KAPALUA – On Tuesday, Feb. 16, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Hale Hokulani in Kapalua (across from Honolua Store on Office Road), the West Maui Kumuwai campaign will host a workshop focused on how landscaping companies and condominium properties can adopt ocean-friendly practices that help both their business and Maui’s coral reefs.

The workshop will also feature the latest findings on coral reef health and water quality in the Kapalua region and nearby areas in West Maui.

The workshop is recommended for all landscaping companies that operate in Kapalua and beyond, as well as any interested residents, property owners and managers from Kapalua and other West Maui communities.

Landscapers from West Maui Kumuwai’s Ocean-Friendly Landscaper program will share their stories and discuss the most effective sustainable landscaping strategies they utilize in their operations.

Through this free recognition program, West Maui Kumuwai provides resources and promotional support for the companies that take a public pledge to be ocean-friendly.

The workshop will feature the program and the three easy steps it takes to join.

This informal workshop aims to bring together West Maui business interests and residents to learn from local experts and each other, and discuss opportunities to work together to keep polluted runoff from reaching our nearshore coral reef ecosystem.

The region is the focus of the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative, which is implementing a number of strategies to address the serious issue of land-based pollution. The majority of the storm drains in the area ensure that stormwater runoff – and all it carries with it – makes it directly to the ocean, affecting the reefs that provide us with food, shoreline protection, waves to surf, tourism opportunities, and revenue.

For more information on the West Maui Kumuwai Campaign, visit www.westmauikumuwai.org, e-mail WestMauiKumuwai@gmail.com, or call Campaign Manager Liz Foote at (808) 283-1631.

The Landscaper Pledge can be found on West Maui Kumuwai’s website at westmauikumuwai.org/take-the-pledge/landscaper-pledge.