Month: March 2024

Highways Maui District is delighted to acknowledge and celebrate Maui Lavender as the recent recipient of the No Ka Oi Highway Hui Award. This recognition highlights their significant contributions to the Adopt-A-Highway program, and we applaud their valuable service.

For nearly 20 years Cathy Toda and Robert Spangler of Maui Lavender have helped clean a two-mile section of Haleakala Crater Road, a rural stretch of switchbacks located just over 4,000 feet above sea level. “It’s love for the neighborhood,” Toda said, when asked about their long-standing volunteerism for the Adopt-A-Highway program. “We drive our mule or the truck and we go up and do our thing and we just really enjoy it.”

While Adopt-A-Highway groups commit to conducting four cleanups a year, Toda and Spangler have been picking up trash along their adopted route monthly – one reason the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Maui District are very pleased to recognize Ms. Toda and Mr. Spangler for their dedication to the Adopt-A-Highway program as well as their commitment to the community and environment.

Check out their feature in MauiNow and the Maui News!

Highways Maui District engaged with the 5th graders at Waihe’e Elementary School on March 5th and 6th, delivering two days of immersive Stormwater presentations to over 80 students. Our team introduced the interactive Enviroscape and Storm drain models, offering a hands-on learning opportunity to explore Maui’s Stormwater system. Students had fun learning about the different pollutants that can come in contact with Stormwater runoff and engaged in demonstrations showing how these pollutants can be conveyed within a watershed. A big mahalo to Waihe’e Elementary School for having us!