Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL HomeFifth Graders Celebrate Environmental Awareness Day

Fifth Graders Celebrate Environmental Awareness Day

By Tracy Gladden

PEARL CITY (KHNL) -- Over 500 students celebrate Oahu's Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day. Insects, plants, reptiles, and a giant rabbit. Hundreds of fifth graders from across Oahu learn about agriculture and the environment, in nature's classroom.

Aya Ross goes to Maemae Elementary School.

"Today I learned that theres a white eggplant and that it can be circular as well. I thought this was interesting because I only thought there was a purple eggplant," she said.

The goal of the second annual event is to spark an interest in agricultural and environmental career fields.

Charles Kinoshita is the Assistant Dean of the University of Hawaii's Academic and Student Affairs. He hopes to catch these students while they are still impressionable.

"We want kids to get engaged, to do something while they are here, play around with things," he said.

"It's really interesting and hands on," Ross said. "By educating kids now, during a time when food prices are skyrocketing, they can make future changes."

The pizza garden at the Urban Garden Center has all the makings of a good pie. Basil, tomato, even pineapple. The school who answers the most questions correctly wins a pizza party.

"It's this quiz kind of like what you learned today about plants, fruits, and vegetables," Ross said. "Yeah, I'm really excited about that."

UH's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources runs the Urban Garden Center with all volunteers.