Today was a beach clean up day for our middle school. Each of the six teams went on an excursion to a different beach around the island. The team that I was assigned to went to Kuli’ou’ou Beach Park in Hawai’i Kai. Our task was to remove invasive limu from the bay.

We walked over the flats at low tide around Paiko Lagoon and were greeted by families who live along the bay. There we met up with Mālama Maunaloa, a non-profit organization that is leading the restoration efforts. They set up stations to teach our students how to identify invasive species. They also gave a presentation on the history, causes, and successes.

Our students did a good job in removing over a thousand pounds of limu. We learned that the limu is used for composting. It is definitely a win-win solution.

We walked back during high tide. I held my iPhone up over my head and prayed for the best….

We ended the day by visiting an organic farm that uses the limu for compost. This farm is thriving!

I think our students had fun today as well. Imua….