Akane Sasaki, a junior from Japan majoring in elementary education and a leader of the Garden Team at the Sustainability Center, said gardening has strengthened her love and appreciation for nature and for Heavenly Father. Her coworkers praised her passion for gardening and diligence.
Sasaki shared, “I used to raise my own vegetables in Japan, and I missed taking care of plants when I came to Hawaii. When I found out that the Sustainability Center was hiring, I was so happy and applied for the job.”
Leslie Harper, a sophomore from Canada majoring in supply chain and the manager of the BYU–Hawaii Sustainability Center, said, “When she started working, I put her in charge of the Garden Team. She would have been happy to just be in charge of several garden boxes and take care of them, but I assigned her to lead a team, which was out of her comfort zone.”
Harper continued, “She has done such a great job. Our garden boxes were mostly empty, but now they are full of growing plants. Her team members love her. Her passion for gardening draws people who have the same interests as her. She is also learning composting, [recycling plants to create soil conditioners].”
Sasaki said her days pass quickly while she takes care of plants. “I check my plants daily. When it is needed, I water, fertilize and harvest them. I do composting to make better soil.”
The best part of what she does is sharing her knowledge and what she’s harvested with others, said Sasaki.
Learning from nature
Sasaki shared her job helped her to develop appreciation of nature and plants. “From my job I am able to learn about Hawaiian nature. The soil, weather, wind, temperature, plants, insects, seeds, water. Everything is so different from Japan, so I struggled at first,” she explained.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many students who worked at the garden left. Because of this, Sasaki said she didn’t have anyone to teach her or to answer her questions. “I googled and watched YouTube videos, but it didn't help that much. However, the knowledge from local people helped me.”
Sasaki said wherever she goes, she observes people's gardens and asks community members questions about plants. What helped her most, she said, was nature.
“I watched the sky, the moon, the sun, rain, insects and the color of the leaves. I touch soil and leaves and smell them. Nature teaches me what the plants need. I use the Kamehameha moon calendar as well,” Sasaki explained.
Tomoyuki Akiyama, a marketing alumnus from Japan who graduated in December 2020, was a coworker of Sasaki. Akiyama said, “She is such a kind and lovely person. She has a strong desire to serve people. She grew up on her grandma’s farm and has mature knowledge about gardening.”
Sasaki emphasized that gardening is not an easy job. “You must get your hands dirty and work hard just to get one vegetable. But you will learn an appreciation for life. Nature and life are amazing and so beautiful. Nature gives us food, so we must malama [take care of] our aina [land].”
Akiyama commented, “She always surprises me by her ways of gardening. Since she started to work for the Sustainability Center’s farm, she made a big difference. Her team succeeded and harvested so many pounds of vegetables.”
Sasaki shared she learned in her Hawaiian studies class how important kalo [taro] is for Hawaiian people. “I learned how ancient Hawaiian people used the moon calendar to take care of plants. ... I want to learn more about the kalo and moon calendar.”
'Ike kupuna
Sasaki shared her desire to learn the knowledge of gardening passed down from ancient Hawaiians. “Because I am in this beautiful island of Hawaii, I really want to learn from people who know about Hawaiian plants, especially about kalo.”
Sasaki said she likes to watch Uncle Jerry Konanui’s videos. “Uncle Konanui explained the importance of 'ike kupuna [generation of knowledge], and I believe in it. 'Ike kupuna is better than googling,” she added.
Dermont Christensen, a full-time volunteer at the Sustainability Center, said, “I am impressed with Akane. She is a very focused, gentle and caring person. She is passionate about what she does and pays great attention to details.
“I have some gardening experience, so she asks many questions from me. She tries new seeds, and she loves growing things. She is determined to succeed individually and also as a team,” Christensen shared.
Sasaki said she first learned about gardening from her aunt and uncle in Japan. “My uncle learned from his parents. The ancestors passed down the knowledge to us.
“Because of COVID-19, it is difficult. But I love to meet people who have 'Ike kupuna and listen to their stories and learn from them.”
Akiyama explained, “[Sasaki] is also a great leader. She organizes weekly meetings to train her team members and improve the garden. She taught us how to cook the vegetables we harvested. She is just awesome.”
Harper said, “I know that she will grow wonderful things the rest of her life. She will be an elementary teacher, so she will be able to pass her gardening knowledge to the younger generation as well.”
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