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Award Date: March 15, 2004
Foundation Name: Cooke Foundation
Grant ID Number: 20041272
Grant Purpose: Pu'U Mahoe Irrigation Systems
Grant Amount: $3,500

Project Objectives
Irrigation drip hose was installed to 150 new plantings, planted in 2004. Work was done during the rainy season and completed in time for the dry summer months. Already the new irrigation has saved us countless hours of hand watering.

One-thousand feet of new 1” / 200 PSI Sinclair line was added to serve water to our newly fenced Arboretum expansion. Stand-up faucets were included approximately every 200’.

In the future, this new Sinclair line will simply hook up to a water tank above the Arboretum giving the irrigation system stronger and more reliable water pressure.

This new irrigation line allows FOFA to further our core mission and expand the number of native tree specimens. Greater populations of species will provide genetic diversity and stronger seed for propagation efforts.

Challenges and Unexpected Benefits
Irrigation to the Arboretum expansion was delayed, waiting for the new fencing to be completed. Once completed, the Cooke Foundation Grant funded supplies and labor needed to move and extend irrigation.

This extended irrigation was not planned in the grant budget. Also not included was extended drip hose to some of the Arboretum’s older trees that had outgrown their drip hoses since installation 10 years ago.

Thanks to Irrigation System’s consultation and advice on better and easier to install drip hose connections, we saved on labor costs, creating extra monies for these additional irrigation needs.

Overall Impact
Native species are adapted to dry summers but not drought, as we have seen in Ulupalakua in this last decade. Species common to Auwahi just 10 years ago are today not as abundant.

Plants need adequate moisture in the soil to take in nutrients, to grow and reproduce. An irrigation system allows moisture to be monitored for water and nutrient absorption, consequently optimum health.

How The Project Will be Self-Sustaining
At this time the irrigation has been on for two months. It is monitored weekly, checking for under or over watering. Needed adjustments are made by hired maintenance experienced in irrigation. Arboretum Manager does moisture check on volunteer time. Individual donors pay for irrigation adjustments by hired maintenance. A future grant proposal will be requested for a water tank above the Arboretum for better and more reliable water pressure.

FOFA would like to thank the Directors of the Cooke Foundation for their valuable contribution to the health of the DT Fleming Arboretum. It is a great accomplishment to have the whole Arboretum irrigated. We could be honored by a site visit and tour.

Sincerely,
Martha Vockrodt-Moran,
FOFA President

BUDGET SUMMARY

Project Expenditures (Labor & Supplies) Plus Volunteer Time
Total Contract Labor: $1,302.48
Total Supplies: $2,266.51
Volunteer Time: $ 500.00
Project Expenses: $4,068.99

Project Income
Cook Foundation Funding: $3,500.00
Net FOFA Volunteer and Donors: $673.40

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