Wetlands Day scheduled at Kawainui Park

Got Monday off for President's Day? Why not hit the wetlands?

The second Annual Ramsar World Wetlands Day takes place from 9 a.m. to noon at Kawainui Neighborhood Park in Kailua.

Guided tours will be offered at sites around Kawainui Marsh, and exhibits will feature information about wetlands and interactive activities for children.

Ramsar World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally to commemorate the first wetlands convention, in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. The local event marks the designation of the Kawainui-Hamakua Marsh complex as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2005.

This year's is “;Mauka to Makai - Wetlands Connect Us All.”;

The marsh, the largest wetland in the state, is the home of many endangered waterbirds and includes native Hawaiian fishponds and several cultural and archaeological sites.

All activities are free. Call 341-8276.

Symphony offers ticket break

The Honolulu Symphony offers a last-minute Valentine's gift idea - 2-for-1 tickets to an upcoming concert.

Through Saturday, buy one concert ticket at regular price and receive a free second ticket to the same concert. “;Sweetheart Sale”; prices start at $15.

The offer covers five spring concerts in the Halekulani MasterWorks and Toyota Pops series at the Blaisdell Concert Hall: opera star Sumi Jo singing “;Carmna Burana”; April 11 and 12; violinist Giora Schmidt on Tchaikovsky's violin concerto in a program that also features the “;1812 Overture”; on May 9 and 10; jazz percussionist Poncho Sanchez April 24 and 25; pianist William Wolfram with Rachmaninoff's first piano concerto May 2 and 3; and saxophonist Dave Koz at the Waikiki Shell (lawn seating only) on May 23.

Tickets are available at the symphony box office at Cole Cannery and Ticketmaster outlets. Call 792-2000 (daytime), 524-0815, ext. 245 (after 5 p.m.) or Ticketmaster (877-750-4400). Or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Cyril Pahinui will talk story

Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Cyril Pahinui kicks off a series of talk-story sessions in the Paliku Theatre on the Windward Community College campus next week.

The first session will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Pahinui will perform his signature songs, including “;Hi'ilawe”; and “;He aloha no 'o Honolulu”; and share stories about his music and life.

The “;Talk Story Series”; promotes WCC's Hawaiian music events and classes and classes and showcases Hawaiian entertainers who live on the Windward Side. Admission is free. Call 236-9144.

Kids can enter whale-of-an-event

Kids are invited to pen a poem or short story about whales for the 2009 Humpback Whale Month Ocean Contest.

Drawings are also welcome in the contest sponsored by the National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Guardian Kids Club.

Deadline is noon March 4.

For contest details visit http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

Entrants will receive an Ocean Guardian Kids Club membership card. Those who submit their work in February, which is Humpback Whale Awareness Month, will also receive a Humpback Whale Kids Packet.

Winners in each category will receive certificates and their work will be featured on the sanctuary's Web site.