33 minute read
The Mix
Hālau WaikāUnu of Waimea performs at the appointment ceremony of Fred Wawner on September 23, 2022 (see next page). Hālau WaikāUnu is led by Kumu Kūwalu Anakalea, HPA’s K-8 Hawaiian studies instructor, and the driving force behind all the mele (song) and hula (dance) that are performed at Lower School May Day, 8th-grade transition ceremonies, and commencement exercises each year.
Fred Wawner, leader and friend, is HPA’s new Head of School
The 2022-23 school year began with two uplifting events: the announcement of Fred Wawner as HPA’s 13th Head of School on August 5, and a special ʻaha hoʻonoho (appointment ceremony) that brought the school community together on September 23. These moments expressed the strong aloha that HPA holds for its new leader, as well as the sense of excitement and gratitude Wawner shares for his new role and the school’s future. As Wawner said during his speech on announcement day, “We’ve got an amazing group, so this work is about us.”
Wawner, who spent last year as interim head, was appointed after a nine-month process led by trustees Dr. Michael Chun and Warren Doi. These months included a comprehensive assessment of HPA culture to define future challenges and the qualities needed in a new leader. At the same time, the school completed its regular seven-year accreditation review governed by the Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Both endeavors affirmed the conclusion of HPA’s board and employees: Fred Wawner was unquestionably the right person at the right time to become HPA’s new head of school.
Kumu Kūwalu Anakalea and Kumu Pualani Lincoln Maielua ʻ01 conducted the September ʻaha hoʻonoho, held around HPA’s star compass above the Energy Lab. “With faith and a strong support system, we acknowledge Fred Wawner as our leader and comrade who, with grace, humility, and aloha, we trust to take us to the next level of our potential,” Anakalea said in her remarks.
Wawner arrived at HPA in 2009, as the director of student life, with his wife, Dina, and four children, who have been raised Ka Makani—William (Bear) ’22, Ali ‘23, Fischer ‘25, and Rosey ‘27. As a family, they are deeply connected to HPA, Waimea, and Hawai‘i.
Now, with HPA’s leadership team, Wawner is focused on priorities identified during the accreditation process, and on helping HPA deliver on the vision set forth by its strategic and sustainability plans. “I’m so honored and so humbled, and we are going to do great things,” he says. “We’ve already made impressive progress toward being the best HPA we can be, and I know we can achieve even more together, rooted in aloha, inspired by this incredible place, and grounded in our mission to serve Hawai‘i and the larger world. •
A heart for students and community
At HPA and elsewhere, Fred Wawner has devoted his 28-year career to helping students grow in the unique setting of independent boarding schools. "What a privilege," he says, "to be part of their transformations, whether through academics, sports, the arts, student government, or any other aspect of our school life."
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A. The Wawner family celebrates Bear Wawner on senior day with the boys basketball team. Left to right: Rosey ‘27, Ali ‘23, Bear ‘22, Dina, Fred, and Fischer ‘25 B. Wawner on the court. "For me, the joy of coaching lies in motivating and inspiring people to come together," he says.
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C. Dorm Wars, fall 2018. For more than a decade, Wawner led HPA's residential life program with humor, sincerity, and hard work alongside his dorm teams. (For more about the Dorm Wars trophy, see page 12.)
News Notebook
Board arrivals and departures
HPA welcomed Hans P. L’Orange III ’73 and Maxwell M. Unger ’04 to the board in June. L’Orange was born and raised in Waimea and attended HPA along with his brothers, Jon ’75 and Eric ’81. Their father, “Pete,” was the head HPA football coach in the 1960s. L’Orange earned his B.A. in English language and literature from Colorado State University and his M.S. in management information systems from the University of Colorado. He retired as vice president for data and information resources with the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association and currently makes his home on Hawai‘i Island. Maxwell M. Unger ’04 has strong alumni ties to HPA. His parents, Cynda and Keith Unger, graduated in 1975. His sister, Laysan, is a 2002 graduate. Unger attended the University of Oregon where he had a stellar football career on the offensive line. He graduated in 2009, earning a B.S. in fine arts. He was then drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, with whom he won a Super Bowl title. He retired from the New Orleans Saints in 2019 after 10 seasons with the NFL. [For related story, see page 28.] Farewell and mahalo to Taylor Easley ’91 and Taffi Wise P’12, ’15, ’17 for their leadership at HPA and in our community. We are deeply grateful for their service.
Capstone work leads to co-author credits
Kudos to Jenna Perry ’20 and Kahelelani Walsh ’20 who are recent co-authors on a paper published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. As HPA seniors in Johanna Anton's biotechnology capstone course, the pair supported the efforts of visiting scientist Dr. Craig Downs, assisting with the collection of sand at various shoreline locations. The paper concludes that beach showers are a significant source of sunscreen pollution and a threat to both terrestrial and aquatic life.
Class of 1964 honors its exceptional legacy of Vietnam service
After Captain John Robert Peacock II ’64, USMC (known to his classmates as Robbie), was lost on a Vietnam combat mission in 1972, HPA honored him with a statue given by his mother, former HPA board member, Patricia Cooke Peacock. Bird In Flight, by Leonardo Nierman, stands between Wishard Administration Building and Dyer Memorial Library as a permanent memorial to Captain Peacock, who remains missing in action.
Led by Mel Pobre and Curtis Tyler, his classmates are honoring another extraordinary fact: over 50 percent of the class of 1964 served in Vietnam. A brass plaque listing the names of all those who served will be installed near Bird In Flight, with Peacock's name at the head of the list. Pobre and Tyler have carefully cataloged all names, branch of service, and rank (see photo above). At the bottom, these words will appear: “All Gave Some. One Gave All.” •
A Mountain Wakes
Mauna Loa began erupting in Moku‘āweoweo Caldera on November 27, 2022, at approximately 11:30 p.m. Lava activity creates spectacular light, seen here from the HPA campus. The eruption offers a powerful reminder of Hawai‘i’s unique ecology, as well as HPA’s commitment to mālama kaiāulu: care for our community of spirit, land, and people.
5 Questions with Vaipuarii Tapiero-Kight ’05
Seventeen years after graduation, Vaipuarii TapieroKight ’05 returned to HPA this fall as an Upper School English teacher. In the interim, she taught English literature as well as English for second-language learners at the University of Hawai‘i, Kapi‘olani Community College, and University of Tahiti. We spoke to her about moving from Kauaʻi to HPA’s Village Campus, what she’s teaching, and why she’s looking forward to having her seven- and nine-year-old sons become part of the HPA ‘ohana.
What’s it like being back on campus after so long, and in a different role?
Like I just left yesterday–something in the air. It feels good to be back at a place where there’s so much support and to be part of a group that enjoys working together. There are quite a few familiar faces, so I’m still getting used to calling the teachers by their first names. I tend to just use their last names when I’m with the students: “Oh look–here’s Mr. White!”
What drew you back to teach?
The school really influenced me as a person growing up and as a teacher, especially some of the mentors that I had. Kids at HPA have room to be themselves and to explore. They can be where they’re comfortable, but also have room to be adventurous. I really wanted to give my boys the opportunity to be exposed to that, too.
What are you teaching this year?
I have one section of seniors and three sections of freshmen. I'm introducing Polynesian literature as a senior elective. I’m excited to share authors and cultures of the Pacific, including New Zealand, Tahiti, Samoa, Hawai‘i. They’ve been learning the classics all their lives, and I want to tie literature back to home and localize it a little. That’s what’s missing. I’m also excited to start “fresh” with the freshman class and take them all the way to graduation.
Beyond the texts you read, what else is important to you as a teacher?
Creating that safe space where it’s okay to ask questions, and it’s okay to share your opinions. I love to watch the growth process over the whole year. When we start, everything’s new and the kids feel like they don’t know anything. I tell them, “By the end of the year, you’ll have confidence from acquired knowledge and be comfortable expressing those ideas as well.”
You’re also part of the senior class advisory. What’s your alumni perspective on that?
"What's next?" is always the big question when you're a senior. When I was training to be a teacher, I really took the HPA open-mindedness with me. I think it's going to be helpful to share those insights, and I’m looking forward to working together on their transition from school to life and making this year as significant as possible. •
Kuku Kapa E
Last fall, Isaacs Art Center featured the work of acclaimed kapa artist Roen Hufford and Kapa Hui. The show also included two demonstrations by kapa artists at work. Among those exhibiting was sixth-grader Kili Correa ’29, who sold her first-ever kapa pieces. HPA art classes visited the show and used it as a spark for their own creative projects. Congratulations to all!
Building on Strength for Greater Cohesion
Dr. Amy Cole, assistant head of school for academics, reflects on the future of HPA's curriculum
Last July, the Hawai’i Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) completed its rigorous accreditation process at HPA, which happens every seven years. HPA received commendations in numerous areas, including clarity and commitment regarding school mission; comprehensive institutional planning; and a strong educational program that is designed to meet the unique developmental needs of each grade level. Here, Dr. Amy Cole reflects not only on the accreditation but also what’s next for HPA’s curriculum.
Looking back, how would you characterize the accreditation process now that it's complete?
Collaborative … and monumental! It’s really something to watch when a whole community engages in an effort like this. We had 13 committees with 52 faculty, staff, and administrators working on the self-study, which required us to evaluate HPA against 16 different criteria. We ended the process with strong commendations from HAIS-WASC, plus we identified specific areas of focus to strengthen for the future. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone for coming together to make this process a success.
Where will you focus your efforts going forward?
We’ll be working to bring greater cohesion to our curriculum and operations. In each division, HPA provides outstanding academic and extracurricular programming. We are putting new energy into aligning our programs across divisions to ensure a cohesive K-12 experience. And with the advent of HPA's Sustainability Plan, and the growth of our capstone program, we now have even more curricular opportunities to create those grade-level connections.
Are you looking beyond the classroom in these initiatives?
Absolutely. For example, we recognize that to achieve our sustainability goals, we need to restart and reinvigorate our campus master planning efforts. We want to create a living laboratory for students, which means this is simultaneously about operations and curriculum. We need to ensure that every HPA building and open space supports academic and social-emotional growth while also advancing HPA’s sustainability goals.
Where do your plans stand now; what are the next steps?
We will take the recommendations from our self-study and HAIS-WASC and build out a plan to address those. There will be a mid-cycle progress report to HAIS-WASC in year four, 2026. Meanwhile, we’re already moving to support these recommendations. For example, we have been hosting more meetings that bring together all three school divisions. Teachers across grade levels are working on K-12 curriculum in their content areas while also examining how their particular area contributes to the capstone program and sustainability learning. We absolutely want sustainability to be a shared vision and relevant to every classroom.
Is there anything else that you'd like readers to know?
Some of this work was interrupted by COVID, so I'm just excited to bring teachers together in person and to see what creative ideas emerge to make our programs even stronger. In addition, our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) programs emerged as a high priority from the self-study. Two faculty members, Mario Flores and Molly Lai, attended the NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute last summer. Middle School Principal Glenn Chickering has joined Molly and Mario to serve as the school’s new DEIB leadership team. Our goal is that by June, we will have strong DEIB commitment statements and a larger plan for moving forward this important work.
Last but not least, I'm excited to be working with the division principals—Ka‘ai Spencer, Glenn Chickering, and Dora Kwong. They are such a talented group of instructional leaders. And we're all thrilled to have Fred Wawner at the helm, leading and supporting us. Add our amazing leadership team, faculty, and staff, and HPA’s direction has never been stronger! •
7 priority areas from HPA's self-study
Cohesion among school divisions through the Mālama Kaiāulu model (HPA Sustainability Plan)
K-12 alignment of academic and character education
Attracting and retaining high-quality faculty, staff, and administration
Finalizing HPA student profile
Enrollment management and family onboarding
Campus master planning
Sustainable financial planning
—DR. AMY COLE
Object Lesson
HPA’s venerable Dorm Wars trophy symbolizes class spirit, but its history might surprise you. The object is an ornate teapot, originally given to faculty member Patrick O’Leary by David McMahon ’11. About eight years ago, O’Leary donated it to the residential life program, and it now appears annually in the opening ceremony of Dorm Wars. Ultimately, the winning dorm has the honor of the teapot-trophy residing in their common area for the school year. “The act of drinking tea is significant in so many world cultures as it brings people together for friendship and conversation,” explains O’Leary. “Those are also foundational aspects within HPA’s residential program.” •
Matt and Adriana Piercy come back home to HPA
Veteran teachers Matt and Adriana Piercy have returned to HPA, excited for their second Ka Makani chapter. The couple first arrived at HPA in 2007, where they served on the Village and Upper Campuses. After 10 wonderful years, they moved to Tunisia and Thailand, an experience they say allowed them to deepen a shared sense of humanity. “Once you shed the layers away from countries and cultures, it is not difficult to see how similar we are as one people,” they say. Yet coming back to Hawai‘i is coming home. “Aloha is real,” professes Matt. “Having such a supportive community at HPA is certainly very special.” Matt taught in the capstone program during its initial years, and he is thrilled to be a part of a team of teachers dedicated to project- and placed-based learning. Adriana is excited to build upon her experiences in her English Language Learning classes. The Piercys are returning as resident dorm faculty at the Upper School, a role they both embrace. •
Welcome to the herd!
Thanks to previous and on-going donations, Ms. Whiskey, Tali, Nala, and Scooby (left to right) recently joined HPA's horse program. They are busy sharing their talents with riders of all ages (along with the occasional treat) and looking forward to many happy hours on the hills of Waimea. •
A Calm Voice in Troubling Times
At Hilo Medical Center, Elena Cabatu ’96 serves her community during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
As a middle schooler, Elena Cabatu ’96 played a junior varsity basketball game at HPA that changed her life. She recalls: “After the game, I noticed that some HPA JV players had their books with them in the gym. I felt all the insecurities of a middle schooler, trying to act cool, but I thought, ‘Wow, having books with you is normal here.’ It was a little thing that gave me permission to be myself.”
After that introduction to HPA, she and her twin sister, Alana, played on a traveling volleyball team with other Ka Makani. The experience compelled Elena to ask her parents, “Can we find a way to go to HPA?” In 1994, Elena and Alana became boarders, multi-sport athletes, and Ka Makani themselves.
After three years of playing soccer under Steve Perry, Elena earned a soccer scholarship to Georgetown and majored in English and linguistics. Attending HPA “made the universe open up for me,” she says. “It gave me the confidence to believe in myself – that a local girl from Hilo could go anywhere.”
She arrived at HPA speaking “pretty thick Pidgin,” but after a teacher corrected her essay, “the light bulb went on,” she says. “I had a steep learning curve in English grammar, but here I am today, writing and talking for a living.”
The path she took to her current job as director of marketing, legislative, and public affairs at Hilo Medical Center is a testimony to the power of her Hawai‘i roots. Before graduating from Georgetown, Cabatu was in line at a copy shop, xeroxing her collection of short stories written in Pidgin. It turned out the woman behind her was not only a fellow local Hawaiian and Georgetown alum, but also the Washington bureau chief for the United Nations Population Fund. She helped Cabatu get an interview at a nonprofit communications firm that worked on international women’s rights and health. Cabatu stayed with them for six years in Washington, D.C., pitching stories to major news outlets and doing “advocacy work through media relations.” When she returned to Hilo in 2005, she worked remotely for one more year before responding to a community relations job listing at the hospital. “The lady who interviewed me was my twin sister’s preschool teacher,” she says. “And that’s how I knew that returning to this special place called Hilo was a powerful choice.”
Sixteen years later, Cabatu has worked her way up to her dream job, a role that has “allowed me to make a huge impact in my community that I love so much.” The hospital, the largest on Hawai‘i Island, was put to the test at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As doctors and nurses worked around the clock, it was Cabatu’s responsibility to keep everyone informed. “It was my job to be that voice of calm and reason for our community,” she says. “I think people could sense that in me, and I was able to establish a good level of confidence that the hospital had things under control.” She did so many interviews with the media one day that “at one point, I was completely spent and almost lost my voice, but I knew it was important to share all that I could when COVID reached us, even being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.”
After coming through the pandemic, her hospital is looking towards growth and expansion. Cabatu says that the ordeal cemented her commitment: “I was at 100% of job satisfaction before the pandemic hit, and now it’s a million percent,” she says. “When you’re in the place where you’re supposed to be, it feels like service and it just feels right. It’s the same feeling I got at HPA when I knew I needed to be there with the girls who had their books with them in the gym.” •
One For the Ages
Celebrating the life and legacy of Dick Solmssen
IN ANY PLACE DEDICATED TO THE CARE OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND LEARNING IN COMMUNITY, THERE ARE THOSE WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE SO GREAT THAT THEY FAR OUTLAST THEIR OWN TIME. AT HPA, FRANZ T. (DICK) SOLMSSEN WAS AND IS JUST SUCH A MAN.
OF LOVE, DEVOTION, AND HORSES
In 1957, Solmssen accepted a teaching position at what was then Hawai‘i Episcopal Academy. He came to Hawai‘i from the east coast, where he learned to sail, to conjugate Latin verbs, and to love horses. “His favorite time growing up in Summit, NJ was not being in Summit, but on Martha's Vineyard, where he worked at a riding stable,” says Solmssen’s oldest son, Hans ’75. “I imagine he loved the freedom of riding his bike 45 minutes each way to go to work those summer months. And horses became his life.”
In the early years at HPA, Solmssen taught Latin and English. Headmaster James Taylor hired him to join a faculty of only eight men. He had completed his B.A. in classics at Trinity College and his M.A. at UMass, Amherst—and he brought with him to Waimea his great love for the world. Here, he sent roots deep into the rich volcanic soil, even as he cantered and galloped high over the windswept pastures. “ My all-time favorite teacher. He taught me how to write like I spoke; he gave me confidence at just the right time. I still talk about how he impacted my life and what a blessing he is to so many. ”
– ASA CASCAVILLA ’94
“Dad was an accomplished equestrian when he arrived in the 1950s, so he became instantly fascinated and involved with Waimea’s paniolo culture,” says son Max Solmssen ’97. “He would ride along with Parker Ranch cowboys during multiple-day cattle runs up Maunakea and loved to talk about those adventures and how tough and skilled the paniolo were. …His work with horse breeding helped to perpetuate the Maunakea
breed, whose hooves were strong enough to ride over lava day after day without the need for horseshoes.”
In short order, Solmssen established himself as someone who cared deeply for this place and its people. “It became rapidly evident that the big tent of our boys school in the wild country had two great tent poles: James M. Taylor and Franz T. Solmssen,” Bill Jardine ’63 reflects. “Both great men were devoted to us, and nobody would ever question that.”
Jon Hayashi ’67 says that Solmssen “taught me how to ride and more importantly, how to care for horses and how to understand them by observing them. Yet, for me and others, it never seemed like he was teaching us anything. Somehow we just came to understand what he understood, and we were able to then apply that knowledge whenever a situation arose that required that skill. He didn’t tell you how to open a gate while on horseback, you just picked it up by watching him do it and, if you did it right, his approval was conveyed by his silence and a smile. … The stunningly brilliant thing about Solmssen was that you learned a lot, and not just Latin or horse stuff—but never once did we feel that we were being lectured to: enlightenment just seemed to arrive, naturally.”
“The [people] were what made Dick fall in love with Waimea,” says Sharon Solmssen, Dick’s wife of nearly 50 years. “He may have been born in Berlin, raised on the East coast, but he became Hawaiian, by nurture. He thought he was the luckiest person in the world. When he sang ‘‘Ekolu Mea Nui,‘ he meant it.”
“One of the finest adults I knew as a young person, and I am sorry to see him go. …
For a long, long time, Mr. Solmssen, we will celebrate your good life. Thank you for trying your best to teach me how to play
Bach's ‘Bourrée in E minor’ on the guitar.
I never quite got it, but thanks to you and the Kingston Trio, my guitar has been a kind-hearted, life-long companion.
Farewell, great mentor, farewell. ”
– GRAHAM SALISBURY ’63
A RARE BREED
Solmssen was born in Berlin in 1935 to Max and Marie Solmssen. His grandmother was a Mendelssohn. (Felix Mendelssohn was a musical prodigy and famed composer of the early Romantic era.) “Dick played the cello,” Sharon says, “but he hated it. Guitar was a little rebellion for him because his family wanted him to be classically trained.” His guitar playing, however, was superb—and is a common theme among the tributes that poured in following his death.
“Dick always played that down, though,” Sharon says, referring not only to Solmssen’s classical music training, but to his many accomplishments—his reputation for being a Renaissance man. “He was very humble. He would say that he just had many interests.”
His son Max also points to his father’s abiding interest in the world around him as one of his defining characteristics: not just the classics and horses and sailing—but science and mechanics and economics. “He loved to tell the story about witnessing the early days of carbon dioxide measurements on the summit
“Dad didn’t care where his kids and grandkids went to college or what status we achieved in our professions, but rather that we were humane and were contributing members of our community. Those were the values that he held dear at home, in his classroom, and in his community— and that was the gift that he gave to all of us. ”
— MIA SOLMSSEN ’93
of Mauna Loa,” Max says. In the 1960s, Solmssen led HPA students on a hiking trip there, and they were able to witness Charles Keeling’s research on greenhouse gasses, which became one of the most important and the longest running measurements of greenhouse gasses in the world.
“He knew about car engines, too,” Max says, “and liked to talk about how sensitive mass spectrometers are in measuring chemicals, and to always look at the units being reported; ‘do you know how small parts per billion is?’ he would ask.”
Solmssen’s daughter, Mia ’93, says that having her father as her AP Literature teacher at HPA “allowed us to start and continue a conversation and exchange that was so meaningful to me.” He was fluent in both the world of ideas and the world of action—perhaps a rare combination. “He learned by doing,” she says, “and
that was the example he wanted to set for his family and students: less talk, more action.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing to be telling you all of this,” Sharon says. “He just lit up every room in our house. He had a very generous heart … but he didn’t suffer fools.” And, she says, Solmssen passed on opportunities to be part of the school’s administration. This, too, is perhaps a rare combination: someone who can see the limits, faults, and raw edges of a person or a place—and yet embrace what is good and worthy of affection.
A THOUSAND STORIES
Dick Solmssen—Mr. Solmssen, Rawhide, The Schnozz … he went by many names—passed on from this world on March 9, 2022. One of his closest colleagues, Gordon Bryson, was among the many who joined his memorial at his beloved Davies Memorial Chapel from afar. “I was moved by the various tributes from his family to this gentle man who taught at HPA for fifty years,” he later wrote. Bryson recalled the calm but irreverent ways of his friend, whose classroom was, for a time, sandwiched between Bryson’s English class and Howard Hall’s math class. “Given that Dick seldom raised his voice during that time, the kids in his class listened to math being shouted in the next room and English being shouted in the other. As a joke, Dick passed out math books to one side of the classroom and my English literature on the other side. …I could tell a thousand stories about Dick and his time at HPA.”
Indeed, it isn’t possible to preserve such a life in words or anecdotes alone. Solmssen’s legacy continues in the spirit and marrow of all he loved: the ideas, the horses, Waimea, his community, and his family.
For the HPA community, Dick Solmssen was a giant, and he left indelible steps where he trod: the classrooms, the chapel, The Taj, and beyond. “I think my Dad’s eclectic and insatiable appetite for learning about our world,” Max reflects, “is a great legacy for HPA as a place that teaches kids to have a real interest and look deeper at the amazing world around us.” •
– JON HAYASHI ’67
New horizons for the Taj
Following the adventurous spirit that Dick Solmssen modeled, a fresh vision is taking shape for HPA’s equestrian program. We want to ensure that future Ka Makani and many others in our community can grow from the communion of horse and rider.
The heart of HPA’s program remains our beloved Taj— aptly named by Dick with his seasoned sense of irony. This well-worn landmark, deeply in need of refurbishment, will retain its essential spirit and simplicity while also providing better support and expanded programming. Improvements under consideration include increased corral space, equipment storage, tack rooms and covered walkways, along with a bathroom, electricity, and potable water.
Ultimately, we envision a place where new generations of equestrians, polo players, paniolo, and Ka Makani can hone their riding skills and find their minds, bodies, and spirits refreshed in the hills of Waimea. We look forward to sharing more details in the coming months—stay tuned! •
On Ponoholo Ranch, Sabrina English and Chris English ’93 follow in the footsteps of Pono von Holt and continue a 40-year family commitment to regenerative agriculture
From rainforest at 4,000’ elevation to the Pacific Ocean, Ponoholo Ranch straddles three climate zones and holds nearly a century of North Kohala history. Community leader and ranching maverick Harry M. “Pono” von Holt was born here in 1948, when these 11,000 acres were part of Kahua Ranch, established by his father, Ronald von Holt and Atherton Richards in 1928. After Ronald’s death in 1953, the family moved to Honolulu but continued spending summers at Kahua. Stewardship of this location — as well as innovation within the paniolo ranching tradition — would become the focus and passion of Pono von Holt’s adult life.
Today, the family legacy moves forward with his daughter, Sabrina English and her husband, Chris English ’93, at the Ponoholo helm. The family upholds its commitment to holistic management and low-stress handling techniques, introduced by Pono in the 1980s, as they share best practices with the ranching community and care for this land that is home.
Back to the future
Ponoholo Ranch was established in 1980 when the Richards and von Holt families decided amicably to divide the Kahua Ranch property. Sabrina English grew up here, attending HPA from kindergarten through eighth grade, before following in her father’s footsteps to the Thacher School and going on to Colorado State. She was ultimately drawn back about twenty years ago – “a third-generation rancher on this ranch, and a sixth-generation rancher in the state of Hawai‘i.”
When she arrived home, Chris had already been part of the ranch crew for a few years. It was not his first stint working at Ponoholo. Chris matriculated at Oregon State after graduating from HPA (which many family members on both sides attended, including Chris’ brother, Oliver ’90, and Sabrina’s sisters, Sinclair ’93 and Laura ’98, and her brother, Kam ’93), then spent the summer between his junior and senior years doing an internship at Ponoholo. Like Sabrina, his interest in the work was deeply ingrained. “I grew up on the south and east side of the island, but my family’s ranching and farming roots go back to the late 1850s or early 1860s on the southeast end,” he explains. “So that connection is many, many generations deep. My brother and I have kind of gone ‘back to the future’ and become family members who are actively operating on the land.”
The Englishes worked side-by-side as close friends for about fifteen years before they figured out their relationship was something more than just collegial. In fact, their joint stewardship of the ranch predated their romance by a few years. “Everybody told us we were slow learners,” chuckles Sabrina.
Regenerative in philosophy and practice
For even longer than it took Chris and Sabrina to fall in love, the sustainable ranching and grazing practices that are cornerstones of holistic management have been a hallmark of Ponoholo Ranch. In the early 1980s, Pono von Holt attended a local seminar given by Allan Savory of the Savory Institute about his approach to regenerative agriculture. Seeing immediately how well the method dovetailed with Hawai‘i’s climate, Pono began implementing rotational grazing at Ponoholo. “It worked so well, we’ve kept that management going for over 40 years,” says Chris.
The simple, powerful idea behind the practice is that cattle are moved from pasture to pasture before they have a chance to overgraze. “It optimizes the nutrition of the pastures,” Sabrina explains. “It’s the philosophy of take half, leave half for each pasture. The cattle have to graze it evenly and not pick and choose, which inhibits weeds and encourages the good grasses and clovers and other legumes to come up.” Ground cover is also preserved this way, which allows water to percolate back into the soil after heavy rain events,
particularly after a drought. “It’s a win-win both from a financial and an ecological standpoint,” says Chris. “You’re working hand-in-hand with nature.”
The improved ground cover also means that the area wildlife, including gamebirds, have seen a population rebound — another win. “Stewardship of land and animals is what we do, day in and day out. That’s who we are. It’s not just the job, it’s a whole lifestyle,” Chris adds.
Because rotational grazing works by simply opening the gates between pastures and allowing the cattle to choose whether or not to walk through them, it’s a low-stress method of animal handling that ties in with Ponoholo Ranch’s overall management practices. “They’re very smart, and they’re so trained to it that they hear you coming and they’ll be standing by the gate,” Sabrina explains. “You just have to get out of the way. We have a real attachment to our animals and to the land all wrapped up into one.”
Even while the ranch fencing evolves, it still provides an emblem of Ponoholo’s history. As the ranch has updated and replaced gates and fences over the years, the crew has salvaged the original enormous kiawe wood posts, handcrafted and marked by generations of paniolo. They’re used to hang gates and as corner posts for the current electric fencing whenever possible–a durable reminder, even after decades in the elements, of all the effort and care that has gone into these pastures.
Mālama i ko Hawai‘i
The ranch crew’s concern for land and community extends beyond the borders within which they do their daily work. Across four decades, Pono von Holt has helped lead many worthy organizations, including (locally) the North Hawai‘i Community Hospital and the Paniolo Preservation Society and (nationally) Ranchers Renaissance and the National Cattlemen Beef Association. For sixteen years he served as an HPA trustee “to support education in our community,” he says, “as well as give back for the wonderful education of our children.” In 2011, the Hawai‘i Cattlemen’s Council inducted him into the Paniolo Hall of Fame.
In 2003, Ponoholo Ranch played an instrumental role in forming the Kohala Watershed Partnership to help conserve Ponoholo’s uppermost land in the higher rainfall elevations — some of the most pristine native forest left on the island. The partnership, which includes Kahua Ranch, Parker Ranch, the Bishop Estate Natural Area Reserve System, and others “gets everybody together and gets everybody’s canoes going in the same direction,” Chris explains. “It’s a way for us not only to manage our watershed, but to help maintain it for the people who are down slope from us as well. It’s for the whole north Kohala community.” As Pono said in his Paniolo Hall of Fame oral history interview, “There’s only one Kohala mountain and that mountain grows water … but without that forest we won’t have the water.”
The von Holt-English clan is also thinking about the future of their industry. All of Ponoholo’s employees are trained in holistic resource management, which is “huge for the knowledge base,” and they dispense information freely to anyone who asks. “We’ve had people call us for advice,” recalls Sabrina, “and then we hear about the operations that they’ve been able to start up. We really enjoy learning that something that we do has also helped them get going, because we’ve seen the result.”
Planning for Ponoholo’s future
“The fences at Ponoholo all went up when I was about three or four years old, so through my lifetime I know how well it’s worked.” Sabrina says. She credits her father with ensuring that the virtuous cycle will continue for generations to come. “There are a lot of dads in ranching that hang on so tight, and then they die and the kids have no idea what they’ve been doing and they have to figure it out,” she says. “About ten years ago, we all made a plan for succession, and he’s been right here to help counsel us and guide us. He’s been a great cheerleader for us to continue the ranch on.”
Meanwhile, there’s no doubt things are in good hands up on the mountain for decades to come. “We take it very seriously,” Sabrina says. “It’s a huge sense of responsibility to both of us to keep this ranch going in the right direction. Just being able to maintain this land that we feel a huge connection to means everything, so every day we work to perpetuate this culture.” And, as Chris adds, “it cultivates the future stewards as well” — one of whom might just be the couple’s four year-old daughter. “She has really taken to this lifestyle,” Sabrina says. “She’s in preschool right now, but it’s definitely in her blood.” •
Photos by Nani Welch Keli‘iho‘omalu ’14
