Celebrate Earth Month by lending a hand at Hanaka‘o‘o with the Great American Cleanup
LAHAINA – On the morning of Saturday, April 9, a community cleanup and native plant care workday will be held at Hanaka’o’o Beach Park (Canoe Beach).
The event is part of Earth Month and the nationwide Great American Cleanup, coordinated locally by Malama Maui Nui. All are invited to join a team of volunteers who will be taking care of the native plants above the Hanaka’o’o Cemetary that were planted in 2013 as an erosion control project under the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative.
Debris has accumulated in this area from the highway above, so both a cleanup and plant care will take place.
The Great American Cleanup campaign is an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to join in a national effort to remove illegally dumped materials, common litter and debris from our community public spaces.
This campaign is coordinated in partnership with the national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, of which Malama Maui Nui is an affiliate.
According to Keep America Beautiful, “Last year, over 4,000,000 volunteers participated in over 20,000 communities across the country. In Hawaii alone, 17,000 volunteers participated in over 200 initiatives. Positive change happens when people work together. Through community stewardship campaigns like Great American Cleanup, public places are cultivated into vigorous spaces; that positivity impacts our environment, culture and economy.”
Volunteers will meet at the site by the cemetery at 8:30 a.m. Refreshments will be generously donated by CJ’s Deli & Diner, and cleaning and gardening supplies will be provided by Malama Maui Nui and the West Maui Kumuwai campaign; bring sun protection and any favorite gardening tools. For those wishing to collect and take home some clippings of native plants for their own gardens, bring an appropriate container.
For more information, e-mail westmauikumuwai@gmail.com, visit www.facebook.com/WestMauiKumuwai or www.westmauikumuwai.org, or call/ text Campaign Manager Liz Foote at (808) 283-1631.