KAUPA: Education, outreach, and action flows through Kalihi Stream

KALIHI—Deep in Kalihi Valley, Kalihi Stream flows from lush tropical watershed areas through agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial areas into Keehi Lagoon. Along the way, those waters pass through the lives of the people who live and work in Kalihi, picking up and redistributing waste that makes its way into the stream. Of the many community groups focused on Kalihi, the Kalihi Ahapuaa Ulu Pono Ahahu, or KAUPA, is uniquely dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Kalihi Stream as a vital, healthy ecosystem. 

Kalihi is home to a vast number of community organizations, due in large part to its cultural, economic, and ecological diversity. And while KAUPA is not the only entity dedicated to preserving natural beauty in Kalihi, it has made a notable impact in mitigating the factors that have degraded water quality and severely impacted native species populations over the years. Among the greatest threats to water quality and native species in Kalihi Stream is non-point source pollution. It comes from a variety of sources, and in many cases it moves with runoff water onto the banks of the stream and into the wetlands of Keehi Lagoon.

KAUPA is dedicated to restoring natural and cultural resources along Kalihi Stream and Kalihi Waena through education, outreach, and community action. KAUPA Executive Director Barbara Natale has been with the organization since its first year in 2004. KAUPA received federal non-profit status in 2005. Natale is encouraged by the amount of volunteer support KAUPA has received, but is clear that much more needs to be done to educate the public about the real peril that Kalihi Stream is in. Despite the fact that stream cleanups are conducted on the second Saturday of each month, pollution remains a major problem. “There is always more illegal dumping,” Natale says. “Every time we have a cleanup.”

Since the first KAUPA stream cleanup in 2007, nearly 2,500 adult and student volunteers have worked 6,760 hours along the stream. 3.7 tons of garbage, 6 tons of metals, and almost 2,000 pounds of non-native green waste have been removed.

“Early on, we were able to do a stream assessment that allowed us to be able to identify specific trouble spots along the stream,” explains Natale.

In addition to stream cleanups, KAUPA conducts storm drain stenciling missions that discourage pollution, water quality and biological stream assessments, trail improvements, and graffiti removals.

The group’s positive impact is visible along the stream. It’s also visible in the faces of the volunteers who turn up regularly at KAUPA events.

“I think the most rewarding part of my job is seeing the wonder on kids’ faces as they explore the stream,” Natale reflects. “I love to see them learning.”

Operating with grants from a variety of sources, including The Hawaii Community Foundation, the Hawaii People’s Fund, the Atherton Family Foundation, and Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii, KAUPA has plans for future projects that will further its mission, including an art mural and a Kalihi-based curriculum for the 4th grade at Kalihi Waena Elementary School.

A mother of two young boys and a Kalihi Valley homeowner, Natale is keenly aware of the importance of leaving a positive legacy for future generations.

“I used to love playing in streams when I was a kid, and I see that in the kids in Kalihi Stream,” she says. “I’m happy that we can do good work right here in our community.”

KAUPA - Kalihi Ahupuaa Ulu Pono Ahahui
P.O. Box 17673
Honolulu, HI 96817-0673
(808) 853-2218
(866) 373-1621
[email protected]