Ulu smartphone app highlights Kauai breadfruit

LIHUE, HAWAII—In advance of the September 15, 2013 Breadfruit Festival Takes Root on Kauai, the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project has added sites of interest on Kauai to the Talking Trees app for iPhone and Android.

The Talking Trees app is free and features suggested stops on Kauai and Hawaii Island that offer the opportunity to learn about the culture and history of the islands through stories of the ‘ulu (breadfruit). Information is conveyed through photos, articles and video interviews with local cultural practitioners. For people who want to learn how to cook with breadfruit, the app also features award-wining breadfruit recipes. Other links include information about how to cultivate and use breadfruit and Hawaiian mythology.

 

“There are many different drive guides out there, but ours is the only one in Hawaii that takes people on a journey to see the islands and learn about the culture and history by seeking out the breadfruit trees,” says Andrea Dean, Co-Director of the Ho‘oulu ka ‘Ulu project, “It's a fun way to see Kauai or Hawaii Island—kind of like a treasure hunt for ‘ulu trees.”

“Breadfruit was a primary staple food of Hawaii and still is in much of the Pacific. Raising awareness about how few trees are remaining and the importance of breadfruit to local and global food security is a part of our mission. The Talking Trees app puts people in direct contact with these beautiful trees,“ says Dr. Diane Ragone, Director of the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

The Talking Trees app was developed with support from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s Kūkulu Ola—Living Hawaiian Culture Program administered by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation. A corresponding enhanced web-based map was developed with support from the Atherton Family Foundation. Ho'oulu ka 'Ulu is a project of the Hawai‘i Homegrown Food Network and the Breadfruit Institute of the National Tropical Botanical Garden.

Learn more and download the app at breadfruit.info.