60 students volunteer for stream clean-up on National Day of Service and Remembrance

KALIHI—Kalihi Ahupuaa Ulu Pono Ahahui, or KAUPA, is expecting 60 volunteers from Kalihi Waena Elementary, Farrington High School, Island Pacific Academy, and Sacred Hearts Academy to attend KAUPA’s monthly cleanup of Kalihi Stream on Saturday, September 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

In 2009, President Barack Obama formally recognized September 11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This day is meant to encourage all Americans and others to voluntarily support charitable causes, perform good deed,s and engage in other service activities in observance of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Local students and Kalihi residents will meet at Kalihi Waena Elementary School in an effort to remove debris, illegal dumping, and invasive species from Kalihi stream. By removing this rubbish from the stream, possible disasters caused by flooding will be reduced, and keep this amount of trash from flowing into Keehi Lagoon and the ocean. This month’s cleanup will also see improvements made to the streambank with native vegetation being planted and steps taken to slow the encroachment of invasive species that threaten the vitality of the Kalihi Valley watershed.

Kalihi Stream is unique in Hawaii because it has managed to retain a natural stream bed in an urban watershed area, giving hope to the restoration of native oopu species that require an unimpeded stream for reproduction. 

KAUPA’s efforts to preserve its environmental and Hawaiian cultural heritage has seen a growing interest and increased involvement in the community. Volunteer numbers have reached 2,000 students and adults, contributing 5,152 hours since KAUPA began its work in June 2007. These efforts removed almost 2.5 tons of garbage from the stream, 3,090 lbs of metals, and 1,600 lbs of non-native greenwaste.

For more information, visit http://www.kaupa4kalihi.org.