Kanu o ka ʻĀina Waʻa Projects

Middle School Waʻa Project

In this video, Makaliʻi Captain Kealiʻi Maielua reads out the definition of "kilo". Both Kanu o ka ʻĀina's middle and high school Waʻa projects will be focusing on kilo this year.

Kilo. Stargazer, reader of omens, seer, astrologer, necromancer; kind of looking glass (rare); to watch closely, spy, examine, look around, observe, forecast.

During middle school's observations, Kealiʻi pulled their attention to the clouds over the puʻu. He told them of a technique he uses. He asked them to find two points on the land such as the top of a hill or a tree and then time how long it takes for the cloud to go from the first point to the second. That is a way to predict the speed of the wind. He also explained that by observing those clouds, the speed, and direction, he could predict that the weather in Kawaihae had likely changed from the weather he had observed there that morning.

*Note this video was shot over a 2-minute duration. It has been sped up for better viewing

High School Waʻa Project

Kealiʻi shares his observations around him and how it helps him predict the weather elsewhere. He goes on to explain why weather can go through changes throughout the day.

A high school student shares some of her observations from earlier in the day, which leads her to realize differences in the weather during this time of the day from other times. Kealiʻi explains the importance of times of day when it comes to kilo and how her observing at a different time today than her usual time played a part in her noticing different patterns.