Students, faculty and staff at Honolulu Community College got their hands dirty to embrace sustainability and to clean up a nearby pond, with an even bigger goal in their sights. Participants learned about the importance of bioremediation and how it can be used to restore the health of our ecosystems here in Hawaiʻi.
In May, the group made 423 tennis-sized balls—containing a mixture of clay soil, rice bran, molasses, water and EM•1 solution (an organic soil amendment)—known as “Genki balls.” The Japanese word genki means “healthy” or “well, full of energy.”
Genki balls have been effective in cleaning up other waterways, such as the Ala Wai Canal. The Genki balls were fermented for a couple of weeks, then were tossed in the Loʻi Kalo Mini Park pond, a short walk from the campus.
The student-led project also conducted water quality testing before and after the addition of the Genki balls. Roughly half of the balls were thrown into the pond in June, and the other half in July.
“As an institution deeply rooted in the Kalihi neighborhood, Honolulu CC is dedicated to making a positive impact through sustainable activities,” said Michelle Nathan, assistant professor of natural sciences. “The Genki Ball-throwing event at Loʻi Kalo Mini Park is a wonderful way to teach sustainability while fostering a sense of togetherness among our students, faculty and the community.”
A second Genki ball making event will occur in late August. In September, the group hopes to begin throwing Genki balls into the Kapālama Canal, an approximately one-mile long waterway that roughly follows the original course of the former Niuhelewai Stream from Honolulu Harbor to near Houghtailing Street.
