall for refreshments like usual. But the plan is for refreshments to reflect the theme of the talk by serving items derived from canoe plants. Here are some examples of canoe plants: Mai‘a (Banana), ‘Ulu (Breadfruit), Niu (Coconut), Kalo (Taro), ‘Ohi‘a ‘Ai (Mountain Apple), ‘Olena (Turmeric), ‘Uala (Sweet Potato), and Ko (Sugar Cane). Ki (Ti) is canoe plant often used as a wrap for cooking food.