MOLOAA — Pohinahina plants are now growing at Retro Farms and will be ready for erosion control projects by the end of the summer, said Mary Ellen Pearlman, the environmental learning center’s director.

They’re meant for flood recovery efforts and were planted by 70 youth from the Boys &Girls Club Lihue during a day of learning and games in early July.

“It was a day for fun that included, planting, painting, gathering native plants and playing games,” Pearlman said. “Retro Farms host the Boys and Girls Clubs each summer and takes this opportunity to get the kids from Lihue and beyond out to the farm for day of exploring and connecting to nature.”

Before the BCG youth arrived, agricultural interns from Kauai and Kapaa high schools pruned Retro Farms’ pohinahina garden to create cuttings. The interns are part of a county-sponsored program and will be with Retro Farms through July.

“The ag interns made a huge contribution to the success of the Boys &Girls Club event and learned the value of community service for important youth groups,” Pearlman said. “They also prepared child-sized sticks from removed haole koa trees for the “nature stick” craft that is part of the days program.”

The children left Retro Farms with nature sticks, native plants for home propagation and hand-painted rocks. The staff and interns at Retro Farms were left with potted pohinahina cuttings.

“Plans are underway to locate an organization that may benefit from the plants and can put them to good use,” Pearlman said.

Anyone interested in getting some of the plants from Retro Farms can email them at info@retrofarms.org.

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Jessica Else, environment reporter, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.