NAWILIWILI — The beach cleanup performed Friday off Nawiliwili Harbor had more meaning besides just ridding the shoreline of marine debris. Kate Mink, a science teacher at Island School, said the cleanup involved an area not readily accessible by humans
NAWILIWILI — The beach cleanup performed Friday off Nawiliwili Harbor had more meaning besides just ridding the shoreline of marine debris.
Kate Mink, a science teacher at Island School, said the cleanup involved an area not readily accessible by humans and is part of a funded long-range study.
“We’re cleaning up an area about eight meters by eight meters and will be studying what comes ashore for the next 20 years,” Mink said. “In that time, there will be some tsunami-related debris coming in as well.”
Mink was joined by about 20 students from Island School, who signed up for the project as part of the school’s 35th anniversary, the event being marked by a morning assembly after which students dispersed to various parts of the island to conduct service projects.
Peggy Ellenburg, Island School Alumni Relations coordinator, said some of those projects included cleaning up Puhi Park and Lydgate Park, helping kupuna at the Regency at Puakea, volunteering at the Kaua‘i Humane Society and the Lawa‘i International Center, removing invasive plants at the Makauwahi Sinkhole, projects on the Island School campus, and the beach cleanup for a scientific study with the U.S. Coast Guard.
“It’s not too often you can do a service project where the students have an opportunity to learn,” Mink said. “A lot of the students are already excited about the marine environment and, by doing this project, I’m hoping the students will become more involved. There is a lot about ocean currents that still need to be learned.”
Steve Soltysik, who works with the Island School students, said the two-day cleanup involved clearing the designated area of marine debris with Island School science classes collecting debris and monitoring the collection for entry into a statewide database.
The project is part of the Bishop Museum Outreach program “All Together Now 2012.” It started Thursday when crew members of the Norwegian Cruise Lines’ “Pride of America” — moored at Nawiliwili Harbor for its weekly overnight stay — which spearheaded the project with the help of Soltysik, other sea captains and the Sea Scouts program.
“Lila Detreaux is an Island School student and today she’s doing double duty,” Sea Scout Commodore Larry Richardson said. “She is also the Western Region Sea Scout Boatswain, the Sea Scouting’s No. 2 youth leader in the Western Region. So in addition to being a student volunteer, she’s also representing the Sea Scouts by driving the boat to transport the students to the cleanup area.”
Bill Georgi was wearing two hats as he helped move the collection of marine netting, which was transported from the seawall to the boat launch ramp at the Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor for transport to Island School, where the students would sort, weigh, separate and enter the data.
“I’m here with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, but my shirt says ‘Nawiliwili Yacht Club.’ So I’m wearing two hats today,” Georgi said.
Soltysik said the NCL volunteers collected enough debris Thursday to fill a six-cubic-yard container provided by Garden Isle Disposal, the task being made easier when USCG members from the Nawiliwili Mooring came out to help.
The recycling and disposal of the marine debris will continue through 2012 and 2013.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
