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.