Pacific Islands VA has a new Community Living Center garden

Pacific Islands VA has a retirement and rehabilitation in-patient living space called the Community Living Center.

This area takes up part of the Center for Aging building in Honolulu. Resident Counsel President Jesse Sotelo has spearheaded a project to turn some of the land into a community garden.

“It’s nice because we have some lilikoi and crown flower and the guys like to come out and watch the butterflies. We have cocoons all over the place and you can watch the caterpillars eating the leaves of the plants,” Sotelo said.

The plant, known as lilikoi in Hawaii, is referred to as a “passion vine” in the mainland. It is the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. Crown flower is originally from Southeast Asia but has been in Hawaii since the 19th century.

Milkweed is the normal host plant for the Monarch butterfly, but Monarch butterflies in Hawaii have adapted to use crown flower as their host plant, meaning they lay eggs on them and the caterpillars can eat them. The garden has both of these plants so they can attract the maximum number of butterflies.

Pictured above, Sotelo shows off the Community Living Center garden to Dr. Adam Robinson, director.

“We planted eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.”

“We grow food plants as well,” Sotello continued. “We planted eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. The extra food can get taken home by the guys’ families and they love that. They’re always very excited when they can get something from the garden.”

In addition to the benefit of adding beauty and producing food, the garden serves as an excuse for residents to go outside. Some residents tend to the plants, but most simply go out to enjoy the sights and smells. Keeping up a garden requires work, as well as donations of soil, fertilizer and plants. Employees can contact social worker and gardening club member Maria Clariza to set up a time to volunteer or drop off donations.

“We’re always looking for any help we can get with the garden,” Clariza said. “If employees want to come down on their day off and plant some of our seedlings that we sprouted, that would be wonderful. If they want to donate plants or other garden stuff, that’s great too. If any folks from the community can come help that would be wonderful. We’ll take all the help we can get.”

Ways to volunteer

There are two different ways to volunteer. One way is to go through the Center for Development and Civic Engagement and become an official VA Volunteer. To become a VA volunteer, contact Chief Schoen Safotu.

The other way to volunteer is to go through the Hawaii Red Cross, which works in the CLC garden once a month. Anyone who would like to join a Red Cross volunteer day can contact Julie Greenly.