WAILUA — Local Scout troops joined a small army of young volunteers Saturday at Lydgate Park to remove tons of debris swept into popular swimming areas along the waterfront. A recent storm deluged the beachfront with nearly 10 inches of
WAILUA — Local Scout troops joined a small army of young volunteers Saturday at Lydgate Park to remove tons of debris swept into popular swimming areas along the waterfront. A recent storm deluged the beachfront with nearly 10 inches of rain.
Friends of Kamalani and Lydgate Park rolled up their sleeves and tossed off their shoes to participate in the cleanup, organized by Tommy Noyes.
“I’m helping because I swim here and I grew up on the island,” a cheerful Nancy Levis of Lihue said as she hauled large branches to awaiting volunteers.
Another volunteer, Bridgette Orsatelli of Kalaheo, said she enjoys participating in beautifying the beach as part of community service.
“It’s a team effort with a common goal: to get our beach back,” Orsatelli said.
Chimed in local swimmer Linda Crocker: “We do all this to get our awesome beach back.”
Noyes, who organizes a weekly cleanup at Lydgate Park, takes a philosophical approach to hard work volunteered by young and old alike.
“Nature brings all this in and we respect that. We’ll do our part to make it clean again for everybody to enjoy,” Noyes said. “It’s a natural process and you can see the progress — it’s satisfying and rewarding.”
Most of the branches and debris that littered the beach and clog swimming areas will be hauled away by Kauai County crews who will compost the debris to keep it from being dumped in the landfill at Kekaha.
If you’re enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend, prepare for plenty more. The forecast calls for sunny skies with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the lower 80s. Light trade winds will help keep things cool.
