Stormwater Maui Is Back in the Classroom…Virtually

On Thursday, October 29th, Stormwater Maui was invited to give a presentation to students in an Introduction to STEM class at Baldwin High School virtually. The class consisted of 14 students in grades 9-12 and 1 teacher. The presentation was given as part of the class’s unit on pollution. During his presentation, our instructor, Dr. Daniel Garcia, informed students of the different types of pollutants that can be carried into Maui’s streams and the ocean by stormwater runoff. He also explained the ways these pollutants affect the water quality, ecosystems, and the organisms that inhabit Maui’s waters. Dr. Garcia’s presentation also summarized some of the things that HWY-M does to help mitigate potential stormwater pollutants and the different types of best management practices students can implement at home to be stormwater conscious in their everyday lives.

This was one of the first school “visits” the Stormwater Maui team has done since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are currently working on adapting our teaching strategy to be able to reach more schools and students virtually given today’s unique challenges. To schedule a virtual presentation from our team, please email ty.h.fukuroku@hawaii.gov.

Q3 2020 No Ka Oi Highway Hui Award Recipient: The Hana Lava Tube

Congratulations to The Hana Lava Tube for earning our No Ka Oi Highway Hui Award for the third quarter of 2020! While they are not the largest of our Adopt-A-Highway volunteer groups, they are among the most dedicated and consistent. They have held more than 35 clean-ups since 2007, and we greatly appreciate their efforts to keep Maui beautiful and free of litter. Organized by Chuck Thorne, The Hana Lava Tube group offers self-guided tours of an ancient cave formation in Hana called Kaeleku Cavern. While their Adopt-A-Highway group usually consists of just one or two volunteers, that does not stop them from doing their part to help protect Maui’s environment by preventing rubbish from entering the ocean. We are excited to recognize The Hana Lava Tube group for their continued service to this program.

Check out their feature in Maui Now!

Want to get involved in the Adopt-A-Highway program? Visit our Adopt-A-Highway page to learn more.