Categorized | Volunteering

TLC for Manuka Natural Area Reserve

(Photo courtesy of Hawaii Wildlife Fund)

(Photo courtesy of Hawaii Wildlife Fund)

MEDIA RELEASE

Saturday marked the fifth year that Hawaii Wildlife Fund (HWF) has teamed up with the state’s Natural Area Reserve crew to clean up a stretch of coastline within the Manuka Natural Area Reserve (NAR), which extends from Ka‘u into South Kona.

During this time, more tahn 130 people have helped haul more than 2,975 pounds of marine debris and shoreline rubbish off this remote stretch of coastline that extends from Humuhumu Point to the north.

This weekend was no different.

After driving over very rough roads and hiking over a mile each way, the 30 cleanup participants hauled 26 bags of debris (weighing 430 lbs.) off the isolated shoreline.

Volunteers came from Hilo, Kona, Puna and Kaʻu and worked for hours on this collective mission to malama ke kahakai (take care of the shoreline).

NAR Specialist, Jenn Randall, arranged to bring an all-terrain vehicle to haul debris back to the staging site where it will be removed by helicopter in the coming week.

Mike McCagh, with HI Kombucha, brought a keg of grapefruit kombucha tea to share with the hardworking participants.

Tony Villegas, with Coconut Auto Repair, provided a 4WD vehicle to transport a group of youngsters from Kaʻu.

Joe Robinson, underwater photographer from Kailua-Kona, donated his time and equipment to photo document and film the event.

Randall, added that they were quite pleased by the outcome of the day and that volunteers had removed all the debris she was hoping for with energy and enthusiasm.

HWF has been leading community-based efforts to remove marine debris from along the Ka‘u coastline since 2003. During this time, HWF estimates that over 90 percent of the 168 tons of debris removed is plastic (e.g., fishing line/nets, shampoo bottles, toothbrushes).

As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Marine Debris Program shares, “Marine debris affects everyone.”

HWF believes the solution begins with individuals like those of who volunteered this weekend and with the small decisions that residents of Hawaii Island make each day.

Examples of these choices include re-using or simply refusing single-usage plastics, bringing your own water bottle or using available drinking fountains, and carrying your own to-go ware to Styrofoam-toting restaurants.

HWF’s Project Coordinator Megan Lamson said, “Do your part to help our marine and coastal wildlife: choose to re-use, remember to recycle, and limit your single-use purchases. We live on an island, and we must be mindful of how we are treating the land, freshwater, and ocean that support us.”

For more info about getting involved in an upcoming cleanup event, contact HWF at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 808-769-769.

— Find out more:
www.wildhawaii.org

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