Mother Earth will continue on her celestial journey, but this weekly column on the Hawaiian environment ends a more than two-decade run with my retirement from The Honolulu Advertiser.

The column started out in the 1980s, the brainchild of editor Jim Richardson, who recognized my interest in the topic and perceived a public need for the information.

The column won't be in the paper any more, but you'll be able to find reports on science and environment in Hawai'i at my new blog, www.raisingislands.com.

In this spot, we have covered natural sciences — endangered species, watersheds, alien pests, reefs, fisheries and so on. But also a lot of other science and environment issues, including climate, recycling, composting, green building materials (including the towering controversy over early low-flush toilet designs), alternative fuels research, a whole series on nontoxic cleaning agents and our annual tips on reducing waste during the Christmas season.

During the column's tenure, global climate change has gone from an informed suspicion to a near-certainty. Endangered species protection has moved from a focus on individual species to the conservation of ecosystems. Government agencies and landowners that once had no interest in preservation are now members of active conservation partnerships. The state is insisting its new buildings be built "green," the bottle bill is the bottle law, utilities are active in using alternatives to petroleum to create power.

In the 1980s, most Hawai'i residents didn't even know there were Hawaiian islands beyond Kaua'i. Today, they are preserved as the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, and the column's regular readers know a lot about those reefs and islands.

Things have changed, and what perhaps has changed the most is that when we started our discussion about the Hawaiian environment, there were so few of us. Now there are so many.

And it's been such a collaboration. Column ideas have come as tips from people across the state, and folks across the state have joined me in active — and sometimes combative — conversations via phone and mail in the early years, and mostly e-mail recently.

I've been humbled to hear from teachers who use the columns to teach environment in class.

And thrilled to hear people tell me that their interest in the Hawaiian environment was prompted when they were kids reading my stuff.

And chagrined to get questions from folks who think I'm an expert on the topics I cover.

I've been honored that so many Hawai'i scientists and conservationists — the real experts — have overcome their hesitance to let a journalist frame their work.

I thank them, and I thank you all.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call him at (808) 245-3074.