Jennifer Perkins ‘27
Māmala Aloha ʻĀina 2023
April 2023
Please join schools and organizations throughout the Ala Wai Watershed and help us in caring for the waters that flow into Māmala Bay! We need more volunteers and stations to add to our collective efforts! No effort is too small to be counted.
Please record your impact here.
April 1 - 8
April 1 - Mālama Mānoa
Mānoa Stream from Woodlawn Bridge behind Mānoa Marketplace to Mānoa District Park
April 7 (ongoing every Friday) - 808 Cleanups
Pu‘u o Kaimukī/Kukuionāpēhā
4pm-6pm
Activities: Trash removal, Invasive plant removal, native planting, kuapā restoration
April 8 - St. Louis School
Pālolo Stream from 3rd Ave. bridge to the top of the Football Field
8am-12am. Opening prayer and oli at CCTC Gym
Activities include: trash removal, native planting, Invasive plant and fish removal.
Results:
Unusual and concerning items reported during this cleanup include large machine parts, chain link fencing, syringes, and derelict fishing gear. St. Louis School hopes this knowledge will help community members make better choices concerning our treatment of the stream and the safety of those who enjoy and care for this special place.
Members of St. Louis staff and administration led a thought provoking activity to start the day, asking participants to read and discuss the words of key religious leaders, and how they can inform our work in aloha ‘āina. One passage stuck with us..
““Ecology, then, also involves protecting the cultural treasures of humanity in the broadest sense. More specifically, it calls for greater attention to local cultures when studying environmental problems, favouring a dialogue between scientific-technical language and the language of the people. Culture is more than what we have inherited from the past; it is also, and above all, a living, dynamic and participatory present reality, which cannot be excluded as we rethink the relationship between human beings and the environment.” ”
St. Louis Middle School students, their families, and community members participate in a “fish out” with Uncle Cory.
Kekai inspecting two of the 4 big and healthy ‘O'opu Nākea captured and released during the survey. These native amphidromous fish are a key indicator of stream health and we hope removing invasives and rubbish will support their long and healthy life! E ola!
April 9 - 15
April 9 - UH Mānoa’s Tsang Stream Lab
Pālolo Stream - From Koali Rd to the 3rd Ave bridge.
9:30am-12pm
Activities include: trash removal
Results:
“The lab came together on Sunday morning and worked our way down from St. Louis School, past City Mill, to the confluence - where Mānoa and Pālolo streams meet - at Koali Rd. We found lots of scrap metals, food wrappers, clothes and household items. With many bridges, businesses and homes right up against the stream, it seems easy for these things to accidentally or purposefully find their way into the waters below. We hope that by cleaning up the area people will see how beautiful and special our streams are and try harder to keep them clean and healthy.” - Damien
Members of the Tsang Stream Lab showcasing items pulled from Pālolo Stream at Koali Rd.
*Special thanks to dedicated residents at Koali Rd. for allowing us to park vehicles and haul out rubbish near your homes and for your continuous monitoring of the area year round!
April 16 - 22
April 22 - Hālau Kū Māna PCS
April 22 - UH Surfrider Club
April 22 - 808 Cleanups
9am-12pm
Pūkele Stream (Pālolo) - from below 10th Ave bridge to top of Pālolo Place.
Activities include: Trash removal, invasive plant control
*RSVP via email to kimeonakane.808cleanups@gmail.com or by mobile phone at 808 398 8989.
Results
Unusual and concerning items include embedded tires, large automotive parts, rebar encased in concrete that could not be easily moved out at this time.
A diverse group of stewards convened by 808 Cleanups came together on Saturday to mālama Pūkele Stream. Rock weavers, Maryknoll biology students, plant nerds, and anthropologists studying the Ala Wai flood mitigation project all brought their ‘ike and physical strength to Pālolo to work towards a collective vision of abundance for this space. With a focus on uncovering the potential of the place, the group worked mostly on removing invasive plant overgrowth that was choking the stream flow and crowding the banks. We’re hoping that by clearing and maintaining the majesty of the area, folks will be discouraged from routinely dumping household rubbish and appliances over the wall from 10th avenue. The group has started to discuss plans for restoring the area through native planting of food, medicine, and craft plants named in Māhele era land survey documents.
*photo credit - Kimeona Kane - 808 Cleanups
April 23 - 30
April 23 - Punahou Student Clubs + UH Tsang Stream Lab
9am-12pm
Pālolo Stream - from Kalua Rd. down to top of St. Louis campus + up both Pukele and Wai’oma’o forks
*meet at C&C Pālolo drainage canal gate - closest residential address is 3406 Kalua Rd.
Results
By the end of Thursday April 27, groups shown in the image above plus St. Louis School had worked together to cover roughly 2.8 miles of Pālolo Stream complex (Pālolo, Pūkele, & Wai'ōma'o)!
Unusual or concerning items included large number of bikes & ebike parts, rebar & other metal construction materials, LOTS of bagged dog poop. Stream lab members hope this information can help our community make better decisions about disposing of dog poop in the grey bins. When disposed improperly on the street or streams canals, fecal matter can be responsible for transferring bacteria, viruses, and parasites to our aquatic and marine environments where animals live and we play.
April 27 - ‘Iolani School Ka‘i Program
(closed to public)
Postpones due to weather.
results to come!
April 29 - ‘Iolani School
9am-11am
Mānoa-Pālolo Drainage Canal + Ala Wai Canal
register here!
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Results
‘Iolani Schools’ Key, Naturalist, Surfrider, Plus, & Good to be Green student clubs closed out an awesome April of ahupua‘a-wide stream cleanups by showing some TLC for our Mānoa-Pālolo Stream and Ala Wai Canal stretching .6 miles from the Date Street bridge to the University Ave. park. This culminating event at ‘Iolani focuses on cleaning the final stretch of stream and area fronting the Ala Wai Canal, and completing the nearly 7 miles of stream work that folks further back in the valleys had done in previous weekends. Our cleanup event was a great opportunity for students to collect data on common types of trash being found, begin to formulate questions about the source of this pollution and discuss what is within their power to address.
The walking paths, parks, and gardens between our campus and the Ala Wai are such dynamic and beloved spaces for the community to thrive in. We hope that by maintaining a positive presence and continuing to clean the area, we will encourage others to see the beauty and value there to do the same.
Among the 557 lbs of waste removed from the stream, some of the most common items were cigarette butts, unidentifiable plastic and glass fragments, and food wrappers. Some of the more unusual or concerning items found were personal items containing IDs & photos seemingly stolen and discarded under the bridge, derelict fishing nets & line, and large corroded metal machine parts.
Aside from the cleanup, student club participants learned that screen printing is a fun and easy way to proliferate a message that can unify our community around a common cause. They used the MA‘A logo design contest winner’s image to print onto re-useable shopping bags and shirts to connect our community of stewards and spread awareness of the efforts of this amazing network of schools and students.
What the logo contest winner, Jennifer Perkins has to say about her design…
"I feature the quote Māmala Aloha ‘Āina to signify the importance of this event and meaning. I chose a cursive and bold font to give a natural and free-spirited energy to the message. The few ocean waves and a coconut/palm tree represent the Kai region of the ahupua’a, and the ocean that provides us with resources and activities. I added a lei of flowers in the corner to symbolize unity as one kuleana and the kula region, as the flowers are the first step to growing abundant fruit and medicine. In addition, I drew a mountain in the background to represent the Uka region as the mountains are the foundation of the ahupua’a and remind us all to stay grounded and centered. In conclusion, my one color- green, reminds everyone to take care of the earth and land we are blessed with here in Hawaii, and to stay green!"