HANALEI — Hanalei Watershed Research Foundation in cooperation with the county’s Kaua‘i Parks &Recreation is hosting another beach clean-up this Saturday, June 26, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Hanalei Black Pot Beach, aka “Da Pier.”
HANALEI — Hanalei Watershed Research Foundation in cooperation with the county’s Kaua‘i Parks &Recreation is hosting another beach clean-up this Saturday, June 26, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Hanalei Black Pot Beach, aka “Da Pier.”
“After a very successful beach cleanup at Hanalei Pine Trees park the Hanalei Watershed Research Foundation is headed to Black Pot Park this coming Saturday to remove all the green waste and debris from this iconic beach,” said HWRF Director Zeb Beadle. “We had around 80 volunteers who picked up about 90 cubic yards of green waste, which was chipped up and hauled to a local Farmer to compost. Green waste organics belong in soil – not in beach sand or on the reefs.”
Beadle said, “The Foundation Field Research Team regularly scuba dives the Hanalei Bay reef systems to monitor health and have found an abundance of organic matter from invasive plants which has settled on the reefs from the various rivers which feed into the Bay. This organic matter brings with it destructive biology to the coral since it is a host to foreign algae, bacteria and critters that are not native to our local waters.”
“The research divers have witnessed the phenomenon of when a wooden branch or log is lodged against a coral head it creates a dead zone at the point of contact which spreads out, like when food is left between your teeth causing decay,” Beadle said. “The bacteria that is breaking down the wood kills the coral and when there is an abundance of smaller green waste, it smothers the coral completely.”
Beadle said, “The Foundation is committed to raising awareness of this green waste issue since it threatens not only the sustainability of local traditional fishing grounds, it also has the potential of reducing the effectiveness of the barrier reefs which protect all of our beaches on Kaua‘i.”
Interested volunteers are encouraged to bring their own water (no single-use plastic bottles), and a rack if possible. Beadle said gloves and large reusable garden bags will be provided.
“The last line of defense is to remove all the green waste off the beach to prevent a round-trip back out to the waters,” Beadle said.
By any chance they’re having a fireworks show on July 4th in Hanalei? I haven’t been there in years. My mom still lives there. Hanalei. I don’t know anybody there now. I guess all the girls must have left town. Some where else.