Marine naturalists to explain action guide

Sacred Hearts School students learned about ocean conservation through the “Making A Difference Action Guide.”
KIHEI — The Coral Reef Alliance and Project S.E.A.-Link will host events to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the “Making A Difference Action Guide.”
The publication was produced in partnership with several nonprofit and state agencies, including CORAL, Project S.E.A-Link, the state Department of Land & Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources, and Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Available for download at www.coral.org/node/4170, the guide addresses important marine conservation issues, such as land-based pollution, boating safety, coral reefs, marine mammals, and fishing.
The workshop will kick off with a one-year anniversary social reception on Friday, Aug. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. The educational workshop portion will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Both events will take place in Kihei at the new Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Education Center.
The workshop is designed to demonstrate how the guide can be used in classrooms and interpretive settings, and special guest speakers will cover some of the topics within the guide.
Carlie Wiener, one of the guide’s creators, said, “We are very excited about this workshop. The guide has been hugely successful — we are already in our third print.”
Liz Foote, who also helped create this resource, added, “We are happy to offer this workshop as a means of helping people make the most of this publication, and our goal is to distribute it widely.”
The workshop is aimed at community members, teachers, marine recreation providers, naturalists and citizen science volunteers.
Information will be presented with a “what you can do” focus. Guest speakers will include Randy Awo of the state Department of Conservation and Resource Enforcement, Robin Knox of Water Quality Consulting Inc. & Aquanimity Now, John Mitchell of Maui Digital Bus, Nicole Davis of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, Darla White of the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources and Donna Brown of Maui Community College’s Marine Option Program.
All participants attending will receive a free copy of the guide. This workshop is funded by the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Coral Reef Alliance. To register, call (808) 628-8666 or (808) 669-9062, or e-mail cwiener@hawaii.edu.