November 2013 - Hawaii Pulse

American Jungle | Photo Courtesy The History Channel

November 27, 2013November 27, 2013 Hawaii Star Wire

State blasts ‘American Jungle’ shoot in Hawaii

In response to The History Channelâ€™s new series â€œAmerican Jungle,â€ the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), as well as representatives of hunting, animal protection and film agencies in Hawaii, find the seriesâ€™ depiction of hunting activities on the Island of Hawaii to be inaccurate, offensive, and in some cases, potentially illegal.

The DLNR Division of Conservation Resource Enforcement (DOCARE) is currently conducting an investigation into whether several of DLNRâ€™s rules and regulations may have been broken during the filming of the program. Activities such as night hunting both on public and private land, are illegal under Hawaii Revised Statues Â§183D-27 and Hawaii Administrative Rules Â§13-123-6. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), which oversees DLNRâ€™s hunting program, denied a permit request last spring for the production to film on state forest lands.

Education Featured Technology

November 23, 2013November 23, 2013 Hawaii Star Wire

Hawaii hosts first VEX robotics state championships

Forty middle and high school VEX robotics teams from across the state will compete in the first-ever Hawaii VEX State Championship on Dec. 20-21, 2013 at Honolulu Community College. The event is free and open to the public.

â€œFor the robotics teams and individuals, the state Championship is a brand new event comparable to regional Olympics in terms of the level of competition, skill and discipline required,â€ said Art Kimura of the VEX Steering Committee. â€œIn this â€˜sport,â€™ the students are using science, technology, engineering and math skills to maneuver their robots in a fast-paced, exciting game challenge to score points. While they are having fun, the students also are developing life skills that are vital to success in a 21st century global market.â€

Environment Featured Science

November 15, 2013November 15, 2013 Hawaii Star Wire

Tiger shark tracking program underway

In response to an uptick in the number of shark attacks recorded on Maui, the State of Hawaiiâ€™s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is funding a study on the movements of tiger sharks caught and released around the Valley Isle. DLNR plans to use the results of the study to guide future decisions regarding management of shark populations in Hawaii.

Lead scientists Drs. Carl Meyer and Kim Holland report that in late October, the shark research team caught and released the tiger sharks in waters off the south shore of Maui. Eight of these sharks were equipped with satellite transmitters to track their movements.

Education Featured Science

November 12, 2013November 12, 2013 Hawaii Star Wire

Student breakthrough innovation winners announced

A team of students from the University of Hawaii College of Engineering and the School of Architecture captured the top prize in the UH Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) Breakthrough Innovation Challenge (BIC) for their Namib beetle inspired building material.

“The Breakthrough Innovation Challenge was a unique competition that forced us to think outside of our comfort zones and look to nature for inspiration,” says Monica Umeda, Cloud Catcher team leader. “These competitions are effective catalysts to help stimulate the type of innovation Hawaii desperately needs.”